Intermediate PHP Programming

Course Objectives

Working in a hands-on learning environment led by our expert practitioner, you’ll explore:

• Creating and modifying PHP pages
• Working with variables and data types
• Using if/elseif/else statements to control processing conditionally
• Creating programs that include for, while, and do loops to process statements repeatedly
• Employing the break, continue, and exit statements to modify default loop behaviors
• Using and writing functions, including many new PHP features such as type declarations, REST parameters and argument unpacking
• Using PHP #include
• Creating arrays
• Manipulating strings in PHP using built-in functions
• Maintaining state using cookies, session variables, hidden form fields and query strings
• Using PHP to manipulate files
• Identifying and handling the three main types of errors that can occur when programming with PHP
• The fundamental techniques necessary to create a shopping cart solution
• Introduction to OOP (Object Oriented Programming) in PHP
• Using an object-oriented API to access SQL to SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE data from tables
• Using the phpMyAdmin utility to administer the MySQL database
• Using OOP in PHP to define and use classes

Course Prerequisites

Course Agenda

1. PHP Overview

• Static vs. Dynamic Web Sites
• Dynamic Content from Databases
• Developing Dynamic Internet Applications
• Client-Side Scripting vs. Server-Side Scripting
• Overview of PHP Advantages and Capabilities
• Configuring php.ini
• PHP vs. ASP

2. Basic Scripting and Looping Constructs

• PHP Scripting Fundamentals
• Print Statement
• Code Blocks
• Primitive Data Types
• Defining Constants and Variables
• Looping Constructs
• while
• do… while
• for
• exit and break

3. Conditional Constructs

• True and False Expressions
• if, else and elseif
• switch/case Statement
• The ? (Ternary) Operator
• Timestamps

4. Introduction to the Windows IIS Server or Apache Web Server

• Server Configuration Files
• Configuring IIS or Apache for PHP
• WWW Sites within IIS or Apache
• Apache Virtual Hosts
• IIS Virtual Directories
• Website Properties

5. Modularity through Include Files

• Using Include Files
• The Require Statement
• Modularizing Code with Functions
• Defining and Using Basic Functions

6. PHP Operators

• Logical Operators
• Relational Operators
• Bitwise Operators
• Other Operators
• PHP Null Coalescing operator
• PHP Spaceship Operator

7. PHP Functions

• Introduction to Functions
• Declaring Functions
• Scope
• Passing Arguments to Functions
• Local and Global Scope
• Passing Arguments to Functions by Value and Reference
• Variable Scoping and Return Values
• Recursion
• Coercive and Strict Type Declarations for Parameters and Return Values
• Optional and REST Parameters
• Argument Unpacking
• Generator Return Expressions
• Dynamic Function Calls
• Predefined PHP Functions

8. Working with Databases and Forms

• Configuring PHP For Database Support
• PHP's Database APIs
• PHP's SQL API
• MySQL vs. Access
• MySQL vs. SQL Server
• Database Drivers
• Database Driver Class Wrappers
• ODBC
• Simple SQL Queries via PHP
• Tracking Visitors with Session IDs
• Populating Forms
• Retrieving Data from Forms

9. PHP New Features

• Function Improvements
• New Operators
• Unicode Codepoint Syntax
• Filtered Unserialize
• IntlChar Support
• Expectations

10. Arrays in PHP

• What are Arrays?
• Usage of Arrays in PHP
• Array Indexing
• Initializing Arrays
• Operating on Arrays
• Sorting Arrays
• One-Dimensional Arrays
• Multi-Dimensional Arrays
• Associative Arrays
• Array Functions
• Forms and Arrays in Web Applications

11. Basic OOP in PHP

• Defining Object Oriented Programming
• Creating New Objects in PHP
• PHP Object Syntax
• Using Predefined PHP OOP Libraries

12. Writing OOP PHP

• Implementing New Classes
• Extending Classes
• Understanding Private, Public and Protected
• Inheriting Methods and Properties
• Overriding Methods and Properties

13. Working with Data Files in PHP

• Searching File Contents With Regular Expressions
• Changing and Editing File Contents
• Splitting and Joining Information Inside Files
• String Functions
• Regular Expression Functions
• Reading, Writing and Deleting Files
• Handling File Permissions
• File Locking
• Reading Directory Contents
• Creating and Deleting Directories

14. Enabling E-Commerce

• Required Characteristics of an E-Commerce Site
• Authentication and Authorization
• Data Validation
• Building a Custom Shopping Cart
• Persisting Shopping Cart Data Over Multiple Pages
• Criteria for Evaluating Third Party Shopping Cart Solutions
• Open Source vs. Commercial Shopping Cart Solutions
• Order Processing via the Web
• Implementing Order System Security using SSL
• Using Mail Servers (SMTP and Sendmail) for Client Communication
• Configuring E-mail Output Parameters

15. Configuring and Using MySQL

• MySQL as a Client/Server Solution
• Introduction to MySQL Capabilities as a Powerful RDBMS
• Installing and Configuring MySQL
• Connecting to MySQL
• PHP Functions Specific to MySQL
• Executing SQL Calls
• SELECT
• INSERT
• FETCH
• UPDATE
• DELETE
• Using PHP MyAdmin to Configure MySQL

16. Using Cookies with PHP

• Purpose of Cookies
• Cookie Myths
• Setting Cookies
• Retrieving Cookies
• Expiring Cookies
• Deleting Cookies
• Storing Arrays in Cookies

17. Miscellaneous PHP Tasks

• Error Logging
• Session Management and Maintaining State
• Web Application Architecture
• Using Environment Variables
• Changing Execution by Redirecting to Other URLs
• Embedding JavaScript within PHP
• Using the HTTP Protocols to Pass Data
• Showing Different Content to Different Browsers
• Getting IP Addresses from Visitors

18. Implementing RESTful Servers with PHP

• Understanding RESTful Servers
• Benefits of PHP for Implementing RESTful Servers
• Using HTTP Verbs to Access Data
• Understanding RESTful URIs
• Defining PHP Objects to Access RESTful URIs
• Effective Use of OOP Inheritance
• Implementing a RESTful Server in PHP for a Small Application

Course Materials

Student Materials: Each participant will receive a digital Student Guide and/or Course Notes, code samples, software tutorials, step-by-step written lab instructions (as applicable), diagrams and related reference materials and resource links. Students will also receive the project files (or code, if applicable) and solutions required for the hands-on work.

Hands-On Setup Made Simple! Our dedicated tech team will work with you to ensure our ‘easy-access’ cloud-based course environment, or local installation, is accessible, fully-tested and verified as ready to go well in advance of the course start date, ensuring a smooth start to class and effective learning experience for all participants. In some cases we can also help you install this course locally if preferred. Please inquire for details and options.

Every-Course Extras = High-Value & Long-Term Learning Support! All Public Schedule courses include our unique EveryCourse Extras package (Course Recordings, Live Instructor Follow-on Support, Free *Live* Course Refresh Re-Takes, early access to Special Offers, Free Courses & more). Please inquire for details.