Fastest Way To Learn PHP With Guided Courses and Apps

Best Way To Learn PHP Online
Disclaimer: Fully supported by its users, TangoLearn earns a commission every time you make a purchase via our site. This does not influence the price you pay nor it affects our ratings, course selection methodology or partners.
Reading Time: 7 minutes

You go through a learning curve to learn any programming language, say PHP. So, if you consider learning PHP in the most structured manner, you can become a successful programmer. But before you begin your journey, always search your options – how to go about the best way to learn PHP?

 

Picking a good course from the best website to learn PHP can be an excellent entryway into the programming world. So, if you wish to learn this top-rated programming language, look for some of the best platforms to learn PHP.

 

The ideal way to learn PHP will include some apps, books, tutorials, and Bootcamps. Of course, the heaps of information can make it overwhelming for you, but do not be let down. PHP, though highly technical, can be learned if you have access to the right resources.

 

Ways To Master PHP Online

  1. Have some background in HTML & CSS
  2. Start with the basics
  3. Tutorials
  4. Detailed online courses
  5. Mobile Apps
  6. Coding Bootcamps
  7. PHP Books
  8. Join a community
  9. Be focused & practice

 

This guide will discuss the fastest way to learn PHP and materialize your goals in the most well-structured manner.

Why Should You Learn PHP?

Before we discuss some of the easiest ways to learn PHP, we need to first look at the reasons you must consider learning PHP:

  • A web application and a webpage must be highly customizable. In addition, these should be capable of performing online transactions, have an interactive user interface, and integrate well with the database systems. You can achieve it all with the use of PHP. Over eighty-two percent of websites employ PHP for their server-side programming. The Facebook app also employs PHP scripts.
  • PHP is free of cost, open-source web development language. It is free to use, and the PHP community offers top-notch technical assistance. Almost all components of PHP are free to use and distribute.
  • PHP has the most easily understandable and compelling syntax. Hence, it is familiar, and most programmers are already comfortable with it. Learning PHP should be straightforward for programmers already thorough with Perl and C because its syntax is the same as these programming languages.
  • Often employed with databases and HTML, PHP helps devise dynamic apps for web usage. In addition, you can also use PHP to create command-line scripts and run a server to carry out the tasks, sans any browser assistance.
  • In today’s time, regardless of the business’s size, online selling is an inevitable aspect of every venture. PHP finds heavy use in frameworks like Codelgniter and CakePHP, widely used in creating eCommerce apps. AgoraCart, Zen Cart, Open Cart, Magento, and Ubercart are all prevalent PHP applications.
  • PHP also helps create PDF files. PDFLib, an in-built PHP tool, helps manipulate and generate PDF files with PHP.

 

Ways To Master PHP Online

Now, what are some of the best ways to learn PHP online? Read below to find out:

 

1. Have some background in HTML & CSS

One of the fastest ways to learn PHP is to be well-versed with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is because PHP has several similarities to HTML and CSS. Moreover, many embedded in-built HTML functions are also present in PHP.

 

What’s more? PHP gives you the ability to reuse the coding blocks built by you. In addition, there are also extensions available that make developing new PHP websites simpler. Thus, if you are adept at HTML and CSS, it is easier to master PHP, and once you get well-acquainted with PHP, you can build everything effectively and quickly.

 

2. Start with the basics

The best way to learn PHP is to start from the fundamentals. Get an idea of what PHP syntax is, what are comments, variables, strings, and different data types, etc. This should be nothing more than knowing what terminology and components of PHP you are going to use while learning the language.

 

A good resource to learn the basics for free would be W3Schools.

 

3. Tutorials

If you do not wish to spend a lot of money and time simply look for the best site to learn PHP for free. You can use their tutorials to build on your knowledge and move from the basic to the intermediate level.

 

On the internet, you can find several free and paid tutorials. Some of the top PHP tutorials to help you learn this programming language in detail is:

 

  • W3Schools PHP Tutorial – W3Schools is one of the top platforms for web developers, regardless of their age and background. They have simple, straightforward, and easy-to-follow guides. In addition, on W3Schools, you can find a host of examples and references, exercises, and quizzes to help you with PHP.
  • Official PHP Manual – What best way to learn PHP than directly from the official documentation? In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about the PHP fundamentals – the basic syntax, installing PHP, and getting familiar with it. It can be excellent documentation. But, it does not go in-depth with the advanced features.
  • PHP: The Right Way – Like every other programming language, even PHP has several practices you need to adhere to. If you do not follow them correctly, your end codes will be bulky and break easily. With this tutorial, you can learn about the standards that new developers might know.

 

4. Detailed online courses

Like tutorials, you can also use the best platforms to learn PHP via the most informative courses. On the internet, you can find an array of online PHP classes that take you from the beginner to the advanced level. There are both free and paid sessions available on different PHP aspects. You can pick one or more, depending on your learning objectives.

 

A few courses that we recommend for young PHP learners are:

 

The course covers the following:

  • Working with built-in PHP functions
  • Understanding different PHP data types like arrays and strings
  • Knowledge of various control structures in PHP
  • Defining custom functions

 

 

The course covers the following:

  • How to use Database
  • Creating a Content Management System
  • Knowledge of MySQL and Object-Oriented Programming
  • Clarity on PHP security
  • Using composer, debugging the code, using bootstrap, coding refactoring, and building clear URLs
  • And more

Check out other PHP courses by Udemy here.

 

Some of the other best websites to learn PHP are PluralsightCodecademy, and Coursera.

 

 

5. Mobile Apps

PHP beginners who wish to learn this programming language on the go can use the different apps for this purpose. It is one of the easiest ways to learn PHP. Here are some apps you can use for your reference:

 

  • PHP Code Play – This application has a host of features that simplify your experience in learning PHP. It is one of the best apps and offers the PHP editor. After learning PHP, if you wish to work as a programmer in the field, you can also find some interview questions to help you prepare better.
     
    Android |iOS
     

  • Learn PHP – If you are starting with PHP, you need a roadmap to help you learn this tech-based language properly. With this application, you acquire a pre-defined way to learn the programming language by covering every topic from fundamentals to the advanced level.
     

    Created by SOLOLEARN, we regard it as the best way to learn PHP through apps because it has a quiz after every topic that helps assess your knowledge. You also bag reward points for completing questions and earn a certification once you finish the course. If ever you get stuck, there is a provision to ask questions from community members.
     
    Android

 

6. Coding Bootcamps

The web has a multitude of Bootcamps to help you learn PHP. They provide you with hands-on comprehensive and rigorous in-person or online training. Below, we will enlist some of them:

 

 

7. PHP Books

Some students like learning the traditional way. Learning from the books is an excellent way to self-study and get well-versed with PHP. Some best books for learning PHP are:

 

  • Head First PHP & MySQL: Lynn Beighley (Author), Michael Morrison (Author)Do you want to build webpages more complex than you can probably build with CSS and HTML? If yes, this is the book for you. It teaches you how to create database-driven, dynamic websites with MySQL and PHP.
     

    In the book, you will learn all the server-side programming essentials. You will find many examples and exercises for a better and more solid understanding.
     
    Buy Now
     

  • PHP: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE Paperback –Vikram Vaswani (Author)It is an informative guide and a comprehensive book that helps you build data-driven, dynamic web apps with PHP. You can find everything you need to know to create data-driven and dynamic web apps with PHP. It is one of the best books for beginners.
     
    Buy Now

 

 

8. Join a community

There are also some PHP-based communities wherein you collaborate with other PHP learners, educators, and experts and discuss some PHP insights, new developments, queries, and codes.

 

Two communities you can check out are:

  • PHP Community – It is an active community with discussion and chat forums to help you interact with other PHP geeks and gain more information on the subject.
  • PHP – DEV Community – It is a community for PHP developers wherein you can share codes and ask questions from the other community members.

 

9. Be focused & practice

Lastly, after you have tried all the above-listed methods to learn PHP, you should be well-versed with the language. So, now, you only need to practice more and get better at it. The more work you put in, the more proficient you get.

The Easiest Way To Learn PHP – Some Tips That Help

Here are some tips to help you learn PHP fast:

  • Once you develop a fundamental PHP understanding, you must put it to use and build an application around it.
  • After making an app using PHP scripts, learn the MVC frameworks. It is a default coding style employed in web apps.
  • Read the Php.net documentation with helpful PHP-related literature in your free time.
  • Take up some freelance PHP projects.
  • Study some of the popular apps, and see what they do and how. You can gather insights from their work and employ them in future projects.
  • Go to IRC and join their #php room to get questions on all your PHP-related queries. You can also get feedback on your codes.

 

Related Learning Guides: SQL | Angular | Coding
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques 1. Where can I learn PHP for free?

Ans. Here are some free resources to learn PHP:

  • Official PHP Manual
  • W3Schools PHP Tutorial
  • PHP: The Right Way
  • FreeCodeCamp’s Free PHP tutorial
  • Learn PHP with Codeacademy

 

Ques 2. How much time will I have to invest in the best platform to learn PHP?

Ans. Even if you use the fastest way to learn PHP, depending on your daily commitment, it may take three to six months to be well-versed with PHP.

 

Ques 3. Is PHP still worth learning in 2022?

Ans. PHP is one of the most-used programming languages for web and app development. It is never going out of trend. Thus, it is 100% worth learning.

 
To Sum Up…
With this, we come to an end to our PHP learning guide. Hope you are now well equipped with all the necessary information on the best way to learn PHP online. Just do not get overwhelmed and take one step at a time. If at any point you are confused, clear your doubt then and there before moving ahead.

 

Happy learning!

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *