Member Avatar for realestninja

Hi I've been told by my bf that php and mysql are very very powerful tools in the computing world and that it can make all kinds of neat things like databases to small nifty programs. I'm a model, and I began to get addicting to computers after i was introduced to myspace.com

i was wondering if any mysql / php professionals that can be my friend and teach me. i have aol messenger and email address i would like to learn, i have love for the computer. thanks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by BlazingWolf

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Short, practical starting plan for and anyone picking up PHP/MySQL after seeing a few demos.

Begin locally rather than buying hosting. Install a developer stack (XAMPP or MAMP) so Apache, PHP and MySQL/MariaDB run on the same computer; that makes testing forms, sessions and databases quick and safe. These packages are designed for development use and keep experiments off the public web while learning. (apachefriends.org)

Recommended learning sequence: get comfortable with basic HTML/CSS (inspect "view source" to see what the browser actually receives), then learn core PHP (syntax, arrays, functions, forms, sessions), then basic SQL (SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE) and data modeling (tables/keys). Work on tiny projects: a guestbook, a contact form, then a small blog or simple user login to tie PHP and the database together. Use curated tutorials and modern best-practice guides while following a single small project end-to-end. (developer.mozilla.org)

Security and APIs matter early. Do database work with parameterized queries (PDO or MySQLi prepared statements) rather than concatenating input into SQL. Store passwords with modern hashing and follow least-privilege for DB users. A minimal PDO example:

$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=test;charset=utf8', 'user', 'pass');
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT id,email FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$stmt->execute([':email' => $email]);
$user = $stmt->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

Prepared statements stop SQL injection; OWASP outlines the defensive patterns and password-storage guidance worth following. (cheatsheetseries.owasp.org)

Combine approaches mentioned by others here: use a good beginner book to get structure (as advised) and interactive docs / "view source" practice as suggested. Keep the local server private while learning—only move to live hosting when comfortable with backups, secure config and user/password handling. (documentation.mamp.info)

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Member Avatar for sarahk

rofl, sorry, not fair on a first post, but you had to be a model didn't you?! Couldn't just be a normal person looking for help.

Anyway, search on Google for "php tutorial" and follow some of the simple examples to get you started. Your myspace experience will have taught you basic html and css skills. That's a good starting point.

PHP is just another way of generating that html and "view source" will be an important tool as you get used to the difference between the script and what the browser receives.

MySQL (or any database) is just a way of holding information. Study the tutorials carefully and be ready to make many mistakes as you get used to how tables tie together etc.

Oh, and you need a site to play with so you'll have to sign up for a proper hosting package.

Member Avatar for BlazingWolf

If you are truly intresting in learning PHP/MySQL I would suggest you go out and buy and book. I've found that it takes much less time to purchase a book than scour the internet to find an all-in-one resource for learning something.

Once you get the hang of PHP the BEST reference in the world is the documation on www.php.net

It's hard for beginners to understand but once you know the basics it is a godsend.

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