Memorizing

[gfx25]

Anyone have some tips on memorizing HyperText Processor? So far the only thing I can do is echo out text without having to search online for something

[Lugubrious]

My tip is that you should just keep doing projects and make sure you understand what each line does. Eventually you will just know it. I used to have to look up a lot of stuff but it has gone to heart by now. I think it works for any language. Just keep doing projects and make sure you're not just copying and pasting, but understanding.

[Bob]

Jun 27, 2010 9:40:40 GMT -8 @gfx25 said:

Anyone have some tips on memorizing HyperText Processor? So far the only thing I can do is echo out text without having to search online for something

So first off, and this is just me being picky, but it's not Hypertext Preprocessor. It's a recursive initialism, so it's literally PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.

But anyways, back on point: nobody here can tell you how to learn a language. Everybody learns a different way. All I can tell you is not to try and memorize the language functions but to learn the language as a whole. PHP.net's documentation isn't going anywhere should you have to ever look up a function.

Read books and tutorials. Write a simple application and then compare yours to a downloaded version. Read through PHP.net's documentation thoroughly (it's honestly one of the best documentations you'll ever find for a language).

[Bennett 🚀]

Well, you should memorize like $_POST, $_GET, $_SERVER, $_COOKIE, $_SESSION stuff.. more of the first through 3rd. last 2 are for more complex things.

If you know javascript, PHP isn't much of a step up. I picked it up quickly. And if you put it on a webpage, it will show you your errors!

[gfx25]

Jun 28, 2010 10:12:11 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

Well, you should memorize like $_POST, $_GET, $_SERVER, $_COOKIE, $_SESSION stuff.. more of the first through 3rd. last 2 are for more complex things.

If you know javascript, PHP isn't much of a step up. I picked it up quickly. And if you put it on a webpage, it will show you your errors!

For me PHP is is much easier for to learn, yesterday I learned how to work with Variables

<?php

$var = "Get"
echo = $var

?>
Or something to that still trying to memorize where to put my ;

Also

<?php

echo: "Hello World";

?>

Why is this showing as a line error on my server?

[Bennett 🚀]

First of all:
<?php
$var = "Get";
echo $var;
?>

Second of all, there is no colon.

<?php
echo "Hello world!";
?>

[Bob]

Jun 28, 2010 10:12:11 GMT -8 Bennett 🚀 said:

Well, you should memorize like $_POST, $_GET, $_SERVER, $_COOKIE, $_SESSION stuff.. more of the first through 3rd. last 2 are for more complex things.

If you know javascript, PHP isn't much of a step up. I picked it up quickly. And if you put it on a webpage, it will show you your errors!

To be fair, none of the reserved variables are any more complicated than the rest so long as you actually understand what they are: associative arrays. That's it- they're simply arrays.

$_GET: Variables passed via the GET method (think URL: ?id=20).
$_POST: Variables passed via the POST method (instead of encoded into the URL this is sent in a message body).
$_COOKIE: Surprise surprise: any cookie belonging to the domain.
$_REQUEST: All request variables, aka $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE all in one.

$_SESSION: Much like $_COOKIE except sessions.

$_SERVER: Data pertinent to the server and various data contained in HTTP headers.
$_ENV: Data pertinent to the actual operating system. For example, the location of your operating system's temp. directory or its PATH variable.

$_FILES: Any files uploaded via the POST method.

[Charles Stover]

Jun 27, 2010 9:40:40 GMT -8 @gfx25 said:

Anyone have some tips on memorizing HyperText Processor? So far the only thing I can do is echo out text without having to search online for something

Preprocessor.

There are three things you need to know and do in order to help with remembering. Ready? Write this down.
The three things are: repetition, repetition, repetition.

Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.

Practice, and you'll start remembering.

[Michael]

I concur with repetition - and instead of copying coding, try to write your own - break it - then try to fix it... then get help & make sure you understand it!

[Bennett 🚀]

Going off what Michael/Wrighty said, have someone else break it so you don't know immediately what is wrong with it.

[Charles Stover]

Yeah, breaking your own code didn't make much sense to me.

But I strongly concur with NEVER copying someone else's code, unless you know damn well you were capable of writing it in its entirety on your own without referencing it (at which point it would have become a convenience).
Otherwise, type it while referencing it, making sure you understand every function and action.