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Web Programming using PHP/MySQL Part 1 Short Courses

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Key information

Duration:
TBC
Time:
TBC
Fees:
TBC
Course code:
TBC

PHP with MySQL is a very popular combination for creating small web apps. With PHP developers can create dynamic websites and apps with greater functionality.

Why choose this course?

This short course will enable those already familiar with HTML to build more powerful web solutions and advance to dynamic, database-enabled, website/intranet programming and applications using the open-source PHP scripting language and MySQL database.

The Web Programming using PHP and MySQL short course is aimed at those who have successfully completed the Building Websites with HTML5 and CSS3 or have a good understanding of HTML and how web pages work.

This practical course takes place over ten weekly evenings in our central London location.

Course overview

The short course broadly comprises the fundamentals of programming with PHP, relational database design and operations with MySQL, and web solutions using PHP and MySQL.

By the end of the short course, you will be able to:

  • Understand the basics of programming in PHP
  • Write and debug procedural PHP scripts
  • Understand fundamental relational database concepts
  • Design a relational database suitable for a blog
  • Code a simple content management system
  • Understand the importance of web application security.

  • “ Good balance between understanding the needs of beginners and pushing forward with content…a very positive experience. ”

    Daniel Harrison

    Former student

  • “ Excellent introduction to the basics - not just of PHP and MySQL, but also of programming for the web in general. ”

    Adam Leigh

    Alumni

What will I learn?

What will I learn?

  • PHP, MySQL, LAMP: what they are and what they do. Static vs dynamic pages. Client-side vs server-side scripting. Obtaining PHP and MySQL software. Resources and tools e.g. manuals, books, websites, and development environments. Using XAMPP as a development environment.
  • Basics of programming with PHP - variables, constants, data types, operators, expressions, control structures & decision making, functions, type-casting, program flow. Documenting your code. Simple templating with PHP. Organising your application. Finding and fixing bugs in your code. HTTP client-server communication: HTTP headers, server response codes.
  • MySQL: What is SQL. Relational databases vs spreadsheets. MySQL in the terminal. Relational database design. MySQL's data types. CRUD operations: create, read, update and delete data. Primary, foreign and unique keys. Getting results from more than one table: joins. One-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many relationships. Column and table aliases. Changing table structure. Table types. Aggregate queries.
  • PHP, MySQL and Apache admin: php.ini, my.ini & httpd.conf. Understanding PHP errors.
  • PHP and MySQL on the web: Connecting to MySQL using PHP. Querying the database and using the results. Dynamic templating. Single and multi-article templates. PHP's superglobals. Accepting user input through the URL and forms. Forms: validation and giving user feedback. Database CRUD operations through a web front end. Defensive programming. Security considerations. Working as a web developer. What to learn next.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Understand the basics of programming in PHP
  • Write and debug procedural PHP scripts
  • Understand fundamental relational database concepts
  • Design a simple relational database
  • Code a simple content management system
  • Understand the importance of web application security

Eligibility

Eligibility

Prerequisite knowledge

Successful completion of Building Websites with HTML5 and CSS3 or good understanding of HTML and how web pages work.

Teaching & assessment

Teaching & assessment

Class time consists of theory supported by live coding, problem solving exercises and discussion in class. You will be provided with extensive notes and code packages. Homework exercises are available, for which individual feedback can be given.

Short course.

Small commitment.

Big Reward.

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Tutor information

  • Sonya Smith

    Sonya Smith is grateful that a former boss made her learn PHP, and enjoys helping students over the first hurdles of learning to program.

    She previously worked for a social media web startup, designing and building sites for SMEs, and as a programmer for a marine insurance company in the City. She has science degrees from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh.

Short course.

Small commitment.

Big Reward.

Book Now

Next steps

Web Programming using PHP/MySQL Part 2
This Web Programming Using PHP/MySQL (Part 2) evening Short Course introduces more advanced features of PHP such as Object Oriented Programming (OOP), sessions and cookies, security, 3rd-party web service integration,…