PHP Course for Beginners

Lesson 1 • Installing and Configuring a Local Server

Guides installation of a local server stack (Apache/Nginx, MySQL, PHP). Ensures every student has a consistent environment for all subsequent exercises.

Lesson 2 • Code Editors and Developer Tools

Covers selecting and configuring a code editor with PHP support and using browser developer tools. Builds productive habits that accelerate all future development work.

Lesson 3 • What PHP Is and How It Works

Covers PHP's server-side execution model and its place in the web stack. Grounds all later coding concepts in how PHP processes requests and generates responses.

Lesson 1 • Scalar and Compound Data Types

Covers integers, floats, strings, booleans, arrays, and objects at an introductory level. Enables correct data storage choices for every programming task ahead.

Lesson 2 • Arithmetic, String, and Logical Operators

Teaches all core PHP operator categories and their precedence rules. Students can build correct expressions and avoid logic errors in conditions and calculations.

Lesson 3 • Type Juggling and Type Casting

Explains PHP's loose typing, automatic type coercion, and explicit casting functions. Prevents subtle bugs caused by unexpected type conversions in comparisons and arithmetic.

Lesson 1 • Defining and Calling Functions

Introduces function declaration, parameters, default values, and return statements. Establishes reusable code blocks that reduce repetition across all future projects.

Lesson 2 • Built-in PHP Functions Overview

Surveys the most useful built-in functions for strings, maths, and dates. Saves development time by leveraging PHP's standard library instead of rewriting common logic.

Lesson 3 • Advanced Function Features

Covers type declarations, variadic functions, anonymous functions, and arrow functions. Prepares students for modern PHP codebases that rely on expressive function patterns.

Lesson 4 • Loops and Iteration

Teaches while, do-while, for, and foreach loops with break and continue control. Provides the tools to process collections and repeat operations efficiently.

Lesson 1 • Array Functions and Sorting

Covers sorting, searching, merging, slicing, and mapping arrays with built-in functions. Equips students to process datasets without writing low-level iteration logic.

Lesson 2 • Indexed and Associative Arrays

Covers array creation, access, modification, and the difference between indexed and associative arrays. Arrays are the primary data structure in PHP and underpin all later topics.

Lesson 3 • Regular Expressions in PHP

Introduces PCRE pattern syntax and preg_match(), preg_replace(), and preg_split(). Enables powerful text validation and transformation beyond simple string functions.

Lesson 4 • Multidimensional Arrays

Teaches nested arrays and techniques for accessing deeply nested values. Enables representation of tabular and hierarchical data common in real applications.

Lesson 1 • HTML Forms and PHP Superglobals

Explains GET and POST methods and how PHP receives form data via $_GET and $_POST. Connects HTML form design to server-side data handling in PHP.

Lesson 2 • File Uploads with PHP

Covers the $_FILES superglobal, upload validation, and safe file storage practices. Enables applications to accept user-uploaded files without introducing security risks.

Lesson 3 • Validating User Input

Covers required-field checks, data-type validation, and range validation using PHP logic. Prevents invalid data from entering application logic or storage layers.

Lesson 1 • Insert, Update, and Delete Operations

Teaches parameterised INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements and rowCount() verification. Completes the CRUD cycle needed for any data-driven PHP application.

Lesson 2 • Executing Queries and Fetching Results

Covers prepare(), execute(), and fetch methods for reading database records. Enables dynamic data display by retrieving and iterating over query result sets.

Lesson 3 • Relational Database Concepts for PHP Developers

Reviews tables, rows, columns, primary keys, and basic SQL statements. Provides the minimum database knowledge needed to integrate PHP with MySQL effectively.

Lesson 4 • Database Transactions and Error Handling

Introduces beginTransaction(), commit(), and rollBack() for atomic operations. Ensures data integrity when multiple related queries must all succeed or all fail.

Lesson 1 • Building a Login and Logout System

Integrates form handling, database lookup, password verification, and session creation into a working login flow. Produces a reusable authentication pattern for real projects.

Lesson 2 • PHP Sessions

Covers session_start(), $_SESSION superglobal, and session lifecycle management. Sessions are the primary mechanism for maintaining user identity across page requests.

Lesson 3 • Access Control and Route Protection

Covers session-based access guards, role checks, and redirect strategies for protected pages. Prevents unauthorised users from accessing restricted application areas.

Lesson 4 • HTTP State and Cookies

Explains HTTP's stateless nature and how cookies persist data across requests. Establishes why state management mechanisms are essential for web applications.

Lesson 1 • Classes, Objects, and Properties

Introduces class declaration, instantiation, properties, and methods with visibility modifiers. Provides the structural foundation for all object-oriented PHP development.

Lesson 2 • Namespaces and Autoloading

Covers namespace declaration, use statements, and PSR-4 autoloading conventions. Organises large codebases and eliminates manual require statements for class files.

Lesson 3 • Inheritance and Interfaces

Covers class extension, method overriding, abstract classes, and interface contracts. Enables code reuse and enforces consistent APIs across related classes.

Lesson 4 • Composer and Dependency Management

Introduces Composer for installing, updating, and autoloading third-party packages. Connects PHP projects to the broader ecosystem of reusable open-source libraries.