How have you learned PHP?
 

So, there have been so many great PHP coders over here and some of you are still lurking around. I wonder how have you learned PHP. What books/resources have you been using?
Which software have made your php coder life easier. Where you have been searching answers for your PHP related questions?

Oh and how long it took before you could say: Yes, I can code in PHP?

php.net :)

Started with tutorials:

W3schools: http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp
Tizag: http://www.tizag.com/phpT/index.php

There a was a German mod here many years ago named Marcos. He gave me a crash course over MSN. That was pure logic to me all he said. I got amazed over the power of php and continued on my own via hotscripts.com. I also found out that the programmers by vbgermany.com were no non-sense very much into logic. So the best way to go is to learn from the pros

This book originally - http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Teach-You...dp/0672326191/

But it's old now. I would go for a MySQl / PHP All i one book these days.

You will learn PHP in online tutorials.Many examples are available.You start with basic concepts it will be easy to learn.

Once you understand the fundamentals of programming languages. Php then becomes just another language. Each language has it's own learning curve with the real world, and it depends on what stage you are programming for. Nuances in a language is what makes it difficult. This is where experience and programming with a group comes in to play.

Read about php sure, but read about interpretive languages and understand how php works from it's core. That may be too difficult for you now, but that is the end game. The thing that you will learn is there is no such thing is just learning one language, one discipline. It no longer works that way in the real world.

The rest... Coders code!

Php.net
W3schools :D

As for my own experience, I've used tutorials from the Internet and after getting basic knowledges, took some code examples, browsed through them and tried to write analogical ones to them from the scratch.

As tbworld wrote "Once you understand the fundamentals of programming languages", I did the same. For years I was developing PC Client-Server applications. Started with dBaseII but really grew-up with Clipper.

With PHP I have very short experiance mostly modifying the designed which at the early years (2000-2003) was including in the core files.

What makes me start learning PHP was a simple request that I post here (as paid mod). I wanted to add a very-very simple Dating section in my forum. Actually it was to add 5 fields in the user table, a Add/Edit form, and a 2 fields search. Doing it as PC application should not needed more than 3-4 hours.

I've been so surprised with the quote that I got. Still remember it even if it's exactly 10 years ago "We're a US based company bla...bla..bla... and our team (not just a coder), needs 2 months to complete your project which will costs you $2,000 !!!".

That was enought. I was sure that by knowing database programming should helps me, and I was right. I had my dating script ready in 10 days, with much more features. This was also my first mod that I post here (vbMates).

Chris