PHP Fundamentals: Basic to Advanced

A complete, 15-chapter guide to PHP — from syntax and variables to OOP, error handling, databases, and modern PHP 8.5 features. Written for beginners and updated for current PHP.

Introduction to PHP

What is PHP?Installing PHP and Your First Script

Syntax and Variables

Basic Syntax Rules Variables and Constants

Data Types

PHP Data Types Overview Type Casting and Conversion

Operators

Arithmetic, Assignment, and Comparison Operators Logical and String Operators

Control Structures

Conditionals: if, switch, match Loops: for, while, foreach

Functions

Defining and Calling Functions Anonymous Functions, Closures, and Arrow Functions

Arrays

Indexed and Associative Arrays Essential Array Functions

Strings

String Basics and Interpolation Common String Functions

Object-Oriented PHP: The Basics

Classes, Objects, and Properties Constructors, Destructors, and Magic Methods

Object-Oriented PHP: Advanced

Inheritance and Abstract Classes Interfaces, Traits, and Enums

Error Handling

Exceptions: try, catch, finally Custom Exceptions and Error Reporting

File Handling and I/O

Reading and Writing Files Working with JSON and File Uploads

Forms and Superglobals

Handling Form Data with GET and POST Sessions, Cookies, and Basic Security

Databases with PHP

Connecting with PDO Prepared Statements and CRUD

Namespaces, Composer & Modern PHP

Understanding Namespaces Composer and Autoloading Generators and Iterators Modern PHP 8.x Features

PHP Tutorial 2026: Complete Guide from Basic to Advanced | DevNotes