Topic awaiting preservation: Ok...so I know nothing so far....

As it would be said...I do have some experience with programming, but nothing for the web. In my younger days I was pretty good with programming in Turbo Pascal, but that's as far as my programming experience goes. So, from that...

Where would you masters of the written code recommend I start to learn PHP?

And for that matter what can I use to test if my code works (since I obviously don't have a spare web server handy)?

Skaarjj: Woooooo Pascal!! Although I'd fiddled with Basic (quite a bit) and machine code it was Pascal where I really got the coding bug (that was 13-14 years ago now though ).

So where to start?

Always a good introduction is WarMage's template tutorials:
www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/php/phptemplate/phptemplate.html

but the better way is to have an aim and then learn to code towards that - sitting down to learn a language, while possible, is less fun. So what do you want to do today???

On the testing front:

:FAQ:

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

well, I've installed 'foxserv' (er), a complete package of apache, mysql and php for my local windows machine. Bit of a hazzle to set the apache config file up, but works like a charme.


As for the coding aspect:
-php manual is the place to start. The resource number one. PHP has more build in functions than the average computer consultant ;-). So make sure you learn some of them.
-Write. A Lot. Read. Even More. Holler, if you want to have a peek at my 'current' project (you know what I'm talking'bout)

so long,

Tyberius Prime

Yeah - warmage's tutorial is a good basic introduction. It doesn't go very far, but that's the idea.

Gets you to realize that there are a lot of pretty simple things, and that it's easy to get started.

Then of course the Manual is simply a fantastic thing. I've never seen any sort of documentation for *anything* that was as helpful and informative as the PHP manual.

Then of course there's the asylum. Any question you have, someone here can either answer it or point you to a resource that will.

The most important part, as has been said, is to get out there and write!

Have a goal, and figure out how to accomplish it. It's a wonderful feeling. Being new to it myself, I can attest to how reltaively easy and satisfying it is when you pull off your first couple of projects. Not to say there isn't plenty of time spent pulling your hair out...

Thanks for this guys. It's this kind of practical, straight-forward advice that makes me remember why I love the asylum so much.