PHP Crash Course: The Complete, Modern, Hands-On Guide - Paperback

by Matt Smith (Author)

From First Script to Full Website--Fast!

Tired of cobbling together PHP solutions from scattered online tutorials? Frustrated by outdated PHP practices that leave your code vulnerable and hard to maintain? Whether you're building your first dynamic website or modernizing legacy systems, PHP Crash Course gives you a complete, practical foundation for writing professional web applications.

In this comprehensive, example-driven guide, you'll learn how to:

• Write clean, maintainable PHP code using modern language features and best practices
• Build secure web applications that protect against common vulnerabilities
• Master database integration using PDO and object-relational mappings (ORMs)
• Implement professional features like shopping carts and user authentication
• Structure applications using object-oriented programming and model-view-controller (MVC) patterns
• Leverage powerful tools like Composer and Twig to accelerate development

Starting with PHP fundamentals, you'll progress through six carefully crafted sections covering essential patterns, security best practices, database integration, and advanced concepts like object-oriented programming. Each chapter builds on real-world examples, giving you the skills to solve common development challenges.

Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced developer looking to modernize your PHP skills, PHP Crash Course gives you everything you need to build professional, dynamic websites with confidence.

Includes setup instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and configuration details for Replit, the free online development environment.

Author Biography

Dr. Matt Smith is a senior lecturer in computing at Technological University Dublin, specializing in web applications and immersive technologies. With over 30 years of teaching experience and degrees from the University of Huddersfield (BA), the University of Aberdeen (MSc), and the Open University (PhD), he has been at the forefront of PHP-based web development education since the mid-2000s.