Introducing Free PHP Training Courses from Zend

Zend by Perforce is pleased to announce a new series of free PHP training courses, starting with three introductory PHP training modules. These training modules are offered at no charge and are available to anybody with access to the internet and a device (e.g., PC or tablet) with a browser.

In this blog, we'll walk through details on the new free PHP training courses, including details on what the courses cover, and who the courses are designed for.

About the Free PHP Training Courses

You can find many PHP courses and tutorials through a simple web search. What you will not find, however, are up-to-date courses led by an experienced senior PHP trainer, from the organization that created the PHP language itself! 

All Zend training course modules include a high-quality high-definition video and outline the various topics in a clear and concise manner.

Please don’t let the fact that the three new courses are free deter you from having a look! We all know the famous saying – “you get what you pay for.” In this case, however, you’ll find that the quality of the free courses matches that of our commercial offerings. Let’s just say that this is one way that we at Zend can give something back to the PHP community.

The three initial free training courses include: 

• Installing PHP - covers setting up a PHP development environment, installing PHP, virtualization, lab setup, and writing your first PHP program
• PHP Basics - covers essential concepts such as PHP scripts, comments, operators, variables and constants, strings, and arrays to equip learners with a solid foundation in PHP programming
• Interactive Web Forms - covers the client/server model, web server fundamentals, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, form processing, security best practices, and data transport and retrieval techniques.

It’s always been a great interest at Zend to spread knowledge of PHP and to contribute to the active and growing PHP community. These three free courses help us in this objective, and we encourage you to check out the new offerings right away!

Free PHP Training Course 1: Installing PHP

Learning how to install PHP is crucial for new PHP developers as it lays the foundation for your journey in web development. By mastering the installation process, you gain an in-depth understanding of PHP's structure, functionality, and compatibility with various web servers and databases. This knowledge not only helps in troubleshooting potential issues but also allows you to build dynamic, data-driven websites and applications efficiently. In short, learning to install PHP is an essential step towards becoming a proficient PHP developer and unlocking a world of opportunities in the web development industry.

The “Installing PHP” training course provides an in-depth exploration of the essential aspects of a PHP development environment, guiding your through the various installation methods and virtualization options available. You gain hands-on experience setting up the necessary labs for practical PHP training, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of the tools and techniques used in modern PHP development. This course is perfect for beginners and seasoned professionals alike.

Register for PHP Intro 1: Installing PHP

View Course Details

Free PHP Training Course 2: PHP Basics

Understanding the basics, such as comments, operators, variables, constants, strings, and arrays, is vital for new PHP developers as these fundamental building blocks form the foundation of PHP programming. Gaining proficiency in these core concepts allows you to write clean, efficient, and well-organized code, which in turn enables you to develop robust and maintainable web applications. By mastering these essentials, you can easily grasp more advanced programming concepts, debug and optimize you code, and ultimately become a more effective and versatile PHP developer in the ever-evolving web development landscape.

The “PHP Basics” training course is designed to empower you with the essential skills required to create dynamic web applications. Throughout the course, you learn how to identify and build PHP scripts, implement best practices for writing clear and maintainable code, and effectively use variables and constants to enhance the flexibility of your programs. Additionally, a strong focus is placed on understanding and utilizing arrays, allowing you to efficiently manage lists of data in your applications.

Register for PHP Intro 2: PHP Basics

View Course Details

Free PHP Training Course 3: Interactive Web Forms

Understanding how to create interactive web forms is vital for businesses as it enables them to efficiently gather data, streamline user input, and improve the overall user experience. This, in turn, contributes to the success and growth of the company by fostering customer loyalty and increasing sales conversions. For a PHP developer, mastering the art of designing and implementing such web forms is a valuable skill that not only enhances your career prospects but also sets you apart from your peers. By creating seamless, user-friendly, and secure web applications, you demonstrate your proficiency in PHP programming and your ability to address the needs of both the company and its customers.

The “Interactive Web Forms” training course provides you with a solid understanding of key aspects of web development, including the creation of dynamic and interactive web forms, the client/server model, and the concepts of "request" and "response." Throughout the course, you explore how PHP and web servers interact, as well as delve into essential PHP security measures to protect your websites against potential attacks. Additionally, the course covers the process of transmitting and receiving web form data using PHP, equipping you with the practical skills needed to confidently develop secure and interactive websites.

Register for PHP Intro 3: Interactive Web Forms

View Course Details

Who Should Take These Courses?

Our PHP training courses are suitable for a wide range of individuals. Those who should attend these courses include:

• Beginners with little or no programming experience, who want to learn web development and understand how to build dynamic websites using server-side scripting languages like PHP. 
• Web developers familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, looking to expand their skillset by learning server-side programming with PHP for creating more interactive and complex web applications. 
• WordPress developers who want to enhance their knowledge of PHP, the core programming language for WordPress development. Understanding PHP will help them create custom themes and plugins. 
• Web designers seeking to broaden their capabilities by learning backend development, enabling them to offer more comprehensive solutions to their clients. 
• Professionals in the IT sector who want to stay up-to-date with the latest web development technologies and techniques, as PHP is used by a significant portion of websites and companies.     
   

Final Thoughts

The fastest way to get up to speed on PHP is by signing up for one of our instructor-led courses. You not only get to interact with a highly skilled instructor, but can also bounce ideas off other attendees. However, we understand that time and budget constraints can get in the way. For this reason we’ve introduced the on-demand online courses based upon the instructor-led ones. If you’re unsure whether or not the on-demand approach works for you, have a look at the free on-demand courses described earlier to get an idea what it’s like.

Ultimately, the best way to learn PHP is to start writing code. Stay tuned to our blog section as we expect to publish a blog shortly on sample PHP projects to get you going. If you are experiencing problems with any existing applications that can’t be addressed through training, please contact our experts today.

Continue Your PHP Learning

Zend offers a wide range of training courses to fit your needs. Start exploring our PHP training courses today.

See PHP Training Options

Additional Resources

• Blog - 5 Steps to Learn PHP Basics
• Blog - A Beginner-Level PHP Tutorial in 6 Steps
• Blog - Hiring PHP Developers vs. PHP Outsourcing vs. Training
• Blog - 3 PHP Beginner Projects for New Developers
• Blog - How to Learn PHP in 2023
• Blog - Object-Oriented Programming Design Basics for PHP Apps
• White Paper - 2024 PHP Landscape Report
• White Paper - The Hidden Costs of PHP Upgrades
• On-Demand Webinar - The 2023 State of PHP Development