Learn PHP in 14 Days (Repost)

Day 1: Unit 1
Course Introduction
Review why this course is the best way to learn PHP…period! Stop struggling, and start learning. It’s easy with OnlinePHPClass.com. It’s the only step-by-step guided approach to learning PHP, where I’ll teach you how to create web applications, enhance existing websites and tools, and put cash in your pocket…while simultaneously giving you access to me to get your questions answered, any time day or night
My promise to you… “By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong foundation in common PHP concepts with the ability to build on them to write your own code and edit other people’s code”
A review of the topics covered
How the course structure lets you easily learn PHP
How to get your questions answered…even ones specific to YOUR code and ones not answered in the videos
A review of the tools used, including installing them and becoming familiar with them

Day 2: Unit 2
PHP Basics
PHP is Powerful, Flexible, and FREE, but you must know how to use it. Don’t worry, you’re about to learn, and you’ll wonder how you were ever gonna learn PHP without this course
We dive right into PHP code…starting basic so anyone can learn, and then aggressively building on each topic for even the most advanced developers
You’ll create your first PHP script! …It really is simple, and I’ll show you how.

Day 3: Unit 3
Variables and Operators
As you know, variables are key when it comes programming, and I’ll make learning PHP variables simple, easy, and effective
We’ll even cover the assignment operator, various ways you can use to compare data, and PHP’s only ternary operator
You can begin variable names with letters and this one character
You can’t name your own variable by this name, otherwise you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to figure out what’s wrong with your code
The absolute most important thing you must do to your variables… not doing so could let others access your data!
The difference between variables and constants in PHP, and how to use them
How to group variables with strings… If you want to print a variable inside a string, you must do this one thing, otherwise PHP will print nothing!
How to concatenate strings
Creating and using arrays
Advanced Topic: Creating and using dynamic variables (variables of variables)

Day 4: Unit 4
Control Structures and Conditionals
(Loops and If-Statements)
The “while” loop…and how to write it two different ways
The “do-while” loop…and its alternative
The “for” loop…including how to use comma-separated or empty expressions in the loop statement
How to increase performance with a “for” loop… If you’re not doing this, you’re probably writing slow code
PHP’s very special way to iterate over arrays quickly, saving you valuable time and energy
The “switch” and “case” statements as alternatives for “if” statements
How to use “continue” and “break” …and the very important difference between them!
PHP 5.3.0+ brings a new conditional… I’ll show you…

Day 5: Unit 5
Include Files and Functions
How to reuse code from one project to the next, saving your precious time and energy
How to reuse code within the same project, no more re-writing it again and again
How to make your code easier to read so you can come back to it days, weeks, or even years later and still know what it does and how it does it
How to divide and conquer big problems into smaller and easier-to-read code functions… This alone will eliminate a ton of frustration when writing complicated code. What’s complicated in theory is easy with PHP…after learning from OnlinePHPClass.com
The difference between the 4 ways to reference include files… You wouldn’t want your code to continue if your database weren’t available, now would you?
Why it is critical to know how PHP treats variables in reusable code… If you don’t know this, you’ll pull your hair out, wondering why variables aren’t being set to what you expect
The importance of variable scope within functions… If you want a function to access variables created outside of the function, you must use this keyword

Day 6: Unit 6
Forms: Data In, Data Out, Sanitizing
Learn how to create an HTML form, supercharged with PHP, to communicate with the visitors of your site
We’ll cover textboxes, checkboxes, combo boxes (drop-down menus), radio buttons, submit and reset buttons, and more
The one thing you must always remember when using radio buttons
Learn how to make your form work, even if you rename the script
The 3 different ways to get the data from a form…and when to use each
3 different ways to sanitize information received from users, including a special set of functions just for being an OnlinePHPClass.com member!

Days 7 and 8: Unit 7
MySQL
Why you should use a database rather than a flat-file to store and access your data
The absolute BEST MySQL admin tool on the planet that saves you time, increases efficiency, helps to ensure accuracy, that is both easy to use for beginners and highly advanced for experienced people at the same time!
The one thing to keep in mind when building database-driven applications that was deemed a trade secret it was banned in schools
How to connect to a MySQL database
How to query a MySQL database
4 different ways to handle data received from a query and when to use each so your code works quickly and accurately

Day 9: Unit 8
Advanced Forms: Pre-population and Pre-selection
We take Unit 6 to the next level…
Learn how to create HTML form elements that utilize data from MySQL through PHP code
Create dynamically-populated form elements that come pre-selected to the correct values
How to pre-populate and pre-select with textboxes, checkboxes, combo boxes (drop-down menus), radio buttons, submit buttons, reset buttons, and text areas
How to use checkbox arrays to make multi-variable selection even easier… PHP makes it simple, and I’ll show you how to do it.

Days 10 and 11: Unit 9
Sessions and Cookies
Take your dynamic websites to the next level with user sessions and cookies
You’ll learn how to ask a user to login to your site and how to verify their login credentials
We’ll cover the differences between sessions and cookies…when to use each…and more importantly, when NOT to use each
How to implement sessions…including the “hidden” secret to getting around a common PHP error that most newbies make
How to implement cookies…including how to check for browser support

Day 12: Unit 10
Time and Date
Learn how to display the time and/or date on your website
Create time-based access to your site
Track when a user takes a specific action on your page
The difference between 2 PHP time and date functions, and when to use each
The absolute best way to store a date in a database… If you’re not doing this, you’re making it too hard on yourself
How to do date arithmetic to get tomorrow’s date, yesterday’s date, even a date 6 months ago!

Days 13 and 14: Bonus Unit
Working with Files: Receiving Files from Users
How to receive a file uploaded from a user to create tools like ticket systems, email programs, social networking sites, and even a web-based program I wrote to manage a computer programming competition
There are 2 ways to store user files… One way you’ll pull your hair out implementing. The other way, I’ll show you, and it’s way easier than you think!
How to restrict the user from uploading files you don’t want to receive so your code continues to work every single day
How to view the files uploaded from a user, all from PHP, including how I bypassed a web server directory listing restriction through a simple, yet powerful and secure, PHP script.