Lecture 2: Fundamentals of PHP

Overview: This lecture covers the basics of PHP, a server-side scripting language embedded in HTML.

• Introduction to PHP:
  • PHP manages dynamic content, databases, session tracking, and builds e-commerce sites.
  • It integrates with databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc.
  • PHP performs system functions, handles HTML forms, adds/modifies databases, accesses cookies, and can encrypt data.
• Environment Setup:
  • Requires a server (e.g., Apache), a database (e.g., MariaDB), and PHP.
  • Easy-to-install bundles include Wamp, XAMPP, and Laragon.
• Basic PHP Syntax:
  • A PHP script begins with <?php and ends with ?>.
  • Variables: Start with a $ sign. The name must start with a letter or underscore, cannot start with a number, contains only alphanumeric characters and underscores, and is case-sensitive.
• Output Statements:
  • echo and print are used to output text and variables to the screen and are mostly identical.
• Data Types:
  • String, Integer, Float (double), Boolean, Array, Object, NULL, Resource.
  • The var_dump() function returns the data type and the exact value of a variable.
• Math Built-in Functions:
  • pi(), min(), max(), and round().
• Conditional Statements:
  • If Statements: Executes code if a specified condition evaluates to true.
  • Switch Statement: Chooses one of many blocks of code to execute. Uses the break keyword to stop execution and a default block if no matches are found.