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Introduction to PHP Programming - A 4 Day Course

Synopsis

A PHP course designed to enable web developers and others with limited programming experience 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 the most important range of functions in depth, and equips delegates to understand the remaining less essential aspects. The contents of this PHP course are identical to our three day in-house “PHP for Progammers” course, but the pacing is adjusted to suit the needs of public delegates and non-programmers. At the instructor's discretion, training material modules may be ommitted if the pace is slightly slower than anticipated.

Suitable For

Web developers and web designers with a modest amount of programming experience. Students will typically have used another simple or domain-specific language such as VBscript or Javascript.

Prerequisites

  • A basic working knowledge of HTML is presumed.
  • Some conceptual knowledge of how web servers and web browsers (clients) interact using HTTP
  • A working knowledge of at least one scripting/programming language or evidence of strong capabilities in relevant areas of mathematical/logical reasoning

Delivery

This is a hands-on practical workshop based around the development of fully working PHP website services. Strong emphasis is laid on practical examples for which a range of worked solutions are made available.

This course is now available on both a publicly scheduled basis (see below) and on a in-house basis for company groups. Most in-house delivery is onsite at the purchasing company’s premises.

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