What will you learn in the PHP Programming Basics course?

In the PHP Programming Basics course you learn to build dynamic web pages with PHP independently. You work with variables, data types, operators and loops, create web forms and use cookies and sessions. You also design a database and set up the link with MySQL. You finish with a practical case in which you build a simple webshop.

Do you need prior knowledge for the PHP Programming Basics course?

No programming experience is required for the PHP Programming Basics course. It is useful to be familiar with HTML, however, because PHP scripts often run within HTML pages. Basic knowledge of working with a text editor and files on your computer is enough to get started smoothly. Do you already have experience with another scripting language? Then you will pick up the material even faster.

How long is the PHP Programming Basics course and what is the delivery format?

You take the PHP Programming Basics course in the open learning format and it lasts one day. You work independently on assignments at your own pace, with an experienced trainer in the room who helps you straight away if you have questions. This delivery format is ideal if you want to learn flexibly and practise specific topics such as web forms, MySQL connections and a simple webshop.

Do you receive a certificate after the PHP Programming Basics course?

Yes, on completion of the PHP Programming Basics course you will receive a certificate of participation from Learnit. This certificate confirms that you have mastered the basics of PHP, including variables, loops, web forms, sessions and connecting a MySQL database. You can use the certificate to demonstrate your skills to employers or clients.

What software do you need for the PHP Programming Basics course?

For the PHP Programming Basics course you need a local PHP development environment, such as XAMPP or WAMP, containing Apache, PHP and MySQL. During the course you learn to install and configure this environment. You also work with a code editor of your choice, for example Visual Studio Code or PhpStorm. At the course location everything is ready at your workstation, so you do not need to install anything in advance.

Who is the PHP Programming Basics course suitable for?

The PHP Programming Basics course is suitable for anyone who wants to build dynamic websites with PHP independently. Think of web designers who want to make their HTML/CSS pages interactive, beginning web developers, hobbyists with their own project and IT professionals who want to expand their skills. You will learn to work with forms, sessions and a MySQL database, so that you can then build applications yourself.

When do you choose the open learning format of PHP Programming Basics instead of self-study via online tutorials?

Self-study using free tutorials works perfectly well if you are able to keep going in a structured way and know which topics to tackle in which order. The open learning format is a better choice if you want to talk things through with an experienced trainer as soon as you get stuck, for example when debugging a script or designing a MySQL database link. You work through the course material independently over a full course day, at your own pace, but with immediate guidance when you have questions. That speeds up the learning process, particularly on topics where tutorials often remain superficial: sessions and cookies, error handling, and setting up a working development environment. You finish with a case in which you build a simple webshop, so that you have genuinely applied the separate elements together.

What is the difference between PHP and JavaScript if you are just starting out in web development?

PHP and JavaScript run in different places. PHP is a server-side scripting language: the code is executed on the web server before the page goes to the visitor. JavaScript, by contrast, runs client-side, in the visitor's own browser. That is why you use PHP for things that need access to your database, files or sensitive logic, such as logging in, processing forms or saving a webshop order in MySQL. You use JavaScript for interaction within the page itself, such as buttons, animations and validation without reloading. In this course you learn the server side: variables, loops, handling forms, sessions, database links and building a simple webshop. If you later want to create a complete web application, you combine both languages, with PHP as the engine behind the scenes.

How does PHP compare to more modern back-end languages such as Node.js or Python if you want to start with server-side programming now?

PHP runs on an estimated 70% of all websites with a known server-side language, including WordPress, Drupal and Magento. That makes PHP a practical choice if you want to find work in web development or maintain existing sites. Node.js uses JavaScript on the server and is stronger for real-time applications such as chat or streaming. Python is more often chosen for data analysis, scripting and machine learning. PHP remains the standard for classic website back ends with database connections, forms and content management. In the basics course you learn to install a PHP development environment, use variables and loops, build web forms and connect a MySQL database. You finish with a simple webshop as a practical case. Choose PHP if you want to be quickly deployable for websites and CMS work. Choose Node.js or Python if you are heading towards apps or data.

Can you build a working connection to a MySQL database independently after the PHP basics course?

Yes, creating a link with a MySQL database is a fixed part of the PHP Programming Basics course. You learn to design a database, connect to it from PHP and read and write data. In the final case you build a simple webshop in which that database link comes together with web forms, sessions and file processing. After the course you can independently set up a form-driven application that reads and writes data to MySQL. For production-grade applications with security hardening, prepared statements at senior level and performance tuning, you will need follow-up knowledge. The basics course covers the foundation: design, connection, CRUD operations and debugging of common errors. That allows you to get started on your own projects straight away and build further on a working foundation.

How well does the PHP basics course fit in with working with a CMS such as WordPress or Drupal?

The course focuses on plain PHP, not on a specific CMS. Even so, it gives you a useful basis for working with WordPress, Drupal or Joomla. Those systems are written in PHP, and their themes, templates and plug-ins consist largely of PHP code. After the basics you will understand variables, loops, conditions, functions and database calls via MySQL. That allows you to adapt a WordPress template, add a simple custom function to functions.php, or see what a plug-in does technically. To build complete plug-ins or advanced themes you will also need knowledge of the CMS-specific APIs (hooks, filters, template hierarchy). The course is therefore a logical stepping stone, not a replacement for a separate WordPress or Drupal course.

Is PHP still relevant to learn in 2025 or is it an outdated language?

In 2025, PHP is still one of the most widely used server-side languages on the web. Around 75% of all websites with a known server-side language run on PHP, largely because WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento and Shopware are built on PHP. Modern PHP versions (8.x) support typed properties, named arguments and JIT compilation, which puts the language close to languages such as Python or Node.js in terms of speed and structure. For anyone working with existing websites, CMS systems or web hosting environments, knowledge of PHP is immediately applicable. For new greenfield projects, teams sometimes opt for Node.js or Python, but in maintenance and bespoke development situations PHP remains dominant. The basics course reflects this current practice and covers the fundamentals that recur in every PHP project.

PHP Programming Basics course

Name: PHP Programming Basics
Price: 1875.0 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 8.2 (10 reviews)

Do you want to build dynamic and interactive websites? With PHP you create the link between your site and a database. In this basics course you will work with web forms, MySQL connections and even your own web shop. Practical and immediately applicable.

Description

In this PHP Programming Basics course you lay the foundation for building dynamic and interactive websites. You work with PHP, a powerful open source scripting language that makes the connection between a website and a database possible.

You start by setting up your own development environment and writing your first scripts. Next you get to work with variables, data types, operators and loops. You learn to build web forms, work with cookies and sessions, and read and write files. You also design a database and create a connection with MySQL.

Using practical examples and a closing case in which you build a simple webshop, you get to grips with the basic principles of PHP. After this course you can develop small PHP applications independently and trace simple errors in your code.

Topics

Installing a PHP development environment
Writing your first own script
Working with variables and data types
Using operators and loops
Building web forms
Using cookies and sessions
Opening and writing files with PHP
Designing a database and connecting it to MySQL
Tracing errors and debugging
Practical case: building a simple webshop

Result

After this course you will have mastered the basics of PHP and be able to build dynamic web pages independently. You will write your own scripts, work with variables, operators and loops, and create web forms that process data. You will set up a connection to a MySQL database, use cookies and sessions, and read and write files with PHP. You will also know how to trace and debug errors. To finish, you will have built a simple web shop, showing that you can apply the techniques you have learned in combination.

Target audience

This course is suitable for anyone who wants to learn to program with PHP. Whether you are a web designer who wants to make your sites more interactive, or a beginning developer who wants to master the basics of a widely used scripting language: here you lay a solid foundation. Some experience with HTML is useful, but not a requirement.

Teaching method

You take this course in our open learning format, a flexible one-day course in which you work through the material at your own pace. An experienced trainer is present all day to answer your questions and help you on your way whenever you get stuck. You work a great deal with practical assignments, so that you apply what you have learned immediately. This approach means you really learn PHP by doing, and you receive personal guidance on the points where you need it.

Prior knowledge

You do not need any programming experience to start this course. A basic knowledge of HTML is useful, as PHP is often combined with web pages. Beyond that, some experience with computers and working in a text editor is enough to keep up.

Comments

You take this course in our open learning format: you work through assignments independently at your own pace, with an experienced trainer in the room to help you as soon as you get stuck. That way you decide where to spend extra time.

Course format

This training is offered on the basis of our Open Learning teaching method. This means that you work independently, with active guidance from our trainer, to master the material. That way you can achieve your learning objectives at your own pace, without being held back by fellow participants working faster or slower. The trainer makes sure that you stay on schedule and meet your learning objectives. This form of learning leaves room for a tailored approach. You have the opportunity to bring in examples from your own practice and IT environment, so that your learning is even more specific. more...

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

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Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.

Number of days:

3 days

Course times:

from 10 am to 5 pm

Study load:

21 hours

Education level:

This training is suitable for all levels.

Exemptions:

Exemptions do not apply to this course.

Preparation time:

No preparation time applies to this course.

Certificate:

At the end of the course, a certificate is issued as proof of participation.

The best training for you

At Learnit you will always find a course that takes you further. From (technical) IT skills to communication or personal leadership. You can also choose the training format that suits you best: a classroom course, a tailor-made course at your own office, an online course or an e-learning. We have the right course and the right format for everyone. Because learning in the way that suits you best delivers the best results.

Moving forward together

Taking a training course at Learnit means learning together. Together with your experienced trainer, together with your course group or together with your colleagues. And whether you take the training at home, at your office or at one of our training locations, we are always available to help you. To share our knowledge with you in a way that is genuinely useful to you. Getting further together through personal attention and understanding each other well; that is what we believe in.

Apply it directly in your work

Learning theory from a book that you can then hardly use in your work? Not at Learnit! Whichever training you take with us, you can put it to use at your workplace straight away. Because of the unique learning objectives you set together with the trainer at the start of the training. Because of the alternation between theory and (interactive) practical assignments. And by bringing the challenges you face in your daily work along to the training.

PHP Programming Basics course