What to do become PHP Expert

[aabid]

Hi, Guys

I want to learn PHP and I have purchased some Ebooks to learn.

Currently I am reading "PHP for Dummies"...because it has all the basics i need to learn it.

 

Will you guys please suggest me is it okay to learn PHP with that book only or do I have to purchase more books? (If yes then plz mention the titles)

 

Honestly I want to be a freelance PHP programmer and want to earn some side income with it. So you guys might have got the idea about the level of expertise I must get to become freelance programmer.

 

Waiting for your reply guys, and sorry admin if i posted this in wrong section.

[robert_gsfame]

as long as it teaches you step by step. but to be an expert like people here will take time .

[Xtremer360]

I've read about 4 books myself and the only thing I know is the the basics and some advanced stuff. Books don't prepare you for the real world stuff. I'm picking things up that I read in the forums and just working with the language. The more you work with the it the more you'll pick up.

[BlueSkyIS]

the first major step i took was to think of a useful application and then develop it. the application i developed was an audio recording database to keep track of all the live recordings that my friends and i collected. i had to learn how to do everything from password-protecting the site using sessions, to adding/editing/deleting records and providing a means to display the data publicly. then i started taking on small projects on guru and elance.

[JonnoTheDev]

Any book on PHP will teach you enough to get going. The php manual http://php.net lists every function and its usage.

When the term Advanced Programming is used it does not mean that you will be using functions any differently to that of a junior, it is more to do with the structure & layout of the code. Advanced programming techniques usually refer to Object Oriented Programming in which parts of a program are defined as objects mimicking real world entities such as a car, a ball, or a house. In OOP there are design patterns used that solve common problems, also you may have heard of Frameworks. These are OOP libraries of code that can be used to make application features using much less client code and time.

These are things you shouldn't worry about right now. Stick with your book, get used to the PHP syntax and see what you can achieve. When you are happy with what you have learnt, move onto a book aimed at the intermediate level. There are loads in the carousel at the bottom of this page.

I have around 15 books scattered around the office, however I mostly just use them for reference. My main source of information is definately the php website.

[aabid]

Any book on PHP will teach you enough to get going. The php manual http://php.net lists every function and its usage.

When the term Advanced Programming is used it does not mean that you will be using functions any differently to that of a junior, it is more to do with the structure & layout of the code. Advanced programming techniques usually refer to Object Oriented Programming in which parts of a program are defined as objects mimicking real world entities such as a car, a ball, or a house. In OOP there are design patterns used that solve common problems, also you may have heard of Frameworks. These are OOP libraries of code that can be used to make application features using much less client code and time.

These are things you shouldn't worry about right now. Stick with your book, get used to the PHP syntax and see what you can achieve. When you are happy with what you have learnt, move onto a book aimed at the intermediate level. There are loads in the carousel at the bottom of this page.

I have around 15 books scattered around the office, however I mostly just use them for reference. My main source of information is definately the php website.

 

Thanks for the help....well I want to become who can make script in its own because I have loads of creative ideas on which I can make websites and they will boom for sure. But the only thing which holds me back is money, I don't have enough money to spend 2000$ on a script.

That's why I want to learn PHP as a back of my hand, Also I am aware of OOP but somebody said to just learn procedural programming first and then go for OOP. Is it right?

[JonnoTheDev]

That's why I want to learn PHP as a back of my hand, Also I am aware of OOP but somebody said to just learn procedural programming first and then go for OOP. Is it right?

That's the logical step for a programming language that does not enforce OOP such as Java, especially if you are a beginner.

[.josh]

I learned more about php from helping out on the forums and going to the manual than any of the books I've read.  Just jump in, read a question, try to research keywords in manual and google, etc.. try to answer.  The hardest part about programming is not really learning the syntax, it is being able to do detective work, assess situations, solve problems.  Those skills are not really programmer-specific.

[intellix]

I started PHP when I had to make a game for uni... I'm still learning it and think theres no better way (personally) than to get stuck in and play with it I really want to start reading some advanced books though to get my head around various other concepts.

 

I used Learn PHP in 24 hours and I started to read Matt Zandstra - Object Patterns and Practise