Basics learnt! Now what?!

[ultigma]

Hey guys, just learnt the basics of PHP but I keep asking myself, WHAT USE IS THAT?!

I want to make real applications and all that!

 

Soooooo, I was wondering if anyone could compile a list of video tutorials for me,

and others looking to learn php, from beginner applications to more advanced programming.

There are so many to choose from I'm not sure which one to start.

 

Like I said, finding everything about loops, if else statements and what variables are are easy to come by.

I'm now looking for something to sink my teeth into that will gradually get harder and harder

till I'm a fully fledged php developer =)

 

Additionally, if anyone has been in my position and is now an experienced programmer, which tutorials,

in order of watching, did you watch. Thanks to everyone that can help =)

 

Cheers

[trq]

You should learn to problem solve instead of trying to build applications from videos / tutorials.

 

Think of something you want to make and start making it.

[Psycho]

I would suggest reading these forums and trying to solve some of the problems posted. I can't tell you how many times someone posted an interesting problem that I decided I wanted to solve. In some cases I have to go out to the PHP manual to see if there are any functions I'm not familiar with that will help me - which increases my knowledge of the language. Then I'll think through the problem in my head (and sometimes on paper) to determine the logical steps to achieve the end result. Then, I'll actually build it.

 

Sometimes, by the time I come back to the post to add my solution I find that someone already posted a solution. But, then I review their solution to see what they did differently. Sometimes they did some things that were better than me and in others I did something better than them. But, by comparing what someone else did to get the same result as myself I learn a lot.

[Love2c0de]

Great post Psycho, totally agree. I'm not a decent php developer by any means but just frequenting several forums for a few years, trying to help people solve their problems no matter how big or small, it's been quite invaluable for me.

 

My CSS has got better from doing this 100%. I never understood display: inline and display: inline-block for example, or the difference between inline and block level elements etc but now I can explain what they are. Another example is venturing off into jQuery after being advised on a forum and it's such a great framework to code with.

 

Having said that, I was finally able to grasp the concept of PHP templates after watching a couple videos on youtube. I was on a forum and this dude tried to explain on several occasions and I just couldn't grasp it until I watched those videos and I'm so glad I can understand the concept now as it saves work. I learnt about how to work with a directory with functions like dirname() and scandir(). From that was arrays, using functions such as in_array() and array_unshift(). This may seem pretty simple to you but when first starting out this was fantastic for me.

 

I'd say watch some tutorials and try to understand the concept first, once you understand, go off and create your own application. I know exactly what you mean, I feel like I am stuck at a point and I don't know where to go next.

 

Kind regards,

 

L2c.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Love2c0de

[redarrow]

when i started and learnt, i wanted to no was i any good.

 

i then done the good old clone jobs.

 

facebook was just around (dont lauth) i learnt to clone that it was excitting,

i learn so much css i didnt no at the time.

 

then we all moved onto the youtube that came around so i had a go at that.

 

then i wanted to go deeper so i cloned google and try to do  algorithms for search terms.

 

then i got into jquery.

 

then i got into javascript/ajax

 

that it, now a internet marketing and seo coinsultant from home, as i am disabled bad eyes.

 

i have been using php for over 15 year,s maybe more, the best to earn money on the .net

 

i can not wait till google come to london in king cross, ill be there eyes or no eyes ill met the deval him, self lol

 

 

ps.

if you think you no the basics of php,mysql,xhtml,css,jquery go for the exam...

 

 

it took me over 3 years to no and understand regular exsprisions properly. geek talk

Edited March 3, 2013 by redarrow

[Love2c0de]

Which exam?

[ultigma]

Thanks for all the replies. I have armed myself with a few tutorials such as a CMS, Shoutbox, Photo album upload thingy annd an eccomerce tutorial.

 

Hopeully by doing these it's slowly sink in and click with how it all works.

 

I hadnt thought of trying to solve others code, sounds like a good idea! Atm i find it really difficult to read custom code and user made functions but i guess the more i read the more i'll understand.

 

Cheers for the reply guys =)

Edited March 3, 2013 by ultigma