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Getting Started with PHP

Learn hot to getting started with PHP, a leading programming langiage for the web.

Getting started with PHP is relatively straightforward, and it's an excellent choice if you want to build dynamic web applications. Below are the steps to get started with PHP, along with some coding samples to help you understand the basics.

Getting Started with PHP, tutorial provided by AppSeed.

Install PHP​

Before you start coding in PHP, you need to have PHP installed on your computer. Here's how to do it:

  • For Windows:

    • Download the latest PHP installer for Windows from the official PHP website (https://windows.php.net/download/).
    • Run the installer and follow the installation instructions.
    • Add the PHP installation directory to your system's PATH environment variable for command-line usage.

  • For macOS:

    • PHP is pre-installed on macOS. Open Terminal and type php -v to check the installed PHP version.

  • For Linux:

    • Use your distribution's package manager to install PHP. For example, on Ubuntu, you can run sudo apt-get install php to install PHP.

Create Your First PHP File​

Now that PHP is installed, let's create a simple PHP script.

  1. Create a new file named hello.php using a text editor of your choice.

  2. Add the following code to hello.php:

<?php
  echo "Hello, World!";
?>

Run Your PHP Script​

  • Open your terminal or command prompt.

  • Navigate to the directory where you saved hello.php.

  • Run the PHP script by typing the following command:

    php hello.php

    You should see "Hello, World!" printed to the console.

Create a Basic Web Page​

PHP is often used to generate dynamic web content. Let's create a simple PHP web page.

  1. Create a new file named index.php in your web server's document root directory (e.g., htdocs for Apache).

  2. Add the following code to index.php:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>My First PHP Page</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Hello, PHP!</h1>
  <?php
    echo "This page was generated using PHP!";
  ?>
</body>
</html>

Start your web server (e.g., Apache, Nginx).​

Access the Page in Browser​

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/index.php. You should see the HTML content along with the PHP-generated message.

Handling User Input​

PHP can also process user input from forms. Let's create a simple form that takes a user's name and displays a greeting.

  1. Create a new file named greet.php:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Greeting Form</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Welcome to the Greeting Page</h1>
  
  <?php
    if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
      $name = $_POST["name"];
      echo "Hello, $name!";
    }
  ?>
  
  <form method="post" action="<?php echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']; ?>">
    <label for="name">Your Name:</label>
    <input type="text" name="name" id="name" required>
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
  </form>
</body>
</html>

  1. Start your web server if it's not already running.

  2. Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/greet.php. You'll see a form where you can enter your name. Upon submission, it will greet you with your name.

✅ In Summary​

These are the fundamental steps to get started with PHP. You've created a basic PHP script, built a simple web page, and handled user input from a form. From here, you can explore more advanced PHP topics, such as working with databases, creating dynamic web applications, and using PHP frameworks like Laravel or Symfony for more complex projects.

✅ PHP/Laravel Samples​

👉 Soft Dashboard Laravel Livewire​

Soft UI Dashboard Laravel Livewire comes with dozens of handcrafted UI elements tailored for Bootstrap 5 and an out of the box Laravel backend. The Livewire integration allows you to build dynamic interfaces easier without leaving the comfort of your favourite framework.

If you combine this even further with Alpine.js, you get the perfect combo for kickstarting your next project.

Soft UI Dashboard Laravel Livewire, crafted by Creative-Tim.

👉 Material Dashboard PRO Laravel​

The dashboard's look & feel is based on Material Design 2, Google's new approach to designing components and interfaces.

Add in ready-made CRUDs and you've got a full stack tool for building awesome-looking Laravel apps.

Material Dashboard PRO Laravel, crafted by Creative-Tim.

✅ Resources​