PHP

The web’s quiet workhorse

PHP powers a huge share of the web, from WordPress to custom back-ends. Modern syntax, forms, sessions, OOP, PDO, security, then MVC architecture: a pragmatic, thoroughly web-focused track.

Foundations

Beginner - the basics, step by step

• PHP and the server: your first scriptDiscover what PHP is, start the built-in server with php -S, write your first script with echo, and mix PHP and HTML.
• Variables, types, and stringsLearn how to store values in variables, tell the basic types apart, and put text together through concatenation or interpolation.
• Conditions and loopsMake your scripts react with if and match, then repeat actions with for, foreach, and while.
• Arrays: lists and key-value pairsStore several values in indexed or associative arrays and manipulate them with PHP’s essential functions.
• Functions: declare, type, returnCreate your own functions with typed parameters, default values, and return values.

Progression

Intermediate - build real things

• Forms: receiving and validating dataHandle forms like a pro: the right HTTP method, strict input validation, and safe re-display.
• Organizing your code: include, structure, constantsSplit your site into reusable files with include and require, a clear project structure, and centralized constants.
• Sessions and cookies: login and shopping cartRemember your visitors from page to page: secure login, a session-based shopping cart, and properly protected cookies.
• Files: read, write, upload, JSONRead and write files, log events, accept uploads safely, and store your data as JSON.
• Modern PHP: strict types, enums, matchAdopt today's PHP: strict types, arrow functions, the nullsafe operator, enums, and the match expression.

Advanced

Proficient - advanced patterns and performance

• Modern OOP: classes, promoted properties, visibilityWrite idiomatic PHP 8 classes: property promotion, readonly, named constructors and immutable value objects.
• Inheritance, interfaces, traits and abstract classesChoose the right design tool - a contract, an algorithm skeleton or horizontal reuse - by knowing the trade-offs of each.
• PDO: prepared statements and transactionsConfigure PDO the way production does, structurally eliminate SQL injection and make your writes reliable with transactions.
• Namespaces, autoloading and ComposerStructure your code with PSR-4 namespaces and let Composer load classes and dependencies for you.
• Exceptions: hierarchy, finally, global handlerBuild a complete error strategy: chained business exceptions, controlled finally and global handlers as a last line of defense.

Mastery

Expert - architecture, internals and edge cases

• Web security: XSS, CSRF and injectionsTake apart XSS, CSRF and SQL injection to understand exactly what htmlspecialchars, tokens and prepared statements actually block.
• A hand-built MVC architectureWrite a complete micro MVC framework - a regex router, injected controllers, buffered views - to understand what frameworks do on your behalf.
• Building a JSON API in PHPBuild a rigorous JSON API by mastering headers, reading the raw body and the fine-grained semantics of status codes.
• Advanced PHP 8: attributes, readonly, callablesExplore the inner workings of attributes, readonly, first-class callables and PHP 8's strict typing.
• Quality: PHPUnit, PHPStan and the PSRsTool up your code like a professional with PHPUnit tests, PHPStan static analysis at level 9, and the PSR standards.