newbie needs help

p0pb0b

Hi
I am very new to PHP, I know the basics, but I need help, I was wondering if anyone in this forum is kind enough to become my tutor or something and maybe help me out. Any kind of help will be apprciated, thanks!

stolzyboy

the best thing for you to do would be pick up a book or search for tutorials on websites, then work thru them, and when/if you have questions, that is the time to come here for help

p0pb0b

could you give me some advice on wheather if I should work with books first or skip to messing arround with free scripts and studying them?

tuf-web_co_uk

although myself, only read about 2 pages of a book before going into the php business, i still only know a bit 🙁

your better off going for books

they are more reliable, and if you dont know the script before hand, how can you read code samples?!

i advise getting a book, and probably anybody easy who programmes php will tell u that

p0pb0b

Ive seen php code before, I can actually modify it and integrate it and stuff, but Im having trouble doign something completely from scratch on my own, how can I fix that? ANyway any of you php professionals can give me some advice or sumthin?

edwardsbc

Here's my advice on doing PHP development:

1) Know HTML (I mean really know it: www.w3.org)
2) Understand the difference between server side script processing and client side script processing, and how the two can and can't interact.
3) Undestand how HTTP works (really works: www.w3.org)
4) Learn how to design databases and construct queries for relational databases (SQL)
5) Understand the security model of your server operating system and web server.

and finally,

6) Now that you have eliminated 85%-95% of the questions/posts on these forums, start using PHP in any way you feel comfortable. It will be easy if you didn't skip steps 1-5.

I began learning by trying to modify a script I had downloaded that didn't do quite what I wanted. Shortly, I found the PHP Manual and have never looked back. I have a couple of PHP books at work, but find their usefulness quite limited.

p0pb0b

Thanks for the comment
I know steps 1-5 already, but the thing is I have never had any programming experience before and I relize that PHP is based on C, so, should I begin learning PHP ir learn C and then just go over the syntax of PHP? If I were just to start to learn PHP, so what do I do after I did those 5 steps?

tuf-web_co_uk

if u have not got any previous knowledge of programming how can you know html (step 1) :rolleyes:

mzanimephp

Because HTML isn't programming. It's design.

HTML only does what you tell it to, it doesn't think, and it certinly doesn't do (if, or, else) conditions.

I understand what p0pb0b is saying, I can successfully modify PHP scripts that I find, but I'm not yet skilled enough to actually design my own scripts that are actually useful to me.

tuf-web_co_uk

i would agree that html is design, but it is programming

its a fact, its the basic web programming language

i dunno what else to say

but it is programming

p0pb0b

mzanimephp
Thanks for your comment, what you said about not being able to design your own scripts is exactly what Im having trouble doing.. I mean, I think I dont have enough knowledge to start a script from scratch or something.... Its like I always need a template or the basic frame of someone elses work and work off that.. does anyone know what I mean?Well I downloaded this News Script and I started to examine it and try to understand it and see what their techniques are and I have alot of questions too much to ask on this board, so again if anybody can help, please reply to this post if you think you have time to help me through IM or something, thanks for all the comments, thanks and
tuf-web.co.uk
I really liked your site, did you program everything yourself?

tuf-web_co_uk

yep, i programmed it all my self 😃 and i only know basic php which is scary

thanks for the comment 😉

p0pb0b

so can someone maybe help me out?

mzanimephp

Well I probably don't know much more than you, but we can still help each other, I suppose. If you got AIM, feel free to add me. "mzonaim"

dalecosp

ST*W for "flowchart". 😃

Begin with the purpose of the script. What should it do? Try and make the description as exact and informational as possible.

Next, think through the steps you'll need to accomplish this purpose. Not in terms of PHP or any computer language --- the actual process of doing something...

Say you want to write a script to send a text message to your cell phone. What are the steps?

Determine who's sending the message (and probably if you want them to be permitted to do so...).
Determine the content of the message. Are there any characters that won't be permitted? What's the maximum length? What about the possibility of unexpected or hostile input?
Determine the basic technology used to send the message (i.e., will [man]mail/man take care of this for you, or do you need something else...?
Determine the possible outcomes of the script.

I'd advise making a flow chart in the time-honored tradition of programming 🙂 Here's one ...

Then, for each block in your chart, you need to find a block of code, a function in PHP, or a function you create, that does that specific procedure.

String them together, and test.

Report problems here --- specific problems, after spending some time at Google and using this forum's search engine for a few minutes. Post a well-worded question, with good spelling and punctuation, that tells what you've done, what you expected to happen, and what happened instead, and then post the code, using the

 vbCode tags...

pinehead18

My advice is to find something you want to make and just do it. If you get stumped look it up. Look in the php manual ask for opinions on here. You learn best by trial and error...

drag0n

hey dalecosp... thats a nice flow chart.. p0pb0b, what I advise you do is just get a script for hotscripts.com and study it and study it and ask questions on here, thats how I got started. And look on this forum all the time, try to answer questions and ask also.

p0pb0b

Hey thanks for all the replies and comments, especially dalecosp, thanks for that flowchart. What I wanted to start out with was something simple such as a news script like on www.cutphp.com I think it is a easy concept to understand and it will probably teach me alot about php and using it in the real world. If anybody can help me out, I would really appreciate it, I am not expecting anybody to code it for me just help me through the steps to start it and maybe answer some questions I may have

dalecosp

Like on where?

$host cutphp.com
Host not found.

Gotta watch those syntax errors ...

News scripts aren't too difficult, except that you're generally working with a database, and that may complicate things a bit. But the concepts are still the same. Decide in human terms what needs to be done, translate to code, test.

G'luck!

p0pb0b

Yah Ive worked with databases before.. but like Ive said before my real trouble is starting the base of the code.. I know the basics of php and I started leanring php to edit PostNuke so if someone could just help me get started and possibly answer some questions that would be great .
Sorry DaleCosp, the link is: www.cutephp.com