I'm willing to learn PHP and MySQL (these languages mainly, but JavaScript and Ajax are also on the agenda). However, I'm no good at reading books or tutorials as most, are pretty plain and don't give either many examples or speak in such a term as I wonder what the heck they're on about.

I was wondering, if anyone could teach me how to learn PHP or direct me to some place which was actually helpful to them, someone they know or helpful in particular. As said, I learn by DOING not reading. I just don't have the patience for it.

Hmm... I can't help with teaching but I can give you some links that helped me.

First of all, hotscripts.com has some basic codes that will help you learn. Helped me out, that's for sure.

Second is this tutorial here: PHP/MySQL Tutorial at WebMonkey. It took me about 3 hours to go and complete the whole thing. And it was through that, that I passed a web design assessment at school that was 2 years above my level.

Very interesting, checking out now. And HotScripts is not a site I'm fond of...

Ahh. Fair enough. Everyone to there own I guess.

Another site I recently found http://programmingtalk.com

I'm not sure about what they have to offer, but they may also be off use.

I wouldn't go anywhere near HotScripts, code isn't vetted and you're likely to pick up some terrible (possibly insecure) habits. I'm going to say, the php manual is by far the best resource. But Zend : http://devzone.zend.com/node/view/id/627 offer some nice beginner tutorials (and advanced http://devzone.zend.com/tutorials).

If you get a good book (most titles published by O'Reilly fit into that category), you should find learning is pretty easy (not to mention you have a nice reference) but there are a lot of bad books (namely the ones with 'For Dummies' or 'In 24hours' in the titles) and should be avoided. You also want to find a guide to help you learn rather than a cookbook or a reference book, those can come later. They now have books with syntax highlighted code too, which is very easy on the eye and grey matter so maybe that would help you learn.

But pardon the cliché but it's going to take a certain level of personal dedication (as in not relying on people to feed you answers), It gets a lot easier once you've learnt the basics though.

I don't like HotScripts, too hard to navigate as well as just sucking. And I have no problem with the "For Dummies" books so why are they so bad?

They tend to be outdated, inaccurate and teach bad practices. At least with the ones I've been exposed to.

I'm exactly the same as Nexus. I know html/css but want to learn php & mysql.

I know the very basics of them both but I can't say I 'know' php.
Bread, according to you, is it better to learn php with a good book (O'Reilly) or via the website you mentioned?

I learned by buying a book. The book i bought had sample cms's and other programs. I learned PHP by coding them out and modifying them to make them my own. That was the best route for me.

I learned by using different books aswell. I went through the book, copying the code over and over and eventually, it stuck I then tried to add my own code to the existing code in an attempt to make a totally different application, eventaully turning a simple instert, update and delete script into a fully working News Script (Basic version anyway). This is a project I am planning on exapnding with anything new I learn, so that eventually it will be an advanced News system. It may be boring to start off with, but eventually the more you learn, the more you gain!

The best way to learn, is reading.. so, you have to read a bit.

now im watching the Lynda,com videos to learn PHP, im on the second chapter.. and its not bad.. you can try them.

I learned by reading PHP 4 for Dummies!

i have a couple for dummies for other languages.. yes some are bad but some are actually pretty good.

The issue however is that unless you know the language you don't know if it's good. So new users should still avoid them unless they've been OK'd by someone who knows the language. I've read C++ for dummies, that book is appalling (it basically teaches C with a C++ compiler, stupid). If I hadn't known that was stupid before I'd opened the book I could have learned all kinds of bad habits and would have had to completely relearn the language at a later date.

As to books for PHP/MySQL I've read "PHP and MySQL Web Development" and found that to be OK.

Best place to learn is go to the source.
http://www.php.net/manual/en/

Thats a good place to look for help.. not to learn.. atleast it wasn't for me.. in the beginning I needed something that would explain and go in detail -step by step..and the manual wasn't what i was looking for.. but thats just me.

A decent book will definitely offer a more structured approach to learning, as it'll take you through step by step and expand on topics in the manual, I personally learnt from the manual and dissection of other people's code, but I picked up some very bad traits doing that now looking back on it.

There is one important factor with any form of programming that a lot of new comers seem to overlook, there is not a set way to write set tasks, meticulous planning often has to be done before writing even a line of code and some books set out to teach you this in the form of pseudo code / UML. So a book which teaches you those skills is an additional bonus.

I have to agree with that.

http://w3schools.com/php/default.asp

w3school is good for an intro.. thats probablly all its good for in the PHP area.

hey, i learned HTML / CSS from Zymic... its not a lie ! i downloaded some of your templates and modifyed them... why ? seriously when i looked around, most of you guys coding was SO simple to read :/ some of the layouts out there are just coded diferently... anyways learned HTML / CSS by geting css and html from other sites, i deleted some stuff and watched the effect on the site... took notes... and now, Hmmm html is pretty easy to code... nicely made with css

for PHP i am looking to go on the same direction, i have a GREAT form mailer script wich i was able (by my self) to add some feilds, and a reply message when i get the mail to my email well modifyed it... and seriously it turns easy so :

BEST WAY ? :

get smal (really small) scripts, look inside of it, look what it does when you removed, read the errors, read the lines... slowly slowly you will know what goes where and THAN youll read the books or sites to understand what really some functions are about :/

(always hated reading sites and books... hard to understand and if you miss 1 thing.... its over :/ also to much adverts on site so hurt on the eye !)

Yeah, w3schools PHP tutorial really is a basic intro. And MrTouz, I know basic PHP. Such as making forms and I can get them to work. It's just scripts which require databases such as Search Forms, etc.

I agree, when I bought a for dummies book to learn more bout Flash, it just plain old sucked. They didn't really explain the actionscript that good, and they weren't really great animators. Their actionscripts(code that makes flash interactive) were also very inefficient, as they lagged a lot, if you were on a slower computer. That's the last time i'm buying a for dummies book.

I like: http://www.phpvideotutorials.com, although the guy doesn't update anymore, he makes learning fun.

Yah that guy just ripped everyone off.. he had a thing if he got 100 bux he'd make another film.. he did.. and he just ditched it and took it off his site. but still he got annoying after a while... especially that chicken titty thing.. yah it was funny at first.. but the fact that he kept repeating it over and over throughout the vid just made it sound stupid and annoying.

me too, I learned CSS and how to make web template in Zymic[Thanks] but I integrated in Fireworks and I made templates by my own. well,visit PHP.NET they offer introductory tutorial and online manual and also links section if you want. you can easily find it because its on the index page.also visiting web forums helps newbies specially in technicalities.

I learned PHP and MySQL by reading books and I suggest you do the same.
I'm not really a book reader myself but this really interested me.

For the rest I read other peoples work and learned a this way.

Browse the sourceforge.net website after you have the right amount of PHP knowledge and read other peoples work too .

Good luck

I got about PHP and decided to learn it. PHP is the best way to create interesting and amazing site...Now I'm learning PHP and MySQL from a book with 700 pages...