Php for kids

[bbparis]

Hi,

I'm doing my best to learn php to be able to develop my website for kids, now I understand how php inserts tables in MSQL, also I learned about can I build register and login page.

I want to learn more and more, and I think the best way for me is the video, so do you think that learning PHP and MySQL on lynda.com is good for me, or thre is an other learning website better ?? or maybe free also.

thanks in advance for your help.

[smpily]

check out idea22.com (I can't post links). I went there to learn a lot of stuff user submitted videos

[bbparis]

check out idea22.com (I can't post links). I went there to learn a lot of stuff user submitted videos

thanks I will check it and give you my feedback.

thanks in advance also for other members who like to help...

[Jake Arkinstall]

To be honest, video is quite an abstract way of learning PHP because PHP is theory-based - you just learn the syntax then the functions etc, and you're done.

Videos help you, sure, but they also show you how to make the same mistakes as the author might make, e.g using brackets around echo statements, using alternative blocks, using longer code than neccesary etc.

[smpily]

To be honest, video is quite an abstract way of learning PHP because PHP is theory-based

I agree with you there but sometimes seeing is believing

[Jake Arkinstall]

I, for one, could never make a tutorial video.

I write my programs way too fast.

[Robert_2006]

If your serious about learning you should investin a few books. You can always sell them off when they have nothing new to offer you. Reading things online only helps so much. There's nothing like a hard copy reference to look at.

[Jake Arkinstall]

Actually, there is.

When I was learning PHP I just used tutorials etc and asked on sitepoint. No money spent and I became almost proficient faster than it'd take to read the book!

Although everyone learns differently I suppose. That's hopefully what I'm going to combat in my latest site - cross-method teaching.

[Robert_2006]

Actually, there is.

When I was learning PHP I just used tutorials etc and asked on sitepoint. No money spent and I became almost proficient faster than it'd take to read the book!

Although everyone learns differently I suppose. That's hopefully what I'm going to combat in my latest site - cross-method teaching.

Seeing as your of the yonger generations I wouldn't be suprised. I personally seem to retain much better when reading from a hard copy.
The wife and I were just discussing this the other night and she feels out kids will be adapt to both like yourself. I dunno' we'll have to wait and see.

[Jake Arkinstall]

Soon enough computers will be just like books, we just need to wait a li'l longer and Adobe will have their own library on our palm.

[bbparis]

arkinstall & Robert_2006,

Really I appreciate your help, I will do my best to understand more and more, but you are right ( arkinstall ) about learning by tutorials, I found it's a good way also, I was soooo happy to learn about how we can insert info from PHP to MySQL on the following website : w3chools.com/PHP/php_mysql_intro.asp, really I understood everything, it's simple and easy.

Also I tried some tutorials about ( registration / login / logoff ) and it was fine for me, now I'm trying to find more tutorials, I don't know which kind I have to learn now ??

By the way, I'm using also Flash, and learning in the same time now Action Script, why ?? because my goal as I told you, to build web services / activities for kids, and I found that there is a real friendship between flash ( action script ) and php, what you think ???

[bbparis]

Just I forget something, sorry if I take time to reply when you write me something, because I'm living in France.

Best regards

[bbparis]

Hello again,

Sorry to bother, but I was discussing with a friend, and he talked with me about easyphp, that it's an easy software to integrate php codes, so what you think about it also ?? without forgetting to answer me about my replies above.

best regards.

[Jake Arkinstall]

I think your friend made a mistake.

EasyPHP doesn't integrate PHP code, it integrates Apache, MySQL and PHP.

I use WampServer, which does this and much more.

[bbparis]

Hi Ark,

you are right, this is what I integrate and now I will install Komodo for PHP, as the teacher on lynda.com askes for, what you think about it ??

[bbparis]

Hi again, I installed ( Komodo edit ) and it looks like Dreamweaver that I have it already, it make the script more simple by colors.

[bbparis]

Hello,

Voila, I began with php, and I have question:

what is mean ( ! ) sign exactly ?? for example when I put it beside a isset like the following example :

if (!isset($_COOKIE['loggedin'])) die("You are not logged in!<br><a href=login.html>log in</a>");
$mysite_username = $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS["mysite_username"];
echo "you are logged in as $mysite_username.<p>"; 

I understand that is there is a doubt that $_COOKIE['loggedin'] not working, the php will print the die part, and if thre is no doubt, and the variable working well, so in this case we will see the second sentence ( you are logged .... )

my question just to be sure that I understand it in the right way.

[mauteri]

! means NOT as in !isset($foo) would be true if $foo is not set.

don't forget you can always check the manual (php.net) for functions and how to use them.

[bbparis]

thanks mautri for your reply, I'm checking the website of php, but really sometime hard to understand, I think later will be fine for me.

A general question for you and all other friends here, are we building php like puzzle ?? so for example I will be able to build first ( registration and login ) and after ( feedback ) , and after ( newsletter ) , what I mean that can i add more script for my first php script, or I have to build everything from the first time ????

this question just to know if I have to wait to learn everything about php before I begin building my own script or not ??

[mauteri]

yes, you can create basic features to your site first and then add on to it with new features later. you just have to be careful with your database once it's live, and always test scripts (especially ones that delete data from your database) before you put them live.

thanks mautri for your reply, I'm checking the website of php, but really sometime hard to understand, I think later will be fine for me.

A general question for you and all other friends here, are we building php like puzzle ?? so for example I will be able to build first ( registration and login ) and after ( feedback ) , and after ( newsletter ) , what I mean that can i add more script for my first php script, or I have to build everything from the first time ????

this question just to know if I have to wait to learn everything about php before I begin building my own script or not ??

[digitman]

@arkinstall,

I was also your age when I learnt PHP and I'd say probably the same skill level. But then I got the PHP Anthrology books and reading them seriously took my coding (and income) to another level.

[bbparis]

Thanks, which kind of book you mean, and you can please put

[aszxcv]

Thanks, which kind of book you mean, and you can please put

i think oreily cookbook is good

because it gives you a problem and solution

and php for dummies is good

w3schools.com and killerphp.com give good online tutorials

[bbparis]

Thanks, which kind of book you mean, and you can please put

sorry I did not write the above sentence very well, I was tired and using my mobile.

i think oreily cookbook is good

because it gives you a problem and solution

and php for dummies is good

w3schools.com and killerphp.com give good online tutorials

thank you, I will check these books and get back to you if I have any question.

About tutorials, as I said before, I liked so much w3schools.com, because this website made MySQL easy for me.

arkinstall, you said that the tutorials helped you a lot, can you tell me if you have a special websites for tutorials ???

now the time to ask you all a php question:

// create table on database
$create = "create table $table (
id smallint(5) NOT NULL auto_increment,
username varchar(30) NOT NULL default '',
password varchar(32) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id),
UNIQUE KEY username (username)
);"; 

I understand PRIMARY KEY if to give number to each row, but why UNIQUE KEY is the username ??

[AnthonySterling]

I understand PRIMARY KEY if to give number to each row, but why UNIQUE KEY is the username ??

Because you differentiate your users by their username, after all, at login you don't ask for their database id and password do you?



The schema is basically ensuring that each user has a unique username, as it should be.

SilverB.