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PHP Programming Guide: Basics to APIs

The document serves as a comprehensive guide to PHP programming, covering essential topics such as setup, syntax, data types, control structures, functions, and object-oriented programming. It also includes practical examples for building a simple API, connecting to a MySQL database, and handling forms, files, sessions, and errors. Key takeaways emphasize security practices, validation, and the use of Composer for package management.

Uploaded by

mmbruno
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views16 pages

PHP Programming Guide: Basics to APIs

The document serves as a comprehensive guide to PHP programming, covering essential topics such as setup, syntax, data types, control structures, functions, and object-oriented programming. It also includes practical examples for building a simple API, connecting to a MySQL database, and handling forms, files, sessions, and errors. Key takeaways emphasize security practices, validation, and the use of Composer for package management.

Uploaded by

mmbruno
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Contents

1. Setup & Basic Syntax..............................................................................................2


2. Variables & Data Types..........................................................................................2
3. Operators & Control Structures............................................................................3
4. Functions..................................................................................................................3
5. Arrays.......................................................................................................................4
6. Classes & OOP........................................................................................................ 5
7. Building a Simple API.............................................................................................6
8. Database Connection (MySQL with PDO)............................................................7
Key Concepts to Explore Next:..................................................................................8
9. Form Handling with Validation.............................................................................9
10. File Handling....................................................................................................... 10
11. Sessions & Cookies..............................................................................................10
12. Error Handling....................................................................................................11
13. Composer & Package Management...................................................................12
14. REST API Best Practices....................................................................................13
15. Security Essentials...............................................................................................14
Final Project: User Authentication System.............................................................14
Key Takeaways:.........................................................................................................15
1. Setup & Basic Syntax

Install XAMPP/MAMP/WAMP and create a file in htdocs folder (e.g., [Link]):

php

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<?php
// Single-line comment
/*
Multi-line comment
*/
echo "Hello World!";
?>

2. Variables & Data Types


php

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$string = "Hello PHP";
$int = 42;
$float = 3.14;
$bool = true;
$array = [1, 2, 3];
$null = null;

var_dump($string); // Check variable type and value


3. Operators & Control Structures
php

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$a = 10;
$b = 5;

// Arithmetic
echo $a + $b; // 15

// Comparison
if ($a > $b) {
echo "A is larger";
} elseif ($a == $b) {
echo "Equal";
} else {
echo "B is larger";
}

// Loops
for ($i = 0; $i < 5; $i++) {
echo $i;
}

$arr = ["apple", "banana"];


foreach ($arr as $fruit) {
echo $fruit;
}

4. Functions
php

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function greet($name = "Guest") {
return "Hello, $name!";
}

echo greet(); // Hello, Guest!


echo greet("John"); // Hello, John!
5. Arrays
php

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// Indexed array
$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana"];

// Associative array
$user = [
"name" => "John",
"age" => 30
];

// Multidimensional array
$users = [
["name" => "Alice", "age" => 25],
["name" => "Bob", "age" => 35]
];

echo $user["name"]; // John


6. Classes & OOP
php

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class User {
// Properties
public $name;
private $email;

// Constructor
public function __construct($name, $email) {
$this->name = $name;
$this->email = $email;
}

// Method
public function getEmail() {
return $this->email;
}
}

// Inheritance
class Admin extends User {
public $role = "Admin";

public function getEmail() {


return "Admin email: " . parent::getEmail();
}
}

// Usage
$user = new User("John", "john@[Link]");
echo $user->name; // John
echo $user->getEmail(); // john@[Link]

$admin = new Admin("Alice", "alice@[Link]");


echo $admin->role; // Admin
7. Building a Simple API

Create [Link]:

php

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<?php
header('Content-Type: application/json');

$request = $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'];

switch ($request) {
case 'GET':
// Handle GET request
echo json_encode(["message" => "GET request received"]);
break;

case 'POST':
// Handle POST request
$data = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
echo json_encode(["received_data" => $data]);
break;

default:
http_response_code(405);
echo json_encode(["error" => "Method not allowed"]);
}
8. Database Connection (MySQL with PDO)
php

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$host = 'localhost';
$db = 'test';
$user = 'root';
$pass = '';

try {
$pdo = new PDO("mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db", $user, $pass);
$pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);

// Create table
$pdo->exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
)");

// Insert data
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)");
$stmt->execute(["John", "john@[Link]"]);

// Fetch data
$stmt = $pdo->query("SELECT * FROM users");
$users = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
echo json_encode($users);

} catch(PDOException $e) {
echo "Connection failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}
Key Concepts to Explore Next:

1. Form handling (_POST)


2. File handling (fopen/fwrite)
3. Sessions & Cookies
4. Error handling
5. Composer & package management
6. REST API best practices
7. Security (SQL injection, XSS protection)

To run PHP scripts:

1. Save files with .php extension


2. Place in web server directory (htdocs for XAMPP)
3. Access via [Link]

Practice by building:

 Contact form with validation


 User registration system
 Simple blog with CRUD operations
 REST API with authentication
9. Form Handling with Validation

Explanation: PHP handles HTML form data through $_GET and $_POST superglobals.
Always validate and sanitize user input.

php

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<form method="POST" action="process_form.php">


Name: <input type="text" name="name" required>
Email: <input type="email" name="email" required>
Message: <textarea name="message"></textarea>
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

<?php
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
$name = htmlspecialchars($_POST['name']);
$email = filter_var($_POST['email'], FILTER_SANITIZE_EMAIL);

if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
die("Invalid email format");
}

// Process valid data


echo "Thank you, $name! We received your message.";
}
?>
10. File Handling

Explanation: PHP provides functions for reading/writing files. Always check file
permissions.

php

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<?php
// Write to file
$file = '[Link]';
$content = "[" . date('Y-m-d H:i:s') . "] User logged in\n";
file_put_contents($file, $content, FILE_APPEND);

// Read file
if (file_exists($file)) {
$logs = file_get_contents($file);
echo "<pre>$logs</pre>";
} else {
echo "No logs found";
}
?>

11. Sessions & Cookies

Explanation: Sessions maintain user state across pages. Cookies store data client-side.

php

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<?php
// Start session
session_start();

// Session example
if ($_POST['login']) {
$_SESSION['user'] = [
'id' => 123,
'name' => 'John'
];
}

// Cookie example
setcookie('theme', 'dark', time() + (86400 * 30), "/"); // 30 days
?>

12. Error Handling


Explanation: Use try/catch blocks and custom exceptions for robust error handling.

php

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<?php
function divide($a, $b) {
if ($b === 0) {
throw new Exception("Division by zero");
}
return $a / $b;
}

try {
echo divide(10, 0);
} catch (Exception $e) {
error_log("Error: " . $e->getMessage());
echo "Something went wrong!";
}
?>
13. Composer & Package Management

Explanation: Composer is PHP's dependency manager. Create [Link]:

json

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{
"require": {
"guzzlehttp/guzzle": "^7.0"
}
}

Install packages:

bash

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composer install

Use in code:

php

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<?php
require 'vendor/[Link]';

$client = new GuzzleHttp\Client();


$response = $client->get('[Link]
echo $response->getBody();
?>
14. REST API Best Practices

Explanation: Use proper HTTP status codes and JSON responses.

php

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<?php
header('Content-Type: application/json');
header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *');

$data = [];

switch ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']) {
case 'GET':
$data = ['status' => 'success', 'data' => get_records()];
http_response_code(200);
break;
case 'POST':
$input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
// Validate and process
$data = ['status' => 'created', 'id' => 123];
http_response_code(201);
break;
default:
http_response_code(405);
$data = ['error' => 'Method not allowed'];
}

echo json_encode($data);
?>
15. Security Essentials

Explanation: Critical security practices every PHP developer must implement.

SQL Injection Prevention:

php

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$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email");
$stmt->execute(['email' => $email]);
$user = $stmt->fetch();

XSS Prevention:

php

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echo htmlspecialchars($user_input, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

Password Handling:

php

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$hash = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
if (password_verify($input_password, $hash)) {
// Valid
}

CSRF Protection:

php

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session_start();
if (empty($_POST['csrf_token']) || $_POST['csrf_token'] !== $_SESSION['csrf_token']) {
die("Invalid CSRF token");
}

Final Project: User Authentication System

Combine all concepts into a working example:

1. Registration form with validation


2. Secure password storage
3. Session management
4. Remember me cookies
5. Profile management
6. Logout functionality

php

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<?php
session_start();

// Database configuration
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=auth', 'root', '');

// Login handler
if (isset($_POST['login'])) {
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?");
$stmt->execute([$_POST['email']]);
$user = $stmt->fetch();

if ($user && password_verify($_POST['password'], $user['password'])) {


$_SESSION['user'] = $user;
// Set remember me cookie
if (isset($_POST['remember'])) {
$token = bin2hex(random_bytes(32));
setcookie('remember_token', $token, time() + 86400 * 30, '/');
// Store token in database
}
header('Location: [Link]');
}
}
?>
Key Takeaways:

1. Always validate and sanitize user input


2. Use prepared statements for database queries
3. Store passwords using password_hash()
4. Implement CSRF protection for forms
5. Handle errors gracefully
6. Follow REST principles for APIs
7. Keep dependencies updated with Composer

Next steps: Build a blog system with:

 User authentication
 CRUD operations for posts
 File uploads for images
 Search functionality
 REST API endpoints

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