Start Programming in PHP: From Hello World to Database Queries

The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Are you a complete beginner looking to learn the basics of PHP? Look no further! This comprehensive guide will take you from the absolute basics of PHP to writing your first database queries. With clear and concise explanations and plenty of examples, you'll be up and running in no time!

Start programming in PHP - from hello world to database queries

by Hannes Hapke

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5198 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
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What is PHP?

PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development. It is a server-side language, meaning that it is executed on the server before the web page is sent to the client. This makes PHP ideal for tasks such as collecting form data, generating dynamic content, and connecting to databases.

Getting Started

To get started with PHP, you will need a web server and a PHP interpreter. The most popular web server for PHP is Apache, and the most popular PHP interpreter is PHP-FPM. You can install these packages on your computer using a package manager such as Homebrew or apt.

Once you have a web server and a PHP interpreter installed, you can create your first PHP file. PHP files have the extension ".php". You can create a new PHP file using a text editor such as Notepad or Sublime Text.

Here is an example of a simple PHP file:

php

To run this PHP file, you can use the following command:

php hello.php

This will output the following text to the console:

Hello, world!

Variables

Variables are used to store data in PHP. You can create a variable by using the assignment operator (=). The following code creates a variable called $name and assigns it the value "John Doe":

php $name ="John Doe";

You can then use the variable $name in your PHP code:

php echo "Hello, $name!";

This will output the following text to the console:

Hello, John Doe!

Data Types

PHP supports a variety of data types, including strings, integers, floats, booleans, and arrays. The following table shows the different data types in PHP:

Operators

PHP supports a variety of operators, including arithmetic operators, comparison operators, and logical operators. The following table shows the different operators in PHP:

Control Structures

Control structures are used to control the flow of execution in PHP. The most common control structures are the if statement, the else statement, the switch statement, and the while loop.

If Statement

The if statement is used to execute a block of code if a certain condition is met.

php if (condition){}

Else Statement

The else statement is used to execute a block of code if a certain condition is not met.

php if (condition){}else { }

Switch Statement

The switch statement is used to execute a block of code based on the value of a variable.

php switch (variable){case value1: break; case value2: break; default: }

While Loop

The while loop is used to execute a block of code while a certain condition is met.

php while (condition){}

Functions

Functions are used to group code together and perform a specific task. You can create a function by using the function keyword.

php function functionName($parameter1, $parameter2){}

You can then call the function by using its name and passing in the appropriate parameters.

php functionName($parameter1, $parameter2);

Arrays

Arrays are used to store collections of data. You can create an array by using the array() function.

php $array = array("item1", "item2", "item3");

You can then access the elements of the array using the [] operator.

php echo $array[0]; // Output: item1

Database Queries

PHP can be used to connect to databases and execute SQL queries. To connect to a database, you can use the mysqli_connect() function.

php $mysqli = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username

Start programming in PHP - from hello world to database queries

by Hannes Hapke

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5198 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	45 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE