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PHP for Programmers - A 3 Day Course

Synopsis

A PHP course designed for experienced programmers who want to build dynamic e-commerce web sites using the PHP programming language. Since PHP is such a rich and task-specific language, the course covers in depth the most important range of functions and equips delegates to understand the remaining less essential aspects.

Suitable For

Software developers with no PHP experience and possibly no web programming experience. Students must, however, have strong foundation in general programming. Those with knowledge of C-like languages, especially Perl, should be able to progress quickly through the course.

Groups with limited experience of C-like languages may wish to extend PHP courses beyond the usual 3 days.

Prerequisites

  • A basic working knowledge of HTML is presumed.
  • Some conceptual knowledge of how web servers and web browsers (clients) interact using HTTP
  • Good working knowledge of at least one programming language

Delivery

This is a hands-on practical PHP workshop based around the development of fully working website services.

At present this instructor-led PHP course is designed primarily for in-house delivery to corporate groups. This usually takes place on-site, i.e. at the premises of the purchasing company. Information about the setup requirements for in-house courses is available on a separate page.

Arrangements can be made for off-site training at a range of facilities, although this can incur costs which have to be added to our normal charges for tuition and course materials.

Contents

Introduction to PHP

  • History of PHP
  • Comparison with dynamic content alternatives (Perl, CGI, ASP, JSP, Servlets , CGI, etc)
  • PHP tools and set up (web browser/server, editor, libraries, etc)
  • Create a basic PHP Script
  • Taking user input
  • Selecting alternatives
  • Use PHP to generate HTTP headers
  • Pass PHP variables via the URL

Taking User Input from Forms via PHP

  • Creating forms with PHP
  • Using the form GET method
  • Using the form POST method
  • Obtaining data from forms through variables
  • Using hidden fields
  • Calling pages from themselves using forms
  • Quoting HTML entities in user input

Variables and Expressions in PHP

  • Identifiers
  • Data Types (integers, floats and strings)
  • Creating Variables
  • Variable assignment
  • Variable Scope
  • User-defined Constants
  • HTTP environment variables

PHP Operators

  • Arithmetic Operators
  • Logical Operators
  • Relational Operators
  • Bitwise Operators
  • Other Operators
  • Assignment Operators

Conditional Tests and Events in PHP

  • True and False
  • If
  • else and elseif
  • The switch / case statement
  • The ? Operator
  • Comparing for equality or identity

PHP Flow Control

  • Loops
  • while
  • do ... while
  • for
  • break and continue
  • exit

PHP Functions

  • Purpose of functions
  • Built-in functions
  • Declaring functions
  • Arguments to functions
  • return
  • Scope (global vs local)
  • Recursion
  • Variable function calls

Storing Data in Arrays using PHP

  • What are arrays?
  • How and when to use arrays
  • Indexing arrays
  • Initialising arrays
  • Add/remove info from arrays
  • One-dimensional arrays
  • Multi-dimensional arrays
  • Array-related functions

Handling Databases with PHP

  • PHP's database APIs
  • Error-handling strategies
  • Connection/disconnection, log in/log out
  • Including common access functions
  • Doing simple SQL queries via PHP
  • Building HTML tables using SQL Queries

Using Cookies with PHP

  • Cookie properties
  • Setting a cookie in PHP
  • Retrieving PHP cookies
  • Expiring/Deleting PHP cookies
  • Drawbacks to cookies
  • Using cookies well
  • Cookie Security Issues

Session Management in PHP

  • What is a session?
  • Dependencies on the php.ini file
  • Understanding PHP session variables
  • Create a PHP session variable
  • Register and modify PHP session variables
  • Putting PHP session IDs in pages
  • Good Practice with sessions and PHP
  • PHP Sessions and databases

File and Directory Access Using PHP

  • Opening files, local and remote
  • Reading and writing files
  • include
  • require
  • Handling file permissions
  • Handling file ownership
  • File locking
  • Opening and reading directories
  • File uploads from the browser/user

Other I/O Issues in PHP

  • Getting IP adresses from visitors
  • Getting referring urls from visitors
  • Shell Commands
  • Environment variables
  • Showing different content to different browsers (IE, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, etc)
  • Debugging
  • Handling HTTP and MIME headers

Handling Email with PHP

  • Sending email
  • Unix and NT setup
  • Attachments with PHP

Objects in PHP

  • Object basics
  • Inheritance
  • Classes in PHP
  • Constructor functions
  • Accessing instance data and functions

Graphics in PHP

  • Graphics basics
  • Image MIME type
  • Basic examples
  • Creation from an existing image
  • Image copying and resizing
  • Drawing text on images
  • True Type fonts