Free PHP Tutorial from FreeCodeCamp

mouakter13 · Post by **mouakter13** » Thu Feb 20, 2025 5:24 am

For beginner programmers and those just diving into WordPress development , PHP is one of the best places to start. It is a very simple and straightforward language, making it one of the best programming languages to learn. , so it's fairly easy to get into, and it forms the backbone of online development. Plus, if you want to work on the backend of WordPress, you'll definitely need to learn it.

But what if you don't want to spend months or years on expensive college courses? Instead, you could take the first step into web development today. There are hundreds of free and paid PHP tutorials available. tutorials that can help you dive in, and we've rounded up over 20 of the best ones for you.

There's something here for everyone, from good old-fashioned DIY documentation to guided tutorials and interactive courses with games and exercises to help you master your skills. Whatever your learning method, you'll find a course to suit you.

It takes a lot of work to master PHP, but with a little online guidance, you can practice your skills and start writing your own code in no time.

Why Learn PHP?
PHP is a scripting language that is primarily used to create dynamic web pages. You'll see PHP doing things like generating interactive content, collecting form data, sending information to visitors, and authenticating users. It's also the backbone of WordPress and its plugins, which add all sorts of unique functionality to the CMS. You can do almost anything with PHP.

It is also generally very easy to master and a good starter language for new developments. If you have programming knowledge, you should learn it. But even beginners will not have much trouble navigating the beginnings of PHP.

And if you're diving into WordPress development , PHP is a necessity. It's required for modifying WordPress or writing themes and plugins, and it's the core of the entire CMS. HTML, CSS , and JavaScript are also languages to consider, but none are as integral to WordPress as PHP.

The last reason to learn PHP: Like other programming languages, it has a huge community and a ton of free resources. That means you have plenty of places to turn to ask for help, exchange ideas, and download free software or find useful guides.

On that note, let’s dive into these PHP tutorials you can find online.

Top 15 Free PHP Tutorials for Beginners
If you can't afford courses or just want to try out PHP to see how you like it, free PHP tutorials are a great place to start. Free doesn't always mean low quality - there are plenty of free tutorials out there that are just as good (or even better) than some paid lessons. Many developers say that free online resources are so good that you may not even need to buy premium courses!

Each of these websites offers a unique way to learn PHP. Start here, and if you need more guidance, you can move on to the paid PHP tutorials below.

1. Official PHP Manual
Official PHP Manual
Official PHP Manual
Where better to start than with the official documentation from the creators of PHP? This guide takes you through everything from an introduction to PHP to how to install it and understand basic syntax. It's a wonderful first read, especially if you're already used to programming documentation.

The only problem with this is that while it covers some advanced features, it can only take you so far. It's also pretty straightforward and to the point, which is great for some, but total beginners might benefit more from a guided tutorial.

Check out the documentation and read through a few sections. See how it works for you. For many, a reference manual and lots of self-guided practice is the best way to learn.

2. W3Schools PHP Tutorial
W3Schools PHP Tutorial
W3Schools PHP Tutorial
W3Schools is a great resource for beginner web developers of any age. Their guides are very simple and easy to follow, plus there are plenty of references and examples to look at and plenty of exercises and tests egypt phone number data to help you memorize PHP. You can even get certified online with W3Schools.

If you ever want to learn a new programming language and are

3. PHP: The Right Way
PHP the right way
PHP by The Right Way
Like every programming language, PHP has best practices that you should follow. If you don't, your code will be slow and clunky, and maybe even break entirely. PHP: The Right WayIt tells you all the programming standards that may not be obvious to new developers.

It's not a beginner's tutorial that will guide you step by step, but it's still worth reading to create quality code.

FreeCodeCamp.org
FreeCodeCamp.org
If you enjoy watching video tutorials, this five-hour long session is perfect for you. The complete course covers all the fundamentals of PHP in depth, showing you everything you need to know from the very beginning.

Spend an afternoon on this, and you'll come away a beginner PHP programmer. If you've already studied a bit of PHP and want to get a jump start, you can jump to any section by clicking on the timestamps in the description.