Best Free PHP & MySQL Resources & Tutorials

Many professionals are eager to learn PHP and MySQL but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. The majority of the costs will come from needing upgraded equipment or hosting websites. PHP and MySQL can be downloaded free and manipulated to fit the programmer's needs.

Read on to discover more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn PHP and MySQL.

What is PHP & MySQL?

PHP is a widely used open-source scripting language on the server side of web development. This free and open-source coding language is one of the more accessible coding languages to learn while offering advanced features for professional programmers. The majority of the time, PHP is used for making web servers. One thing that makes PHP simple is that it is platform-independent and can run on any operating system without a problem.

Typically when you work with PHP, you will also work with MySQL as the database management system. MySQL is a structured query language that plays a central role in computing. Instead of storing data in a big storage room, MySQL stores all of the data in separate tables that efficiently tracks and manages all of the data from the websites. You can find that both PHP and MySQL power several of the most accessed web applications, including Facebook, Netflix, Uber, and Twitter. 

Read more about PHP and MySQL and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with PHP & MySQL?

When thinking about what you can do with various programming languages, you'll probably think of the countless websites and web applications you could create; however, with PHP and MySQL, you can do much more. 

You can create dynamic page content by working with a server-side programming language. Many programmers working with PHP and MySQL work with ecommerce and WordPress themes. You can write the script for and create desktop applications. However, these are things that other programming languages can accomplish as well. PHP is great for web security as you can easily set up user authentication and two-step verification with PHP. This security trick will allow your websites to use the cornerstones of web security with a few simple steps. You have easy database connectivity, which is why you often see PHP paired with MySQL. 

With PHP, you can implement real-time applications like chats, bots, social networks, and games into your website. To do this, you need to create the application using a different language, then use local PHP back end code to implement it into the website. However, these are just a few things you can accomplish with PHP; the more familiar you become with the language, the more you will be able to accomplish.

Interactive Tutorials

One of the easiest ways to learn how to code with any language is to start coding right away. With interactive PHP tutorials, you can work your way through the basics of PHP in a simulated environment. Interactive tutorials provide a way to learn the basics and start practicing without enrolling in a class. Students can explore the limitations of the language without taking any risks on an actual website or application. You can become confident and comfortable with the language before investing money into hosting a website or application. 

Noble Desktop provides videos on various programming languages on its YouTube channel. You can find thousands of reliable PHP and MySQL tutorials on YouTube. You can watch these videos as you work your way through the interactive tutorials to help nail down difficult concepts. Both options are free and can provide you with a place to explore to code as you wish. You should ensure that you are watching up-to-date information, as new information about the languages can come out anytime. 

Read more about other ways to learn PHP and MySQL online.

Key Insights

• PHP and MySQL are open-source and free to use.
• With a large community, you have various free resources to start learning both languages.
• Using interactive tutorials can help you learn basics and increase learning speeds. 

Learn Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides various web development classes that meet various scheduling needs and learning styles. No matter which class you enroll in, you’ll learn from expert instructors in small intimate classes. Any students can attend in-person training at Noble's Manhattan campus or remotely from anywhere worldwide. In addition to the courses, students can retake the course within of year of completion for no additional charge, giving them more time to hone their skills.

For those interested in beginning their web development journey, Noble offers a short Intro to WordPress for Developers course that covers the basics of PHP. This course covers how WordPress Themes work and how to develop and upload them onto a live site. For a more in-depth look into web development through WordPress, consider the WordPress Bootcamp. This course goes more in-depth on how to use HTML, CSS, and PHP to develop websites for WordPress. 

If you want a general overview of PHP and MySQL, you can take the PHP and MySQL bootcamp course. In this course, you learn the fundamentals of both PHP and MySQL. Before taking this course, you should have some basic knowledge of HTML and CSS. 

Those interested in learning other back end web development languages to start their web development career should consider enrolling in the JavaScript Development Certificate course or the Python Developer Certificate course. Both courses go in-depth into each language. After learning PHP and MySQL, you should consider learning JavaScript and Python, as you will encounter them throughout your programming career. Having each of these languages on your programming toolbelt with help jumpstart your web development career!