PHP Programming

PHP is the most popular server-side language used to build dynamic websites, and though it is not especially difficult to use, nonprogrammers often find it intimidating. This introductory workshop is designed to change that by teaching you PHP through a series of clear, focused, easy-to-follow lessons. After briefly explaining what PHP is and how it integrates with HTML, we introduce the features of the language. He covers variables, conditional statements, calculations, loops, and functions, as well as server-side includes and error handing, in a series of hands-on exercises. He then moves to a larger project that involves building a script to validate and email user input from an online form. By following along, you'll come to understand the value of creating reusable code, the importance of PHP security, and how to deal with multiple-choice form fields.

Topics include:

Naming variables

Storing text as strings

Doing calculations with PHP

Using conditional statements to make decisions

Creating custom functions

Deciphering error messages

Emailing the contents of an online form

Dealing with multiple-choice form fields