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Tips for PHP Beginners

Best Actionable Tricks & Tips for PHP Beginners

Many people say that PHP is a dead language. Well, is it really true?

That’s clearly a myth because every app needs backend and PHP is used in the majority of them.

So, how can the language be really dead?

In fact, it is in high demand and the demand is in constant rise. Web developers are swiftly moving to adapt and implement PHP.

Why not?

The benefits it offers are amazing and for beginners, there is nothing as simple and easy to start with as PHP. This is one of the core reasons more students are getting enrolled at PHP training institute and becoming a PHP developer.

Here are some of the benefits of PHP language:

  • Simple
  • Easy to learn
  • Flexibility
  • Open-source
  • Scalability
  • High security
  • Platform diversity

PHP is an open-source language and by this time created a vast and diversified community of developers. This makes it easy to solve errors and bugs with the help of the developer’s community. If you are one of the beginners, here are some of the tips you will need along the road.

Tips for PHP Beginners

1. Turn on Error Reporting Feature

Before you start a new project and development, it is important to turn on the error reporting feature. This is not just for the beginners to follow but also for the pro developers. By turning on this feature, during the entire production mode, you will get useful error messages instead of just a blank screen when there is an error.

This makes solving the error easier while running through the code. This makes development easier. Implementing this feature will save you from the trouble of going through thousands of lines of codes to fetch the error. Once you start writing long and complex codes, the error reporting feature will become a pre-requisite.

2. Know Security Practices

Every website and app needs to be developed with the utmost security. There are two basic security rules every PHP developer should follow.

  • Don’t trust any of the data other than the one received from your website or app.
  • Do not forget to escape the data before you decide to send it over to another app or website.

These two rules decide the building blocks for an app or website security. Beginner PHP developers must integrate it into their projects. A failure in escaping output might lead to security failure. Here are some of the easy solutions to avoid security breach:

  • Remove the quote mark
  • Escape the quote mark
  • Try using a built-in feature to protect against the quote mark
mysql_real_escape_string ()

Check out this code and learn where to place it on your website or app. If you want to be perfect at PHP development and create fully secure apps and websites, it’s advisable to join a live project training institute and learn before you implement it in real life.

3. Sketch Your Code

What exactly you want from your code? The code to work flawlessly. Am I right? Well, to make that happen and make it easy, start with sketching the code at first. Before you jump directly into development, you can create a sketch of your code and data structure.

This will give you a basic idea of how your interface is going to look before you even start the development. When you start to sketch, give a thought about this.

4. Stay Updated Always

PHP language has been in the market for many years. Over the years, it receives several updates. Whether you are a beginner or you are an expert PHP developer, you need to stay updated with any new updates that come into the market.

If you intend to be a good PHP developer, you need to learn all the updates of the technology. When you know the updates, you can find the best ways to code your project. Know, read, learn, and implement every nuance entering the PHP field.

5. Create a Vast Library

Classes, functions, constants, and interfaces consist of the PHP vocabulary. These are the key factors used in expanding the functionality of websites, web pages, and applications. Mastering all these will help a fresher PHP developer to improve their coding experience and be better at they do. Increasing vocabulary not just assists in completing repetitive chores but also helps in adding unique features to your project.

You can try using PHP.net which has an extensive manual to improve and increase your vocabulary and better understand the language. It covers everything from the basic syntax to supporter protocols. A good vocabulary is a key ingredient to become a skilled PHP developer. For better PHP learning, keep referring to the manual regularly.

6. Create a Master File

One of the key ingredients of a good developer is that they keep everything stored in one single place. This simplifies coding and makes it easier for the developer to look for things. You can associate the file with different scripts of PHP and maintain it.

7. Code and Comment

New developers believe that comments are the least thing for them to worry about. However, it is a really good habit to comment while coding. This will help the developers to remind them when they mess up and want to debug. You need to be attentive and careful while commenting on the code. Comments within the codes will work as a reference when forgetting the piece of code.

8. Use OOP

OOP stands for object-oriented programming every developer should know about and also be familiar with it. This feature helps the developers to skip those codes which keep on repeating. It is time-consuming and monotonous. It helps to develop complex reusable websites and apps which would take more effort, resources, and time otherwise if followed a procedural approach.  

Wrapping Up

So, follow these tips and you will gradually you will turn from a fresh developer to a great developer. To be best at what you do, it’s better to opt for PHP training in Ahmedabad and learn things perfectly.  

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