FAQ - Please Read Before Posting!

Frequently Asked Questions

(If you have comments or suggestion for this FAQ, post them in this thread.)

1. What is PHP?
2. Is there online documentation and tutorials that can help me learn PHP?
3. Can I run PHP locally on my PC?
4. How do I make my code color-coded and indented in my postings here?
5. How do you upload images (or other files) using PHP?
6. How can I create a CMS (Content Management System) with PHP?
7. I get an error at line number X when I run my PHP script, but I don't see any problem on that line.
8. My script isn't working right, but I can't figure out why.
9. How can I help you to help me?
10. How can I use PHP to create login-controlled web pages?
11. How do I send emails with PHP?

What is PHP?

PHP is a recursive acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor". PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. Much more info can be found at PHP.net.

Are there online documentation and tutorials that can help me learn PHP?

The manual is on-line at http://www.php.net/manual/en/ (see http://www.php.net/docs.php for other languages and downloadable versions).

For a beginner's tutorial on PHP, check out this Zend.com tutorial.

Can I run PHP locally on my PC?

Yes, but note that in addition to PHP you will need a web server running on your PC, too. A very convenient and effective way to do this is to download and install Apachefriends.org's XAMPP, which is an open-source program which will install PHP, Apache web server, MySQL DBMS, and phpMyAdmin onto your PC.

How do I make my code color-coded and indented in my postings here?

For PHP code, wrap your text in [ php ] and [ /php ] tags (without the spaces. For text which you want to be indented and with a fixed-spaced font, but not color-coded, use the [ code ] and [ /code ] tags.

How do you upload images (or other files) using PHP?

See this sticky thread for much useful information and example code on this subject.

How can I create a CMS (Content Management System) with PHP?

This is not a trivial project (unless done very poorly and with little to no consideration for security). Consider using one of the many open-source CMS's which are available. See http://www.opensourcecms.com/ for info on some of the many choices.

I get an error at line number X when I run my PHP script, but I don't see any problem on that line.

The line number in a PHP parse error message is the line where PHP "got too confused and gave up," but it's not necessarily the line where the root cause of the problem occured. When you get such a message start looking at that line, then start working your way back through the code for various syntax errors (missing ";", unbalanced brackets or quotes, etc.) It is worth using an editor with PHP syntax color-coding to help you see some of these errors.

My script isn't working right, but I can't figure out why.

Learn to code defensively. Do not assume variables are set the way you think they should be; instead check their values before proceeding using functions like isset() and empty(). Learn to use PHP's error-handling functions.

How can I help you to help me?

See this thread for some tips on providing us the necessary info in your posts to help us answer your question.

How can I use PHP to create login-controlled web pages?

This is usually done by using PHP sessions in conjunction with a database. The database contains login information which is used to verify the user's login. Upon successful login, a session variable can be set. Controlled pages can then first check to see if this session variable exists and is properly set, and if not then redirect the user to the login page. Here is one article of many on the web on this subject.

How do I send emails with PHP?

Simply put, by using the mail() function. For more info, check out this article by forum member Bokeh.