What's Next After HTML & CSS? Resources For Learning PHP?

[DaChampIsHere]

Hey fellas. I've pretty much got HTML & CSS down. Even convinced a couple of people to let me build websites for them and built these websites successfully, but of course I'm looking to take my skills to the next level, but really confused as to where to start.

My first inclination is PHP, then to JQuery and Javascript. Is this the correct order that most people usually take?

Right now I'm in the process of trying to teach myself how to develop themes for shyt like Wordpress and Drupal, and I know you need to know PHP for that, so that's the step I'm taking right now. Just want to confirm that this is correct.

Also, what are some good resources for learning PHP? I have been through the Code Academy lessons, but I always feel like I'm not really being challenged and that their exercises don't give me the real "meat" I need. Feels just like an over view or somethin'.

I'm good with books and learning from more tangible things, so if anyone has any book suggestions that would be great.

 

[Lucy]

http://code.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-best-way-to-learn-php--net-22287

http://www.php.net/manual/en/getting-started.php

http://devzone.zend.com/6/php-101-php-for-the-absolute-beginner/

If you get PHP under your belt really well, you could get a decent paying job. A lot of people like to shyt on PHP, but since PHP has always been with the web and so many sites still have it, there's still a lot of upkeep to be done.

Though, after HTML/CSS, I would hit up JavaScript first.

 

[kevm3]

Depends on whether you want to focus on front or back end development. There is no perfect order, but since you've already messed with PHP, might as well stick with it.

Buy a kindle(e-reader, not the tablet) and start reading books. You don't want to surf around on the net and learn based off some tutorials you read here and there because you will learn in an unstructured fashion and start developing bad habits. Larry Ullman makes great PHP books.


use the web as a reference to hone in on topics you don't understand and get answers to random questions, and not as your primary method of learning.

 

[Liu Kang]

Hey fellas. I've pretty much got HTML & CSS down. Even convinced a couple of people to let me build websites for them and built these websites successfully, but of course I'm looking to take my skills to the next level, but really confused as to where to start.

My first inclination is PHP, then to JQuery and Javascript. Is this the correct order that most people usually take?

Right now I'm in the process of trying to teach myself how to develop themes for shyt like Wordpress and Drupal, and I know you need to know PHP for that, so that's the step I'm taking right now. Just want to confirm that this is correct.

Also, what are some good resources for learning PHP? I have been through the Code Academy lessons, but I always feel like I'm not really being challenged and that their exercises don't give me the real "meat" I need. Feels just like an over view or somethin'.

I'm good with books and learning from more tangible things, so if anyone has any book suggestions that would be great.

Could we have a look about the websites you designed ?

 

[DaChampIsHere]

Could we have a look about the websites you designed ?

Bro, if I didn't have my personal information connected to them I would.

They aren't super great, but they function well and look really good. Just not interactive at all which irks me

Depends on whether you want to focus on front or back end development. There is no perfect order, but since you've already messed with PHP, might as well stick with it.

Buy a kindle(e-reader, not the tablet) and start reading books. You don't want to surf around on the net and learn based off some tutorials you read here and there because you will learn in an unstructured fashion and start developing bad habits. Larry Ullman makes great PHP books.


use the web as a reference to hone in on topics you don't understand and get answers to random questions, and not as your primary method of learning.

http://code.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-best-way-to-learn-php--net-22287

http://www.php.net/manual/en/getting-started.php

http://devzone.zend.com/6/php-101-php-for-the-absolute-beginner/

If you get PHP under your belt really well, you could get a decent paying job. A lot of people like to shyt on PHP, but since PHP has always been with the web and so many sites still have it, there's still a lot of upkeep to be done.

Though, after HTML/CSS, I would hit up JavaScript first.

Yo, thank you all for all of this info! I decided to run with Javascript first and try to get that down good before the summer hits and then I'll move on the PHP. Javascript has definitely been easier on my mental thus far lol. I added all of these links as bookmarks for later though. Really appreciate the help.

 

[kevm3]

That's the path I'm taking. I'm focusing on getting a strong hold of Javascript and then switching to PHP/MySQL to have 'back-end' development covered, although technically you can do both front and back end with Javascript with node.js

This is a very highly rated beginner's Javascript book:

 

[cook]

Setup xampp on your computer to get a local wordpress instance running. Install a bunch of themes and dig through the code. Change things, see what happens...

 

[Bryan Danielson]

Bro, if I didn't have my personal information connected to them I would.

They aren't super great, but they function well and look really good. Just not interactive at all which irks me


Yo, thank you all for all of this info! I decided to run with Javascript first and try to get that down good before the summer hits and then I'll move on the PHP. Javascript has definitely been easier on my mental thus far lol. I added all of these links as bookmarks for later though. Really appreciate the help.

Maaaaaaannnnn that's the main reason I never post any of my designs or work on here. Some of these cats are too immature and evil and I don't need some dumb nicca like this @Brad Piff guy taking this shyt too far and then starting to fukk up my business life and effectively my money.

Hell I recently won an Award for a buildboard I designed but oh no!!!! Ain't about to put that out!!!

So I feel you playa, cats don't know when, where, and how to draw a line


But I agree, get some books for structured instructions, tho I have Lynda.com access and I have been learning php from that. I'm building my personal website in php..... Makes things much easier

 

[kevm3]

On the surface, I find Javascript easier to learn the basics of, as the syntax is prettier, but when you delve into things, I think PHP is easier. What makes Javascript get confusing is that it's a prototype-based language and the DOM is a very clunky API.

When you start deep-diving into Javascript, you really start going, "What in the world is going on here?" I'm still really wrapping my mind around closures and the fact that everything in Javascript is an object. Slowly, but surely, it's coming together though.

I wouldn't mind there being a web development group on here to share techniques and the such... and then agan I also understand the aversion towards having people get into your personal life on here.

 

[Brock Landers]

Transitioning from the front end to the back end via PHP/SQL, Ruby etc is the way that I went about it. Lynda.com offers some decent video tutorial series that take you through and explain the basics as well as creating a proper dynamically driven website - but I would still go ahead and pour through books like kevm3 has mentioned, you will pick things up that others have not mentioned.

Also the PHP documentation is absolutely terrific, you can always delve through it as well
PHP: Documentation