Learning PHP

NZ_Kiwi

I'm wanting to learn PHP from the basics up! does anyone have any material or great websites to help me??

Any help would be greatly apprechiated

Thanks

Mordecai

The manual has everything you'll need to know. But if you want tutorials, also check out The PHP Resource Index.

NZ_Kiwi

Originally posted by Mordecai
The manual has everything you'll need to know. But if you want tutorials, also check out The PHP Resource Index.

Does the manual show you how it all works? remember i have not programing experience either

Duey

There are a few great books around I recommend "PHP and MySQL Web Development" check it out on amazon.com. PHP is pretty easy, and the manual is extremelly well documented. Im sure you will learn quick 🙂

Mordecai

Yep, it's pretty down-to earth. Examples and everything for almost every function.

NZ_Kiwi

Originally posted by Mordecai
Yep, it's pretty down-to earth. Examples and everything for almost every function.

thanks, it's rather large and indeapth but I guess that's what i need... do you know if there is a fast way to print it all?

The_Chancer

Well, you can download it and just refer to it on your local machine...

Nixon

buy the book 'PHP in Easy Steps' its super easy with bright colours and a green,yellow and purple front cover its purely basics and thats what got me started! Very good.

Jack.

NZ_Kiwi

thanks everyone I'll have a look around, I get the basics fine well just reading different websites to make sure but when you get more advanced boy do I get lost quick!

For example what is the X for in this code

<?php

$times = 5;
$x = 0;
while ($x < $times) {
echo "Hello World";
++$x;
}

?>

The_Chancer

The $x is a counter, which starts from 0 and then counts up - as long as it is less than $times (ie 5) then do something - if it is equal to it then carry on with the script...

BuzzLY

Ahem. If I may interject...

You might try Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development. It was written by a number of the regulars here at PHPBuilder.com, including myself. Plus, you get the added benefit of being able to speak directly to the authors to ask for help with the book if needed. What other book will give you that?

BigBadKev

Hello NZ_Kiwi,

I am from Auckland NZ so a big hello to another kiwi!

The best way to learn really is what suits you the best, my method was a combination of text books and code tutorials, for others it can be just an “online” educational experience but the key thing is actually doing the coding yourself.
I have over the years (academically as well) noted that those that actually do practice code construction do in time become proficient.
This appears to be a fairly logical statement but I am continually amazed at how long it takes for new programmers to realize that this is a inescapable major part of learning how to program.
I started with surprise surprise hello world…my very first piece of PHP was echo ‘hello world’ and I had one file called….hello.php, this was my first “site”, it didn’t really do much except for say you guessed it ‘hello world’ but I was impressed.
I developed my site “hello world” into a fully blown object only carparts system with a code and SQL debugger running right through the code so that new programmers can see PHP4 in “live” action.
This is a project I am going to release as an open source project and if you want the code now to help you feel free to e-me (ripgut@military.com) and I will send you the entire source code.
Over time NZ_Kiwi you will realize that the open source community is a friendly supportive group of people dedicated to open source software.

I really hope you enjoy PHP4 as it is really cool to code in.

BBK