Mastering PHP Programming: From Basics to Advanced

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Course Description:

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to PHP programming, starting from the basics and progressing to advanced concepts. PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is one of the most widely used server-side scripting languages for web development. Students will learn how to create dynamic, interactive web applications, manage databases, and handle sessions and cookies with PHP.

Through hands-on examples, learners will become familiar with PHP's syntax, control structures, functions, and object-oriented programming principles. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to build and deploy PHP-based websites and applications.

Course Topics:

Module 1: Introduction to PHP

• What is PHP and its history?
• Setting up a local development environment (XAMPP/WAMP/LAMP).
• Syntax and basic structure of PHP code.
• Embedding PHP in HTML files.
• Comments and basic output (echo and print).

Module 2: Variables, Data Types, and Operators

• Declaring variables and constants in PHP.
• PHP data types: String, Integer, Float, Boolean, Array, Object, Null.
• Operators: Arithmetic, Comparison, Logical, and Assignment operators.
• Typecasting and type juggling.

Module 3: Control Structures

• Conditional statements (if, else, switch).
• Loops (for, while, do-while).
• Using break and continue statements.

Module 4: Functions in PHP

• Defining and calling functions.
• Function arguments and return values.
• Variable scope and global variables.
• Built-in functions and custom functions.
• Recursion in PHP.

Module 5: Arrays and Superglobals

• Indexed arrays, associative arrays, and multidimensional arrays.
• Array functions (array_merge, array_push, array_pop, etc.).
• PHP superglobals ($_GET, $_POST, $_SESSION, $_COOKIE, $_REQUEST, $_FILES).

Module 6: Working with Forms and User Input

• Handling form data with PHP (GET and POST methods).
• Validating and sanitizing user input.
• Error handling and displaying error messages.

Module 7: Working with Files and Directories

• Reading from and writing to files.
• File upload and download.
• Directory management: creating, deleting, and listing files.

Module 8: Database Connectivity (MySQL with PHP)

• Introduction to databases and MySQL.
• Connecting to a MySQL database with PHP (mysqli or PDO).
• Running SQL queries with PHP (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).
• Handling database errors and security (prepared statements, SQL injection).

Module 9: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in PHP

• Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming.
• Defining classes and objects.
• Constructors and destructors.
• Inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.
• Access modifiers (public, private, protected).
• Working with methods and properties.

Module 10: Sessions and Cookies

• Using sessions to store user data across pages.
• Handling cookies in PHP.
• Session security and cookie management.

Module 11: PHP and Web Development

• Using PHP for dynamic web content.
• Handling URLs and redirects.
• File inclusion: include, require, include_once, and require_once.
• Introduction to PHP frameworks (Laravel, Symfony, etc.).