php beginner

[ridzii]

hi i want to learn php but am confused at the first step itself. i donno hw to start. i hav installed wamp server on my pc, is it the right beginning? i dont know where to type the <?php
</?
codes and all please help me
should i install apache seperately?
is phpmyadmin enough to start learning php???

[pritaeas]

- You type your code in a text editor.
- Wamp server contains Apache already, so no need to install it again.
- phpMyAdmin is a tool for managing mySql databases.

Perhaps you best start with this PHP tutorial.

Read the WAMP tutorial for where to store you websites. AS a rule (I only use XAMPP), you'll store them under the htdocs folder in your app directory.

Open up Notepad or any text editor and create a file called test.php

JUst have the following:

<?php echo "hello world"; ?>

in it. OPen your favourite browser and go to http://localhost/test.php. See if it works.

[Progr4mmer]

the tags go like this

<?php

?>

btw you might want an apache server i suggest xampp

>should i install apache seperately?

Ans1
- Wamp server contains Apache already, so no need to install it again.
Ans2
- btw you might want an apache server i suggest xampp

Like Pritaeas says, if you've installed WAMP, you already have Apache (Apache puts the 'A' in WAMP [Windows-Apache-MySQL-php]).

[paullanesra]

i would really recommend the book "php & mysql build your own database driven web site using php & mysql". When I first started off I bought alot of books and found none of them useful this book is excellent and will bring you slowly through installation and getting started. You'd prob find a copy at http://www.ebook3000.com/ and i'm sure you can preview the 1st chapter or so on amazon which would get you up and running. By the way phpmyadmin is for issuing mysql commands and managing mysql databases, it does nothing for php, the name is misleading. This is all covered in the book, I promise you everything you know to get you fairly fluent with php, apache and mysql is in this book.
Best of luck with it!

[Progr4mmer]

I would recommend these video tutorials he really knows a lot. they teach you everything from how to install php to making a game. try to ignore his patience in the first few videos tho.