PHP : From Basic To Advance

Week 1: Introduction to PHP

Day 1: What is PHP?

Overview of PHP:

• PHP stands for “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.”
• It’s a widely-used open-source scripting language, especially suited for web development.
• PHP scripts are executed on the server, and the result is returned to the browser as plain HTML.

History and Purpose:

• Created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994.
• Initially used for tracking visits to his online resume.
• Over time, it evolved to support web forms, databases, and dynamic content generation.

Uses in Web Development:

• Server-side scripting: Handling forms, generating dynamic page content, sending and receiving cookies.
• Command-line scripting: Performing tasks like sending emails, generating files, etc.
• Writing desktop applications.

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

Day 2: Setting Up the Environment

Installing a Local Server:

• XAMPP: Cross-platform, easy to install, comes with Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.
• MAMP: For macOS, includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
• WAMP: For Windows, includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

Steps to Install XAMPP:

1. Download XAMPP from Apache Friends.
2. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.
3. Start the XAMPP Control Panel and ensure Apache and MySQL are running.

Writing and Running Your First PHP Script:

1. Create a new file named index.php.
2. Add the following code:

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

3. Save the file in the htdocs directory (inside the XAMPP installation folder).
4. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/index.php.

PHP Syntax and Basic Commands:

• PHP scripts start with <?php and end with ?>.
• Statements end with a semicolon ;.
• Comments:
• Single-line: // or #
• Multi-line: /* */

Day 3-5: Basics of PHP

Variables and Data Types:

• Variables: Start with a $ sign, followed by the name.

$text = "Hello, PHP!";

$number = 10;

$float = 10.5;

$is_true = true;

$array = array("apple", "banana", "cherry");

$object = (object) ['property' => 'value'];

• Data Types: String, integer, float, boolean, array, object, null.

Operators:

• Arithmetic Operators: +, -, *, /, %
• Assignment Operators: =, +=, -=, *=, /=
• Comparison Operators: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <=
• Logical Operators: &&, ||, !
• Increment/Decrement Operators: ++, --

Example:

Day 6-7: Control Structures

Conditional Statements:

• If Statement:

0) {

echo “Positive number”;

}

?>

• If-Else Statement:

• If-Elseif-Else Statement:

0) { echo “Positive number”; } elseif ($num < 0) { echo "Negative number"; } else { echo "Zero"; } ?>

• Switch Statement:

Loops:

• While Loop:

• Do-While Loop:

<?php $i = 1; do { echo "The number is: $i <br>"; $i++; } while ($i <= 5); ?>

• For Loop:

[mycode]

<?php
for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
   echo “The number is: $i <br>”;
}
?>

[/mycode]

• Foreach Loop:

[mycode]

<?php
$colors = array(“red”, “green”, “blue”, “yellow”);

foreach ($colors as $color)
{
echo “$color <br>”;
}
?>

[/mycode]

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Do you have any questions about the overview of PHP?