How to learn

[conradk]

Hello,

What do you think would be the easiest way to learn PHP and OO PHP: learning to use framework such as Zend or CakePHP, trying to build my own classes ? Maybe something else ?

I have lots of time to spend on PHP (+- 5 hours a day). I know the basics, but I would like to get into more advanced stuff. When I see professionnally made programms, I'm always impressed by how well everything is organised, how much use of all the PHP features is made... How do you get there ? How can you learn such things ? Read code from well made PHP applications ?

I have time to spend on PHP but don't know how to spend it. So I end up just playing BFBC2 ... help me change things

Thanks for your help.
CK

[jacek]

I have time to spend on PHP but don't know how to spend it. So I end up just playing BFBC2 ... help me change things

I have a similar problem with Minecraft

The best way to learn, in my opinion anyway, is just by having a go. It's like a spoken language, you can learn form a book or in a classroom in a year but if you just go to the country you will pick it up in about a week.

Set yourself something to try and make, have a go and see how far you can get. If it turns out to be crap just delete it and try again, or keep changing things until it's good.

As for layout or code and stuff, that is generally up to the developer, there are some standard methods you can use but as long as you keep the logic-ey code separate from the display-ey code it will be fine. It is also mostly common sense, if you had a mysql class for example, you would not add a method that validates an email address, simply because it does not fit.

[conradk]

Ok, thanks, well I'll work on a form builder class "type thingy", as you would probably say

I actually have bought Minecraft too, when it was at version 1.3 or something. Have kind of stopped playing it though. Do you play online with some kind of a team, or on your own ? I find that playing alone can quickly get boring.

[jacek]

I actually have bought Minecraft too, when it was at version 1.3 or something.

I have had it since 1.0 ish

Do you play online with some kind of a team, or on your own ? I find that playing alone can quickly get boring.

I know what you mean about single player, I tend to use that as creative mode (flying + inventory cheating) to just build cool things. Hopefully 1.8 update will change that though.

I mostly play online (we have a forum SMP server ), that is no cheating and as close to the vanilla server as I can make it without being too crap. There are 4 active players and about 12 people on the whitelist, we tend to just do separate things though, starting to build up quite a nice town actually

"type thingy", as you would probably say

I do say that a lot.

[nyo]

For me the best way to learn is actually trying to accomplish something. For example, I recently started building a website from scratch and I can say that I learned a lot in the process. There are many many more things that I want to add to my site to improve it and I will learn them in the process. It wouldn't have been such charming to learn PHP if I didn't start working on a website.