PHP Programming for Beginners

Even though I've been using PHP as a web scripting language since it was at version 3 (now at version 5.3.2), I still consider myself a beginning PHP programmer. Advanced programmers understand things like OOP (object oriented programming), but it's something I still can't quite grasp. In fact, I still have trouble with classes and functions. Fortunately, the online manual for PHP is one of the best online manuals I've ever seen, detailing almost all aspects of the language. Coupled with allowing comments so that people can add their own routines or explanations, the manual is a valuable resource.

Why learn PHP?

Although PHP was originally invented to allow server-side manipulation of web pages, that's not all it can be used for. Do you want more control over what you can do while using Windows, like manipulate files and create backups? You can do it with PHP, whether you use the browser version or the console version. The console version puts Windows batch files to shame.

You don't even need a website to learn or use PHP. You can run it on your own PC. There are several server packages you can download:

• WampServer (formerly just WAMP) – Windows Only
• XAMPP – Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, Windows
• EasyPHP – Windows Only
• QuickPHP – Windows Only

Those are just the free packages I know about. I'm sure there are many more free packages, but you can also find non-free web servers which will run PHP as well.

PHP is one of the easiest computer or scripting languages to learn and I attribute that to the step-by-step instructions and examples given in the PHP manual. If it hadn't been for the manual, I never would have taken the time to learn anything beyond BASIC.

Why use PHP?

For web servers, the best answer is that it's a mature language and widely supported. Best of all, it's free to use. When you're already paying for domain names and web hosting, the last thing you want is to have to pay for the extras. Yes, PHP is an extra. It's not required if you want to run purely static web sites.

The neat thing about using PHP on a local PC server is that you can set up all kinds of things that aren't public (like being on the web). You can create virtual libraries of information, store complete copies of certain reference sites for use without even being connected to the Internet, and other things you can only imagine until you've learned how to get the most out of PHP.

When you couple using PHP with database servers, like MySQL, you can build personal applications 100 times better and faster than using something like Microsoft Access.

Teaching PHP

Although you can be taught to use PHP, by taking classes or something, I find that it's much easier if you teach yourself. You can learn a lot by studying and practicing examples provided by other people.

I don't want to teach anyone how to use PHP, except through examples, because of how time consuming it can be. I was planning to set up a website specifically for examples and some things I've learned, which I think would make life easier for people at my level of experience (or less), but I decided it against it because I would probably end up ignoring it until I was bored.

In future articles, and possibly a couple of rewrites, I'll be providing examples of PHP code I currently use or have used in the past.

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