PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language.
It is particularly effective for creating dynamic and interactive websites, with strong integration capabilities for databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.
PHP powers many popular content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, making it a vital skill for web developers and backend developers.
Learning PHP is important because it is highly in-demand for maintaining and developing backend logic for websites and applications, especially in legacy systems and CMS-heavy projects.
A tutor can accelerate this process by providing structured lessons, hands-on practice with projects, and real-world examples like building dynamic forms, CRUD applications, or CMS plugins, ensuring learners gain the practical skills needed for job readiness.
Chapter 1: Introduction to PHP
Lesson 1: What is PHP?: Definition, history, and its role in web development
Lesson 2: Evolution of PHP: From PHP 3 to PHP 8+ and modern trends
Lesson 3: PHP Use Cases: Web apps, CLI scripting, APIs, and more
Lesson 4: Setting Up the Development Environment: Installing PHP, XAMPP/WAMP/LAMP, Docker
Chapter 2: Basic Syntax and Language Constructs
Lesson 1: PHP Code Structure: Tags, statements, and comments
Lesson 2: Variables, Constants, and Data Types: Dynamic typing and literal values
Lesson 3: Operators in PHP: Arithmetic, comparison, logical, and assignment operators
Chapter 3: Control Structures
Lesson 1: Conditional Statements: if, else, elseif, and switch-case
Lesson 2: Looping Constructs: for, foreach, while, and do-while loops
Lesson 3: Best Practices in Control Flow: Code clarity and maintainability
Chapter 4: Functions and Basic Code Reusability
Lesson 1: Defining and Invoking Functions: Syntax, parameters, and return values
Lesson 2: Variable Scope and Lifetime: Global vs. local variables
Lesson 3: Anonymous Functions and Closures: Creating inline functions
Chapter 5: Working with Arrays and Strings
Lesson 1: Array Types: Indexed, associative, and multidimensional arrays
Lesson 2: Array Manipulation Functions: Mapping, filtering, and sorting techniques
Lesson 3: String Handling: Manipulation, formatting, and built-in string functions
Lesson 4: Regular Expressions: Pattern matching and validation in PHP
Chapter 6: File Handling and Data Serialization
Lesson 1: File I/O Basics: Reading, writing, and appending files
Lesson 2: Directory Operations and File Uploads: Managing files and ensuring security
Lesson 3: Data Serialization: Working with JSON, XML, and CSV formats
Chapter 7: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Lesson 1: OOP Fundamentals: Classes, objects, properties, and methods
Lesson 2: Constructors and Destructors: Object lifecycle management
Lesson 3: Encapsulation: Access modifiers and data hiding
Chapter 8: Advanced OOP Concepts and Magic Methods
Lesson 1: Inheritance, Interfaces, and Abstract Classes: Extending functionality and enforcing contracts
Lesson 2: Traits: Reusing code and simulating multiple inheritance
Lesson 3: Magic Methods: __construct(), __destruct(), __get(), __set(), __call(), etc.
Lesson 4: Polymorphism and Method Overriding: Enhancing flexibility in design
Chapter 9: Namespaces and Autoloading
Lesson 1: Understanding Namespaces: Organizing code and avoiding naming conflicts
Lesson 2: Autoloading Techniques: Using Composer and PSR-4 standards
Lesson 3: Best Practices for Code Organization
Chapter 10: Error Handling and Exception Management
Lesson 1: PHP Error Types and Reporting: Notices, warnings, and fatal errors
Lesson 2: Exception Handling: Using try, catch, and finally
