PHP for Beginners: Complete Course

The book "PHP for Beginners: Complete Course" is an ideal guide for those who want to master one of the most popular web programming languages. The author, Alexey Smirnov, an experienced developer and teacher, will take you step by step from installing PHP to creating full-fledged web applications. The book is aimed at absolute beginners: no special knowledge is required — just a desire to learn and a little patience.

In the first part of the book, you will get acquainted with the basics of PHP syntax, variables, data types, loops, and functions. Each section is accompanied by simple examples that you can immediately run on a local server. You will learn how form processing, file handling, and sessions work — everything needed to create dynamic websites.

Special attention is paid to working with MySQL and SQLite databases. You will learn how to connect to a database, execute queries, display data on a page, and protect your application from SQL injections. The book covers real projects: a guestbook, a blog, a user registration system, and a simple online store.

By the end of the course, you will master:

• The basics of object-oriented programming (OOP) in PHP
• Working with superglobal arrays ($_GET, $_POST, $_SESSION)
• Creating templates and separating logic and presentation
• Basics of web application security (XSS, CSRF, data validation)
• Working with popular libraries and Composer
• Basics of MVC architecture using a simple framework as an example

The book is suitable for:

• Beginning web developers who want to learn a server-side language
• Students of technical specialties
• Those who already know HTML/CSS and want to add dynamics to a website
• Self-learners looking for a structured and understandable textbook

Each chapter contains practical tasks and self-test questions. At the end of the book, you will find a glossary of terms and a list of useful resources. This is not just theory — you will write code from the very first pages. "PHP for Beginners: Complete Course" will become your reliable guide on the path into the world of web development.