Starting to Program in PHP |
Second generation languages , also known as Assembly language. This was an attempt to simplify the process of creating programs by using symbols and abbreviations to create sequences of instructions. An assembly was used to translate a completed assembly program into machine code required by the computer. This programming language however seemed to be too slow and required programmers to memorize the commands and abbreviations. |
Third generation languages Are sometimes called high level languages. They provide a more natural means of develop programs by enabling users to create programs made out of English-like statements. Languages such as Cobol, C++, Java, Visual Basic, PHP and others.
Fourth generation languages - Were developed to allow non-technical users to develop applications.
If you are just starting out learning PHP, I assume that you have already downloaded a PHP compiler or Integrated Development Environment and a Web server. If you have not already done so, you can get the compiler from PHP Compiler download and Apache web server from Apache web server download and install those two on your computer. You might also want to read the user manuals.
Your first PHP Program
before you start coding, here are some things you need to know about the structure of a PHP proram:
- PHP code must be enclosed between the following tags
<?php and ?>
- Every variable name must be preceded by $ symbol to indicate it is a variable
- Use the phase “echo M” or “print (M)” when you want to display something on the screen. Where M denotes the string to be printed
- Every php statement ends with a semicolon.
For now, all you need to know is those and you should do just fine. Now here is your first code:
<?php
echo “Hello world! I am new here…”;
?>
Alternatively, if you configured your server to execute short PHP tags, you could use the following tags:<?
echo “Hello world! I am new here…”;
?>
This little program should display the following text in your browser:Hello world! I am new here…
In the next few postings, we will look at a more advanced piece of code.