How To Study

[phpnoobie10]

Hey guys I am new to php and I just wanna know whats the best way to study it and become a master at it thank u in advance also I am using a book to study with so I can not really afford classes so just like whats the best way to study php.

[Maq]

Get your hands dirty by following tutorials.  Posting and reading posts on the forums.

[Mchl]

Write code, write code, write code, write more code, write even more code.

 

Of course it helps if you have some previous background in programming. If not you should probably take some time to familiarise ourself with some basic concepts such as boolean logic, algorithms, loops, conditional instructions etc...

 

Then write code, write code...

[dadamssg]

buy a book that teaches basics and runs you through a working example of php in action, like form processing

[phpnoobie10]

Thank you guys so far u have helped alot

[phpnoobie10]

buy a book that teaches basics and runs you through a working example of php in action, like form processing

Well I got form processing down pat its just when I am about to create an app like a forum I dont know where to start

[premiso]

The best thing that helped me by far is the first 1-2 programming classes in college. They help you grasp the syntax and basic if/looping concepts.

 

As far as no classes goes, I would just download code that I wanted to do on my own and look at how it runs, then re-design it and code it on my own. But as stated, tutorials help, actually writing code helps. But you need to understand the basic syntax, logic, conditions, operators, etc before you can really actually program/code.

 

And do not jump into a major project, start simple (KISS Keep It Simple Stupid). If you want to make a forum, first learn how to store an entry posted in the database and displaying it. Then learn the user registration system...etc and keep building it a piece at a time.

[dadamssg]

if you want to program a forum it will all revolve around $_GET, you need to create template pages and then put an id number in the url and then output everything based on that number, make multiple queries, query a topic table with that number, query a repies table with that number, output in the template...the basic idea

[Maq]

buy a book that teaches basics and runs you through a working example of php in action, like form processing

Well I got form processing down pat its just when I am about to create an app like a forum I dont know where to start

 

If you're just beginning then I advise you not to even attempt a forum.  Start with the basics and work your way up.  When you feel comfortable then read a tutorial or try to build a forum on your own.  There's a reason you don't where to start.

[fabrydesign]

PHP and MySQL For Dynamic Websites: Visual QuickPro Guide Second Edition by Larry Ullman.

 

How I got my start in PHP, immensely helpful and easy to follow and provides plenty of example code you can repurpose.

[Daniel0]

You might find it helpful to learn some more or less advanced mathematics. It's the same kind of logical thinking that's needed in programming.

 

You'll also need to learn how to decompose a large problem into smaller sub problems. If you can't keep it in your head, then write it down. Make a list of the features, then on each item, write a list of what's needed to create that feature. Creating topics is an essential part of a forum system. How do you create topics? Well, you will need a form and you will need a script that processes that form. That script will need to validate the contents and ultimately insert it into the database. Take a look at this: http://www.phpfreaks.com/blog/learning-to-think-like-a-programmer

 

Otherwise it's just syntax, which you could get in a couple of days really. The syntax is the easy part, but getting a programmer's mind set is something much more difficult.

[PugJr]

I was in quite the same situation as you in I for one would not recommend downloading a pre-built code package. You get confused as you don't really understand what any of it means. I wasted months just trying to figure it out and then I went to a toturial (Not sure if i'm allowed to mention links) and I understood most of it in a couple weeks.

 

Thats just for me though, we all are different.

[Silverado_NL]

starting out on big prebuild package's havent helped me either.

i also recommend starting out with small parts of script that u could piece together at the end.

best is just to code yourself instead of copy&paste it, just to get it into your head.

and even when u start knowing alot of functions and u been writing some script your almost always gonna be doing something wrong in some way.

that why showing other people your code is really helpfull. they might be able to spot things u have overlooked or havent thought about.

 

i myself started out with basic stuff like syntax and logical operators and trying to make my own calculater using form boxes for inputs, then started reading about looping functions and arrays.

tutorials right here on phpfreaks but also other site's like http://www.tizag.com/phpT helped me alot.

one book i recommend is http://www.freeopenbook.com/php5-for-dummies/.

and php.net is great to find all sort of functions.

offcourse u also could search one of the big torrent site's for php books