tt'z Guide to PHP Coding!

SETTING UP PHP ON YOUR PC

 - Go to php.net/downloads.php

 - At the top of screen select use for web development

 - Then Select I work with Windows, Windows ZIP Downloads, and use OS default version

 - Scroll to the x64 Thread safe version and download the ZIP

 - Go to file explorer and find where you saved the ZIP, extract it

 - Rename the file to php-[version] example: php-8.4.1

 - Move the folder to the root of your C: drive

 - Copy the file path of the folder in your C: drive. example: C:\php-8.4.1
 
 - Windows search for Edit the system environment variables and open it

 - Click the environment variables button at the bottom of the popup

 - If you want to setup php for only the current user, select Path in User variables and click edit

 - If you want to setup php for the entire system, select Path in System variables and click edit

 - On a new line, paste in the variable path you copied previously (C:\php-8.4.1) , click OK

 - You can now close all the windows










PHP COMMANDS IN COMMAND PROMPT

* in CMD, use \ to escape a character or multiple characters, this interoperates it literally instead of using it as a command*
* ex: php -r "echo \"Hello\";" escapes the "" to be read as something to echo instead of something read as php code
* the \\ will escape characters between them, as well as the one character outside the second \
* ex: php -r "echo \"Hello\";" will run as echo "Hello"; which would not be possible otherwise


php -version : Gives information about the installed version of php

php -v : Gives information about the installed version of php

php -m : Gives list of all loaded modules/extensions

php -i : Shows complete PHP configuration

php -r "" : Runs php code inside command prompt. On windoes CMD you must use double quotes ("") outside the code
ex : php -r "echo 'hello';"

cd : Not a php command, but changes current directory to the directory typed. Must use before using php -S command
ex : cd E:\ttz-thingz\projects\public_html

php -S localhost:[port] : Starts a php server on your local network
ex : php -S localhost:7777 opens a server on port 7777

*Use Ctrl + M1 on the link to open it in your default browser

*Use Ctrl + C to shutdown the server when in Command Prompt

*You can also use the start command as the stop command, using the same port

*Some ports are unsafe to use, those are : 1, 7, 9, 11, 13, 19, 21, 23, 25, 37, 53, 67, 69,
 79, 87, 95, 101, 102, 108, 109, 110, 115, 119, 123, 137, 138, 139, 161, 162, 194, 220, 515,
 587, 631, 993, 995










PHP INFO AND SYNTAX IN WEB

- php files use .php as their extension 
- start using php in a php file with :  <?php

PHP built in functions and user functions/commands are NOT case sensitive
You can also use either '' OR "" in php functions
The following functions all work:

echo 'hello';
ECHO "hello";
eCHo 'hello';
Echo 'hello';

Whitespace in PHP does not matter
The following functions all work:

ECHO "hello 
bru"
;

Echo "he
ll
o";


PHP variables start with $
PHP variables ARE case sensitive

These are two different variables that can coexist:
$name = 'tt';
$nAme = 'tt 2';


Single quotes and Double Quotes are different in php

Single quotes are strings and print exactly what is inside of them
ex : echo '$name'; will print : $name

Double quotes allow you to print combining string and non string elements
ex : echo "$name says hi"; will print : tt says hi


It is better to leave the closing tag ( ?> ) out when using only php in a php file










DATA TYPES IN PHP

1) Integers

Positive Integer:
$x = 100;

Use var_dump([integer]) to get value and information about a integer
ex: var_dump($x);
will output: int(100)


Negative Integer:
$y =-100;

var_dump($y);
will output: int(-100)

You can also dump multiple variables (2 or more)
var_dump($x, $y)
will output: int(100) int(-100)




2) Strings

String:
$msg = "lol wtf";

Dumping strings will output type, length, and contents
var_dump($msg);
will output: string(7) "lol wtf"




3) Floats (Doubles)

$double = 43.12;
$double2 = 4312.01;

var_dump($double)
will output: float(43.12)





4) Boolean

A Boolean with the type false
$boolean_true = FALSE;

A Boolean with the type true
$boolean_false = true;

var_dump($boolean_true, $boolean_false);
will output: bool(false) bool(true)





5) Arrays

You can establish arrays using () or []

An array can have integers, strings, doubles, booleans, functions, arrays, objects

Arrays start at 0. The first item in an array is the place of 0


Using ()
$array_test = array("bruh", 8, "92a", 40.12, FALSE);

Using []
$array_yippe = ["bruh", "gw2", "h1z1", "hi-c"];


Dumping an array shows # of items, item place in the array, & the usual info dump of that item. It will do this for all items

var_dump($array_yippe);
will output: array(4) { [0]=> string(4) "bruh" [1]=> string(8) "fortnite" [2]=> string(4) "h1z1" [3]=> string(4) "hi-c" }

var_dump($array_test);
will output: array(5) { [0]=> string(4) "bruh" [1]=> int(8) [2]=> string(3) "92a" [3]=> float(40.12) [4]=> bool(false) }





6) Classes

Establish a class like this:

class nameOfClass {

}


You can create variables in a class that can be accesed anywhere using public before the variable:

class nameOfClass {

 public $everywhere = "this can go anywhere";

}


You can call the variable in the same class it was created in by using this:

class nameOfClass {

 public $everywhere = "this can go anywhere";

 function sayThat() {

   echo "{$this->everywhere}";

}

}

Inside a class, you define methods and properties

You don’t run code directly in the class body (outside of functions)

To execute methods, you need to create an object instance of the class, then call the method using ->


Making an object:
$thisIsAnObject = new nameOfClass;


Calling a function from the class:
$thisIsAnObject->sayThat();
will output: this can go anywhere

var_dump(thisIsAnObject);
will output: object(nameOfClass)#1 (1) { ["everywhere"]=> string(20) "this can go anywhere" }


Entire class completed:


class NameOfClass {
    public $everywhere = "this can go anywhere";

    function sayThat() {
        echo "{$this->everywhere}";
    }
}

$thisIsAnObject = new NameOfClass();

$thisIsAnObject->sayThat();

var_dump($thisIsAnObject);



Output of the code snipped above:

this can go anywhereobject(nameOfClass)#1 (1) { ["everywhere"]=> string(20) "this can go anywhere" }





7) NULL

Start with a normal variable (You dont have to)

$x = "bruh";
var_dump($x);

will output: string(4) "bruh"


Then Redefine x as NULL & dumo again

$x = NULL;
var_dump($x);

will output: NULL