PHP & MYSQL ESSENTIALS

Course Overview

This 3 day course covers the basic techniques of building dynamic web sites including writing scripts in PHP and creating and managing MySQL databases. It uses modern, best practices, and encourages readable and maintainable code. In this course students will learn how to install and configure the Apache server, develop PHP server side code, create and manage a MySQL database and write SQL to query, update, delete and modify records. Other topics include collecting and processing information via forms, uploading files and images, relational database design and management and basic user password protection and authentication. Although MySQL is used throughout the course, the material will allow you to easily switch to any of the other popular databases such as PostGreSQL and SQLite.

No prior knowledge of PHP is required, however, since PHP code is embedded in HTML, proficiency with HTML and CSS coding is required.

Course Prerequisites

Solid web design knowledge and experience

Raising the Bar

1300 937 782

www.rtb.com.au

Setting Up the Development Environment for PHP

Intro to PHP, Apache and MySQL
Production vs. Development Releases
An Understanding of how PHP Works
Server-Side Scripting vs. Client-Side Scripting
Installing PHP, Apache, and MySQL for Production

Understanding the Basic PHP Programming Language

Embedding PHP Scripts
Alternative Delimiters (Separators)
Creating Variables and Setting Datatypes
Storing Data in Variables
Creating and Storing String Variables (Text)
Working With Integers (Whole Numbers)
Understanding Floating Point Numbers (Decimals)
Creating and Working With Boolean Values
Creating and Storing Data Using Arrays
Output Data to a Browser
Using the print() Statement
Working With the echo() Statement
Using The printf() Statement
Using The sprintf() Statement
Commenting Your PHP Code
Utilising Arithmetic Operators
Utilising Arithmetic Assignment Operators
Utilising Comparison Operators
Utilising Error Control Operators
Utilising Incrementing/Decrementing Operators
Utilising Logical Operators
Understanding String Operators
PHP Control Structures
Returning Values from PHP Functions

Passing Information with PHP

Superglobal Arrays
Understanding Variable Scope
$GLOBALS
$_SERVER
$_GET
Retrieving URL Variables
$_POST
$_REQUEST
$_FILES
$_SESSION
Implementing session_destroy()
$_COOKIE

Working with MySQL Databases

MySQL Data Storage – The Basics
Manipulating MySQL Data in Tables
Creating and Deleting Databases
Using DROP to Delete a Database
Using CREATE to Create a Database
Using the CREATE TABLE Statement
MySQL Data Types
Understanding the PRIMARY KEY
Understanding AUTO_INCREMENT
MySQL Indexes
The SELECT Statement
The INSERT Statement
The UPDATE Statement
The JOIN Statement
The DELETE Statement
Opening a Database Connection
PHP MySQL Extension
Utilising The MySQLi Extension
Using Prepared Statements
Using MySQLi
Using MySQLi Prepared Statements
Using PDO (PHP Data Objects)
Understanding Table Structures
Planning Database Table Structure
The (*) Selector

Building the Entry Manager

Planning the Entry Database Table
Creating the Entry Input Form
Create a PHP Script to Process Form Input
Performing the Initial Verification Test
Connect to the MySQL Database
Separation of Database Credentials
Database Connection Using update.inc.php
Save Data to the Database
Retrieve the Entry Unique ID
Display the Entry to the User
Display Saved Entries
Planning Your PHP Scripts
Logic Separation in Programming
Function Mapping to Your Output Saved Entries
Writing Database Functions
Writing the Business Function
Writing Presentation Code

Support for Multiple Pages

Add a Page Column to the Entries Table
Accept Page Parameters in a Function
Accepting Page Information Using the URL
Filter Entries Using the Page Information
Save Page Associations by Modifying admin.php
Saving Page Associations
Create Friendly URLs Using .htaccess
Creating Your .htaccess File
Automatically Create Friendly URLs
Adding a Menu
Creating Different Page Viewing Styles

Modifying Database Entries

Create Administrative Links
Displaying Administrative Links
Using admin.php with .htaccess to Pass URL Values
Modify the Original Admin Rule
Create New Admin Rule
Edit an Entry via Your Form
Updating Database Entries
Delete an Entry
Confirm Entry Deletion
Confirmation Form Submission
Removing Deleted Entries within the Database

Uploading Images

Add File Input to the Admin Form
Accessing an Uploaded Image File
Working with $_FILES Superglobal Array
Create the Image Handling Class
Saving Images
Error Checking Using Exceptions
File Saving
Change update.inc.php to Save Images
Using try...catch Statement with Exceptions
New Folder Creation
Renaming the Image File
Determining the Image File Extension
Storing Images in the Database
Retrieving Images from the Database
Adding a Function to Prepare Images for Output
Resizing Images

Blog Syndication

Creating an RSS Feed (Really Simply Syndication)
Describing Your Feed
Create a Feed Item
Publishing Your Feed
Adding a Feed to the Blog

Add a Blog Comment System

Create a comments Table
Building and Adding a Comments Class
Creating a Comment Entry Form
Storing New Comments in the Database Table
Retrieving All Comments for a Single Entry
Displaying Comments for a Single Entry
Deleting Comments from The Table