Learning PHP

invalidsyntax

Hi I started learning PHP about a month ago I read some tutorials and read through a book. I know the basics variables functions yada yada.

I am looking for a way to learn by doing i can read and watch videos but it seems like i don't advance.

i need help lol what do you say i should do to learn better and faster?

thanks for your suggestions

Mark😃

examancer

I think one of the best ways to learn is have a goal. Figure out what type of PHP program you want to make... start with something realistic... write out your requirements for the program. Next, get to work. Learn what you need to learn to implement every one of your requirements. Want to build an image gallery? Probably going to need to look up some tutorials or in the manual for some pointers on handling file uploads and using image functions to manipulate the photos and create thumbnails. If you choose to use a database, thats another thing you'll have to look up. If you want to use flat files, you'll have to get familiar with file and directory handling functions...

After a while you'll have amassed so much knowledge in PHP and programming that you can consider yourself a master PHP programmer 🙂

daveyc

I first started learning how PHP worked by looking into other peoples code, reading up on tutorials, and then putting modifications in myself.

As examancer said, it's all about having a goal. I had a shopping cart system, it didn't do the discounts on shipping the way i'd like, so my goal was to edit the script and make it do what I needed.

Start on small projects, and test them out. Should you come across any problems, that's what php builder is here for 🙂

I wish you the best of luck! 🙂

Dave

invalidsyntax

thanks for the encouragement XD

daredevil14

Well, I always prefered ASP on PHP, since my first "advanced" applications ( such as guestbooks, counters... ) were in ASP...

But i wanted to move on into PHP... so I started learning the basics of every language ( variables, strings, operators, conditionals and loops, arrays, get and post, forms... ), and i guess the best way to learn is to have your notepad open while learning, test everything you learn, always edit the original code... surf the web for "known" web utilities and applications, such as guest books, counters, mailing systems, captcha images, registeration & login system... read the source code, try to "pull" a "general" script from examples...

And finally, think of what do you want, and try to invent your own code ( it started to work with me after what i did the mentioned things in the above paragraph )

now, i've finished php databasing, and started to parse XML with php, and later on, i wanna start learning AJAX with PHP...

Good Luck 🙂

suthen_cowgirl

w3schools.com 🙂
When you go to PHP or any language it gives several different things that can be done, it shows you how to and even provides boxes to test it yourself. I like the site and I know several others that use it to learn PHP and other languages.
Good luck!

daredevil14

yeah btw, w3schools.com is a great site... I learned :
HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, RSS, WML, VBScript, SQL, ADO, ASP & PHP through it... but it is not everything, i mean you gotta continue working on yourself...