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PHP Basics Handout

This document provides an overview of PHP, a server-side scripting language used for web development, covering its key features, setup, syntax, variables, data types, operators, control structures, arrays, functions, form handling, and database interaction. It also outlines next steps for further learning, including object-oriented PHP and frameworks. The document serves as a foundational guide for beginners to understand and start using PHP effectively.

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3 views8 pages

PHP Basics Handout

This document provides an overview of PHP, a server-side scripting language used for web development, covering its key features, setup, syntax, variables, data types, operators, control structures, arrays, functions, form handling, and database interaction. It also outlines next steps for further learning, including object-oriented PHP and frameworks. The document serves as a foundational guide for beginners to understand and start using PHP effectively.

Uploaded by

ዝ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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PHP Basics Handout

Learn the fundamentals of PHP for server-side web development

1. Introduction to PHP
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language used for:

 Building dynamic websites


 Handling forms, sessions, and databases
 Creating APIs and web applications

Key Features:

 Open-source & cross-platform


 Works with HTML, MySQL, and JavaScript
 Runs on the server (unlike JavaScript, which runs in the browser)

2. Setting Up PHP
To run PHP, you need:

 A server (e.g., XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP)


 A .php file (processed by the server)

Basic PHP Syntax


php

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<?php
// PHP code goes here
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

 PHP code is embedded inside <?php ... ?>


 echo outputs text to the browser

3. Variables & Data Types


PHP is loosely typed (no need to declare variable types).

Variables
php

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<?php
$name = "John"; // String
$age = 25; // Integer
$price = 9.99; // Float
$isStudent = true; // Boolean
?>

 Variables start with $


 Case-sensitive ($name ≠ $Name)

Common Data Types

Type Example

String "Hello"

Integer 42

Float 3.14

Boolean true / false


Type Example

Array $colors = ["red", "green"]

Null $var = null;

4. Operators
Arithmetic Operators
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$a = 10; $b = 5;
echo $a + $b; // 15 (Addition)
echo $a - $b; // 5 (Subtraction)
echo $a * $b; // 50 (Multiplication)
echo $a / $b; // 2 (Division)
echo $a % $b; // 0 (Modulus)

Comparison Operators
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$a == $b // Equal (value)
$a === $b // Identical (value & type)
$a != $b // Not equal
$a > $b // Greater than

Logical Operators
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if ($age > 18 && $isStudent) { ... } // AND
if ($age < 18 || $hasTicket) { ... } // OR
if (!true) { ... } // NOT
5. Control Structures
If-Else Statements
php

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<?php
$age = 20;
if ($age >= 18) {
echo "You are an adult.";
} else {
echo "You are a minor.";
}
?>

Loops

1. while Loop
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$i = 1;
while ($i <= 5) {
echo $i;
$i++;
}

2. for Loop
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for ($i = 1; $i <= 5; $i++) {
echo $i;
}

3. foreach Loop (for arrays)


php

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$colors = ["red", "green", "blue"];
foreach ($colors as $color) {
echo $color;
}

6. Arrays
Indexed Arrays
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$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Orange"];
echo $fruits[0]; // "Apple"

Associative Arrays (Key-Value Pairs)


php

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$person = [
"name" => "John",
"age" => 25,
"city" => "New York"
];
echo $person["name"]; // "John"

7. Functions
Basic Function
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function greet($name) {
return "Hello, " . $name;
}
echo greet("Alice"); // "Hello, Alice"

Built-in PHP Functions

Function Description

strlen($str) String length

strtoupper($str) Convert to uppercase

date("Y-m-d") Current date (e.g., 2025-06-09)

count($array) Number of elements in an array

8. Handling Forms (GET & POST)


HTML Form (index.html)
html

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Run
<form action="process.php" method="POST">
<input type="text" name="username">
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

PHP Form Handling (process.php)


php

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<?php
if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
$username = $_POST["username"];
echo "Hello, " . $username;
}
?>

 $_GET – Data from URL (e.g., ?id=1)

 $_POST – Data from form submissions

9. Working with Databases (MySQL)


Connecting to MySQL
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$conn = mysqli_connect("localhost", "username", "password", "dbname");
if (!$conn) {
die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
}

Querying Data
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$sql = "SELECT * FROM users";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)) {
echo $row["username"];
}
mysqli_close($conn);

10. Next Steps


 Learn Object-Oriented PHP (OOP)
 Explore PHP frameworks (Laravel, Symfony)
 Build a CRUD app (Create, Read, Update, Delete)

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