How to Learn PHP
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WordPress powers over 450 million websites, and PHP powers WordPress. That makes PHP a great language to learn for anyone who wants to master full-stack web development. If you are wondering how to learn PHP, you have come to the right place.
PHP is a general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development. PHP originally stood for “Personal Home Page,” but it now stands for the recursive initialism “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.”
There are many ways to learn PHP, including through online courses and coding bootcamps. You can also learn PHP as part of a computer science degree, although that route will take much longer.
Coding Bootcamps
Coding bootcamps are intensive programs designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs in tech fields in just a few months. You can take a coding bootcamp in web development or software engineering to learn PHP. Check to make sure the program covers PHP before enrolling. Some coding bootcamps cover other languages commonly used for back-end web development instead of PHP.
Coding bootcamps provide an accelerated alternative to a computer science degree for those who want to work as web developers. Bootcamps take much less time than a degree program and usually cost less as well.
Find the Right Coding Bootcamp For You
Online Courses
Online course providers such as Coursera and edX offer online courses in a variety of computer programming languages, including PHP. Many of these courses are free, and those that require payment typically cost between $20-$1,000. That makes them significantly less expensive than the average bootcamp, which costs about $13,580.
Most online courses are self-paced, allowing you to progress through the material as quickly or slowly as you want. Some contain a series of videos, while others provide text-based or interactive lessons. Here are five online courses that teach PHP:
- Practical PHP: Master the Basics and Code Dynamic Websites: This free Udemy course, created by Brad Hussey of Code College, consists of 6 hours and 20 minutes of on-demand video. The course teaches beginners with no knowledge of PHP how to code their own websites using PHP. Students should have some experience with HTML and CSS before taking this course.
- Learn PHP: This course by Codecademy covers the basics of programming in PHP. The course consists of 10 lessons, which cover PHP variables and functions, arrays, form handling and validation, and objects and classes. Codecademy has a free membership that includes the basic courses. Pro membership includes real-world projects and costs $239.88 per year.
- Building Web Applications in PHP: The University of Michigan offers this course through Coursera. Students can start with a seven-day free trial, then pay $49 per month to continue the course. The course teaches introductory HTML and CSS as well as the basic data structures and syntax used in PHP. Students learn about arrays, variables, error handling, and logic.
- PHP Tutorial for Beginners: Class Central curates this six-hour YouTube playlist that teaches students how to install PHP and start programming using variables, strings, arrays, loops, and Boolean comparisons. Students learn functions, forms, and filters, as well as learning how to extract data from a database. This is a free course.
- PHP for Beginners – Become a PHP Master – CMS Project: This course teaches students how to create their own content management system using PHP. In addition to PHP, it covers MySQL, AJAX, Composer, and Bootstrap. Students learn object-oriented programming and how to use APIs to import data from databases. A subscription to Udemy, which includes this course, costs $29.99 per month after a seven-day trial. You can also buy lifetime access to just this course for $124.99.
Online Courses vs. Bootcamps
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Coding Bootcamps to Learn PHP
Noble Desktop
- Location: Remote, New York City
- Program Cost: $425
- Learning Format: In Person, Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options
Noble Desktop offers a WordPress for Coders course that teaches vital coding languages, including PHP, HTML, and CSS. Students will use these languages to work with themes and create WordPress projects. The course functions as an introduction to PHP through the use of the WordPress platform.
This 6-hour hands-on class can be taken either online or at Noble Desktop’s New York City campus. Tuition is due before class starts. Graduates will earn a certificate of completion and can retake the course up to a year later.
Udemy
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $109.99
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Self-Paced
Career Services
Money-Back Guarantee
The Complete 2021 PHP Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp consists of over 48 hours of on-demand video lectures. The bootcamp focuses on front- and back-end web development skills while teaching server-side PHP and MySQL. No prerequisites are needed to complete this 28-module program. Students will learn at their own pace, but must complete all exercises, projects, and quizzes to graduate.
Udemy offers interview preparation assistance to its students and lifetime access to this course once purchased. Although there is no live instructor, students can still engage with mentors on Udemy’s private Facebook group.
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Accepts GI Bill®
Accepts the GI Bill® as funding for tuition.
Also Available In Person
This online bootcamp also offers in-person options.
Career Services
Offers career services to help you land your dream job after graduation.
CIRR Member
This bootcamp is a current member of the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting. Learn more at cirr.org.
Evening & Weekend Options
Bootcamps are offered during convenient evening and weekend hours.
Job Guarantee
Employment is guaranteed as soon as you finish your bootcamp.
Money-Back Guarantee
Tuition is refunded if you don't land a job within a given time frame after graduation. Visit the bootcamp website for terms and conditions.
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No deposit is required to get started. Begin your bootcamp for $0.
Methodology
Bootcamp Ranking Guidelines
At BestColleges, we believe the best bootcamp is the one that fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations. That's why we often present our recommendations in alphabetical order -- because the real best bootcamp is the bootcamp that's best for you.
PHP Jobs
PHP jobs include roles such as webmaster, PHP developer, full-stack web developer, and senior web developer. Read on for more information about each of these careers.
Webmaster
Webmasters keep up their organization’s websites, working on website design and routine maintenance. They work with marketing to make sure the website fits the company’s branding and perform online security maintenance. They oversee the addition of content to the company’s website and make sure the website conveys a consistent theme.
Average Annual Salary: $56,970 (Payscale, as of March 2022)
PHP Developer
PHP developers use PHP to develop their company’s website or digital product. They typically work as part of a development team. PHP developers work to ensure that the website runs smoothly, especially processes such as user login and processing of e-commerce transactions. PHP developers spend a lot of time finding and eliminating scripting errors.
Average Annual Salary: $65,680 (Payscale, as of March 2022)
Full-Stack Web Developer
Full-stack web developers create and maintain both the front end and back end of a website. That means they work on the whole site, both the part the user sees and everything that happens behind the scenes. They create and test interfaces and applications, monitor website traffic, integrate graphics, and lay out the site according to the designer’s specifications.
Median Annual Salary: $77,200 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2020)
Senior Web Developer
Senior web developers are often proficient in multiple programming languages. They may also be skilled in both mobile and web design, including responsive web design. Senior developers help design and build web pages, troubleshoot issues, and conduct tests. They may have greater project management responsibilities than web developers earlier in their career.
Average Annual Salary: $88,010 (Payscale, as of March 2022)
What Are the Benefits of a PHP Certification?
Many companies offer a PHP certification. Obtaining one of these certifications can make your resume stand out since not all applicants have PHP certifications. You can earn a PHP certification through Zend, LinkedIn, Coursera, W3Schools, or Udemy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Learning PHP
PHP is considered relatively easy to learn compared with other programming languages. Of course, you may find it harder or easier depending on the quality of the course you are taking and the availability of instructors to answer your questions. A course that moves on to harder concepts before you have mastered the basics may make it more difficult to learn.
If you get stuck while working your way through one course, don’t give up. There are many different online courses available, so just try a different course. If you have tried three or four courses and still aren’t happy with your progress, you might want to try enrolling in a bootcamp so you will have an instructor to help you learn.
Some free online courses include Practical PHP: Master the Basics and Code Dynamic Websites through Udemy, Learn PHP through Codecademy, and PHP Tutorial for Beginners through Class Central.
Practical PHP is a six-hour video course that was created for PHP beginners with some knowledge of HTML and CSS. Learn PHP is a 10-lesson course that covers the basics of PHP. PHP Tutorial for Beginners is a curation of several YouTube videos that teach the basics of PHP.
The best way to learn PHP depends on what you need as a learner. Free online courses may be right for you if you need flexibility and prefer independent learning. You can go through them at your own pace and learn the basics of PHP in just a few days, or you could take your time and spread out your learning over a few weeks or months.
If you don’t learn well independently, it might be better to take a coding bootcamp. These structured courses walk you through the web development process in a logical manner, with some touching on PHP along with other tools and languages.
Feature Image: Berezko / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
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