PHP Full Course for non-haters 🐘 (2023)

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide to learning PHP, aimed at beginners. The course covers everything from setting up your development environment to more advanced concepts like connecting to a MySQL database. By the end, you will have a solid foundation in PHP programming and be ready to explore more complex topics such as Object-Oriented Programming and Exception Handling.

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

1. Install XAMPP Server

   • Download XAMPP from the official website.
   • Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

2. Set Up VSCode

   • Download and install Visual Studio Code (VSCode).
   • Open VSCode and install the following extensions:
     • PHP Intelephense
     • Live Server

3. Create Necessary Files

   • Open the XAMPP installation directory and navigate to the htdocs folder.
   • Create a new folder for your PHP project.
   • Inside this folder, create a file named index.php.

4. Validate PHP Executable Path

   • Open a terminal or command prompt.
   • Type php -v to check if PHP is correctly installed and accessible.

5. Access the XAMPP Dashboard

   • Open a web browser and type http://localhost/dashboard.
   • Ensure that Apache and MySQL services are running.

Step 2: Create Your First PHP Script

1. Open index.php in VSCode

   • Start coding your first PHP script.

2. Use Echo Statement

   • Add the following code to display "Hello, World!" on your webpage:

   <?php
   echo "Hello, World!";
   ?>
   

3. Add Comments

   • Use comments to document your code:

   <?php
   // This is a comment
   echo "Hello, World!";
   ?>
   

4. Generate HTML Template

   • Expand your script to include HTML elements:

   <?php
   echo "<h1>Hello, World!</h1>";
   ?>
   

Step 3: Understand Variables and Data Types

1. Declare Variables

   • Use the $ symbol to declare variables:

   $name = "John Doe";
   $age = 30;
   

2. Explore Data Types

   • PHP supports several data types, including strings, integers, floats, arrays, and booleans.

Step 4: Master Control Structures

1. If Statements

   • Write conditions using if statements:

   if ($age >= 18) {
       echo "Adult";
   } else {
       echo "Minor";
   }
   

2. Logical Operators

   • Use operators like && (AND) and || (OR) to combine conditions.

3. Switch Statements

   • Implement switch statements for multiple conditions:

   switch ($day) {
       case "Monday":
           echo "Start of the week!";
           break;
       default:
           echo "Have a nice day!";
   }
   

Step 5: Loop Through Data

1. For Loops

   • Set up a for loop to iterate through a range:

   for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
       echo $i;
   }
   

2. While Loops

   • Create a while loop based on a condition:

   $i = 0;
   while ($i < 10) {
       echo $i;
       $i++;
   }
   

Step 6: Work with Arrays

1. Create Arrays

   • Define indexed and associative arrays:

   $fruits = array("Apple", "Banana", "Cherry");
   $person = array("name" => "John", "age" => 30);
   

2. Access Array Elements

   • Access elements using their index or key:

   echo $fruits[0]; // Outputs "Apple"
   echo $person["name"]; // Outputs "John"
   

Step 7: Functions and Input Validation

1. Define Functions

   • Create reusable code blocks:

   function greet($name) {
       return "Hello, " . $name;
   }
   

2. Sanitize and Validate Input

   • Use functions like isset() and empty() to check user input:

   if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
       $username = $_POST['username'];
       if (empty($username)) {
           echo "Username is required.";
       }
   }
   

Step 8: Handle Sessions and Cookies

1. Manage Sessions

   • Start a session and store variables:

   session_start();
   $_SESSION['username'] = 'JohnDoe';
   

2. Use Cookies

   • Set and retrieve cookies:

   setcookie("user", "JohnDoe", time() + (86400 * 30)); // 30 days
   echo $_COOKIE["user"];
   

Step 9: Connect to MySQL Database

1. Create a Table in PHPMyAdmin

   • Access PHPMyAdmin via the XAMPP dashboard.
   • Create a database and a table to store data.

2. Insert Data into MySQL

   • Use PHP to connect and insert data:

   $conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
   $sql = "INSERT INTO Users (username) VALUES ('JohnDoe')";
   $conn->query($sql);
   

3. Query Data from MySQL

   • Retrieve data using SELECT statements:

   $result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM Users");
   while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
       echo $row['username'];
   }
   

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you have set up a PHP development environment, created your first scripts, and learned about variables, control structures, loops, functions, and database interactions. Your next steps could include diving deeper into Object-Oriented Programming, Exception Handling, and advanced database techniques. Happy coding!