Introduction

Learning a new programming language can be daunting. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. That’s why we will take a look at the best ways to learn PHP here! Learning how to code may not be for everyone, but if you’re reading this, then chances are you already know that. Which means we can move onto why learning this language could actually be beneficial for you instead of a hindrance. The truth is that not being able to program in your past does not necessarily mean that you will never be able to again. In fact, there are many ways in which you can learn and expand your coding skills without even having to learn the ins and outs of any programming language.

What is PHP?

As a general guide, the PHP programming language was designed to be a safety net for web development. It was created in 1996 and has since been used in a wide variety of web projects and services. While it was originally intended to be a system that would “let the computer know what kind of stuff the web is made of and how to handle it,” it has since grown into a robust language with a variety of uses. You’ll find that PHP is widely used to power large websites and apps, as well as smaller projects and services. PHP is primarily used to create websites and apps, but it can also be used to create desktop software, build databases, and more. Whether you’re creating your next website or building an app, PHP can be an easy coding route to take.

Best Ways To Learn PHP

In order to understand the fundamentals of PHP, it’s important to understand the language. This way, you’ll be better equipped to tackle the challenges that come with learning the language. So, if you’re ready to get started, let’s get into the 10 steps to learning PHP. First things first: you’ll need to have a computer that runs on a stable internet connection. Next, you’ll want to install a web development program. We’ll be using Mac, but Windows users can follow along as well. Finally, you’ll want to get familiar with the WordPress platform. It’s the platform that powers the majority of the websites that you see online. With these steps in mind, let’s begin learning how to code!

Set up a real-life development environment

The first step towards learning how to code is setting up a real-life development environment. This can be as simple as using your computer’s web browser to access a development program that you’re already using on a daily basis. For example, if you’re using Photoshop as your main creative software, you can use it to create basic websites. With Photoshop, you can add images and text to your websites, as well as change the colors and shapes of the elements you add. This way, you’re already comfortable with the environment that you’ll be using in order to learn the program. If you aren’t able to set up a real-life development environment with the software that you’re currently using, don’t worry. You can set up a development environment at home using a computer and an internet connection.

Get comfortable with the development workflow

Next, you’ll want to get comfortable with the development workflow. The workflow is how you’ll proceed from one step to the next in order to learn how to code. For example, you might want to start by learning how to create a basic website. You can do this by creating a new WordPress website using the WordPress platform. After that, you can ever-so-slowly add more features to your website. Once you’ve added enough features to make it useful, you can then take the next step by learning how to code. This will allow you to add complex features to your website. There are a plethora of resources online that can teach you how to create WordPress websites. One of the best places to start is with sites like Codeacademy. With Codeacademy, you can learn basic programming concepts, which will help you to advance in your coding skills.

Courses and books

Arguably the one of the best ways to learn PHP is to take courses and read books. These are some of our favourite courses you can buy for a small fee from a website called Udemy. Udemy is great for learning new things, not just programming.

When it comes to courses we would recommend the PHP for beginners course which goes into a lot of details and is a great beginner course. If you want to become a full stack developer though we would recommend this more advanced course that is perfect for full stack developers.

When it comes to books there are so many good ones out there for PHP. Again for a full stack developer we would recommend this book that goes into details of PHP, databases and front end. If you would prefer a more backend server-side development approach, then we would recommend this book that looks at databses and server side development with php.

Free resources

The best ways to learn PHP do not always have to cost money. There are plenty of free resources out there too!. These are in the form of YouTube videos ususally. This five hour course will give you the beginner introduction to PHP. However if you are in a hurry you could use this 15min video to get a very breif introduction of PHP!

Finally there are also a lot of great resources out there that are written and interactive. W3Schools are probably one of the best ways to learn PHP without having to spend money or watching any videos. Their introduction to PHP is amazing and worth taking a look at.

Wrapping Up

In order to learn how to code, you don’t have to be a professional. You can learn how to code at any age, and you don’t even have to be a computer geek in order to do it. With a little effort and patience, anyone can learn how to code. The only thing that stands between you and a new skill is a bit of determination and some new techniques. With the steps above, you can find the best ways to learn PHP and expand your horizons as an individual learner. With the right approach, learning how to code can be exciting and rewarding.

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