On Jul 18, 2013, at 12:28 PM, Daniel Brown <danbrown@xxxxxxx> wrote: > On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 3:08 PM, php colos <phpcolos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> Hello world! >> >> I'm trying to learn PHP ( first programming language that I learn) and >> I feel kinda lost. I've read PHP programming 3rd edition( O'reilly), >> 'getting good with PHP' by Andrew Burgees and some tutorials on the >> internet but can't code something more complex than 'hello world'. >> >> >> I do understand functions/values/operators/control structures, etc but >> as I said, I feel that I can't use the language. >> Am I reading the wrong books for a beginner? >> >> Any advices? >> >> >> >> *Apologies if this email might seem confusing. :) > > Perhaps I'm biased, but I think other folks will agree --- the > official documentation is your best source of learning second only to > your own experiences with the language. Check through the user notes > as well, as they often provide very valuable insight and other > developers' personal experiences. > > -- I completely agree with Daniel that the online PHP documentation is the best way to understand the language. However, It seems our OP does not understand how to program. The php docs don't help with that. If you really don't understand what programming is useful for, perhaps this is the wrong thing to be learning. That said, what programming is for is to solve problems, provide tools, and provide means for people to communicate with each other and get work done via the computer and the internet. So, key, #1 thing: have a problem to solve. While saying you understand various aspects of the language, I would say you cannot understand them until you actually put them to use, break things, learn how to fix them, and finally, teach someone else how to use them. Almost every text, learning site, and documentation discusses how to write a program or application in the language or using the framework. Very, very few teach the essence of solving problems. Even the classics, such as Knuth's, Djyktra's, Wurth's, and so on, describe ways to solve particular problems. Patterns books describe how to structure solutions, but not actually how to solve problems in a general sense. -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
