Awesome! You decided to dig into one of the most widely used and easy to grasp programming languages out there.
PHP powers many of the busiest websites on the internet and there's a wide range of software written in PHP ... like Wordpress, Magento, OpenCart, SuiteCRM, October CMS, phpBB just to name a handful.
The Fundamentals
If you are a true beginner without prior knowledge in programming, you need to become familiar with the very basics first. Don't be discouraged if you don't grasp everything after reading it just once or twice. Take your time and go at your own pace.
Installing PHP
Learn how to install PHP either standalone or as part of a fully fledged
web server package on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Choosing a PHP Editor or IDE
A solid code editor or IDE with auto-completion, syntax highlighting,
validation and advanced debugging features makes coding a breeze.
Basic PHP Syntax and Output
Learn how to create, edit and execute PHP files and send output to
the command line or browser.
Data Types in PHP
String, int, float, bool, ... learn about PHP's
various data types and when/how to use them.
if, elseif, else and switch in PHP
Control structures are the bread and butter, when it comes to decision
making in programming. Let's have a look at if, elseif, else and switch.
for foreach and while Loops in PHP
Doing the same thing over and over again e.g. read and write files line by line,
process data sets one by one - let's take a look at PHP's loops.
Using and Declaring PHP Functions
Learn how to create and use functions in PHP. The little magic bits
of code that help us do a lot with little effort.
Practice Time!
Simple Interactive PHP Console Dice Game
In this simple example we practice PHP by creating a very simple dice game,
which can be played in the console / commandline. It's very easy to create and has
just a little over 20 lines of code.
upcoming
- building a console app (command) in php (product import ?)
- building an interactive console app in php (flight booking app ?)
- working with web / html forms in php (simple shopping cart ?)