An Introduction to PHP: Learn PHP 8 to Create Dynamic Websites

Use PHP to enhance your web pages. This book shows you how PHP programming works, and how to write and organize PHP code. The book starts with steps to download and install a setup for a sample website that will form the basis for upcoming chapters. You start by writing PHP code and learn how to mix it with HTML and manage the code. From there, you will learn about dynamic content, along with a deep dive into form processing and sending email. Saving uploaded data and uploading files is discussed next. You will learn how to configure your PHP project and develop a library. You will then learn how to create an image catalog and manage data on your web page. By the end of the book, you will understand how to work with cookies, sessions, and logging in, followed by an example of creating a simple blog that reiterates the concepts developed in the previous chapters. After reading this book, you will be able to configure, create, and manage your dynamic website. What Will You Learn Know the basics of programming with the PHP language Use PHP to generate dynamic web pages Work with SQL databases Work with forms to upload text data and binary files Use tips and tricks to write clean and maintainable code Who This Book Is For Web developers and students learning to develop and maintain PHP code on their website Table of Contents About the Author About the Technical Reviewers Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction and Setting Up How the Web Works The Sample Project The Tools A Coding Editor Web Server Setup Using the Virtual Hosts Applications Adding the Domain Name Editing the httpd.conf File Adding a Virtual Host Fixing the php.ini File Configuring PHP Setting PHP Options Some Useful Configuration Options PHP Execution File Uploads Legacy Settings Sessions Error Reporting Other Settings Starting Up The Project Configuration Files Finishing Up Chapter 2: Working with PHP Before We Start Grouping: Brackets and Friends Data Types How PHP Processes Files Renaming the Files PHP Scripts Experimenting Adding Dynamic Data to the Page Displaying Data Including Files Preparing and Implementing Include Headings and Titles Including Variables in the Include Files Setting the Title and Heading The Navigation Block The Links Array Creating the List of Links Displaying the Links Highlighting the Current Page Comments Summary Coming Up Chapter 3: Email and Form Processing Preparation The Contact Form The Plan of Attack Reading the Form Data Outlining the Plan Reading the Form Data Preparing the Data Persisting Fields Form Validation JavaScript and HTML5 Validation Planning for Validation Required Fields Checking an Email Address Email Injection Handling the Errors Displaying the Errors The Errors Paragraph Printing Empty Arrays Sending Email with the mail() Function The Main Email Variables The Email Headers The Header Data After Sending the Message Alternative Parts Writing the Conditional Blocks Reorganizing the Code Configuration Moving the Code Summary Coming Up Chapter 4: Uploading Data and Files The Upload Form The File Input Settings Preliminary Coding The Data Variables Processing POSTed Data and Preliminary Validation Image Validation The $_FILES Array Using File Data Checking an Image File Keeping the File The File Name Lower Case Replacing Spaces Defining the Location Moving the File Creating Additional Copies Resized Image Configuration Generating the Resized Copies Tidying Up Clearing the Error Array Clearing the Old Values Summary Coming Up Chapter 5: Working with a Database Something About Databases Running SQL MySQL and PHPMyAdmin Browsing The Setup Page Creating the Database and User Preparing the Images Table Using the Database with PHP Connection Connection String Creating a Connection A Crash Course in Classes and Objects Handling Connection Errors exit or die Adding Options Error Reporting Prepared Statements Setting the PDO Options Using the Alternative Script Summary Coming Up Chapter 6: Adding Data to the Database Connecting to the Database SQL Injection Prepared Statements When to Worry About SQL Injection Adding the Image Data to the Table Line Breaks Creating Line Break Functions The Prepared SQL Statement Executing with Data Retrieving the New ID Modifying the Name Constructing the New Name Zero-Padding a Number Updating the Database Keeping the File and Creating the Resized Copies Refactoring the Code The Function Outline Scope Writing the addImageData() Function Writing the addImageFile() Function Using the Code in the Future Summary Coming Up Chapter 7: File Handling Preparation The ZIP File The CSV File Processing the Uploaded Zip File Checking the Zip File Unzipping the File Reading Text Files Removing the Header Row Splitting CSV Data Importing the Data Checking the MIME Types Checking the Images Finishing Up A Crash Course in HTTP(S) Headers Already Sent Redirecting to the Next Page Starting Over Summary Coming Up Chapter 8: The Image Gallery Preparation Fetching the Thumbnails Fetching from the Database Fetching a Gallery Page Fetching the Rows Generating the Gallery Images Selecting the Page The Navigation Block Remembering the Page Displaying a Larger Image Fetching a Miscellaneous Single Image Selecting a Random Row from the Database Fetching a Selected Image Displaying a Random Image on Other Pages Summary Coming Up Chapter 9: Managing Data The Image Pages The Image List Page Preparatory Code for the Image List Something About HTML Tables Generating the Table Data The Image Editing Page The Prepare Events Fetching the Data to be Edited Adjusting the Image Blocks Adjusting the Buttons Adjusting the Upload Form Disabling Fields for Remove Implementing Update and Delete Deleting Data Updating the Image Data Updating the Text Data Replacing the Image Checking a Checkbox Adding the Checkbox Testing the Checkbox Finishing Touches Clearing the $id when Adding an Image Fixing the Hidden Field Restoring the Images Summary Coming Up Chapter 10: Sessions and Logging In Sessions Session Settings Starting a Session Using Session Data Managing Users Encryption and Hashing Password Hashing in PHP The User Table Adding a User Method 1: Running the SQL Directly Method 2: Adding a Password Using PHPMyAdmin Method 3: Adding an Admin User with the Setup Page Logging In Processing Login Successful Login Switching Between Content Showing the User’s Name Logging Out Restricting Access Summary Coming Up Chapter 11: A Configuration System The ini File Contents Reading an ini File Generating the Configuration Form Generating the Config Table Saving the Configuration Reading the New Values Writing the ini File Using the Configuration Settings Resizing Images Adding Configuration to Administration Summary Coming Up Chapter 12: A Content Management System The Blog Pages The Blog Table Preparatory Blog Code Adding a Single Blog Article Uploading the Optional Image Checking for an Optional Image Keeping the Optional Image Previewing the Image Selecting an Existing Image Selecting an Image from a Menu Processing the Selected Image Previewing the Selected Image Selecting an Image from a Radio Group Choosing Between Buttons and the Menu Redirecting to the Blog List Page Importing Blog Articles Changes to the Insert Code Starting the Import Code Handling the Import File Copying the Blog Import Files Importing the Blog Data Calling a Function with an Array of Parameters Finishing the Import Reading a Blog Article Preliminary Code Getting the Selected Article ID Fetching the Article Fixing the Article Line Breaks Displaying the Blog Image Managing the Blog Articles Building the Article Table Processing the Prepare Events Displaying the Image Finishing the Preparation Updating an Article Deleting an Article The Visitor Blog List Preparatory Code Generating the Blog Article List Summary Appendix A: Adding Markdown to Your Blog Articles The Markdown Language Adding Markdown to the Database Adding a Checkbox to the Form Reading the Markdown Setting Manipulating the Markdown Setting Displaying the Markdown Article Appendix B: Non-PHP Tricks Toggle Background Visible Passwords Required Upload Preview Image Previewing a Referenced Image The File Input Light Box Paging Page Number The Hopping Kangaroo Appendix C: PHP Versions The array() and list() Language Constructs The ... Operator mail() Function Additional Headers Function Data Types Named Parameters Appendix D: Default Library Functions Resizing Images The resizeImage() Function Interpreting the Resize Dimensions Loading the Original Image Getting Information About the Original Image Loading the Image Data Saving the Resized Image Creating the Blank Copy and Copying the Original Copying the Original into the Image Copy Padding Adjustments for Distorted Copies Image Shapes Adjusting the Size and Origin The Complete resizeImage Function (So Far...) Options Omitting the Destination Name Using the Options Array Setting a Background Color Changing the Saved Image Type Setting a Clear Padding Background Trimming the Image Copy Using Named Parameters (PHP 8) Named Parameters in the resizeImage() Function splitSize unzip Function Markdown to HTML Anchors Headings Miscellaneous Functions The MimeType() Function The printr() Function Index