How Difficult is it to Learn PHP & MySQL?

Have you considered learning PHP and MySQL but are worried that learning these, like other programming languages, might be difficult? Of course, there is always difficulty that comes with learning a new skill; however, the difficulty level is subjective. Learning PHP and MySQL is easier if you have previous coding experience, learn faster, code as you learn, and select a learning method that works for you.

Whatever your current schedule or comfort level with PHP and MySQL is, plenty of tools and resources are available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What is PHP & MySQL?

PHP is a widely used open-source scripting language on the server side of web development. This free and open-source coding language is one of the more accessible coding languages to learn while offering advanced features for professional programmers. The majority of the time, PHP is used for making web servers. One thing that makes PHP simple is that it is platform-independent and can run on any operating system without a problem.

Typically when you work with PHP, you will also work with MySQL as the database management system. MySQL is a structured query language that plays a central role in computing. Instead of storing data in a big storage room, MySQL stores all of the data in separate tables that efficiently tracks and manages all of the data from the websites. You can find that both PHP and MySQL power several of the most accessed web applications, including Facebook, Netflix, Uber, and Twitter. 

Read more about PHP and MySQL and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with PHP & MySQL?

When thinking about what you can do with various programming languages, you'll probably think of the countless websites and web applications you could create; however, with PHP and MySQL, you can do much more. 

You can create dynamic page content by working with a server-side programming language. Many programmers working with PHP and MySQL work with e-commerce and WordPress themes. You can write the script for and create desktop applications. However, these are things that other programming languages can accomplish as well. PHP is great for web security as you can easily set up user authentication and two-step verification with PHP. This security trick will allow your websites to use the cornerstones of web security with a few simple steps. You have easy database connectivity, which is why you often see PHP paired with MySQL. 

With PHP, you can implement real-time applications like chats, bots, social networks, and games into your website. To do this, you need to create the application using a different language, then use local PHP back end code to implement it into the website. However, these are just a few things you can accomplish with PHP; the more familiar you become with the language, the more you will be able to accomplish.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning PHP & MySQL?

Learning coding languages always brings challenges; gaining PHP and MySQL skills is the same. You may encounter some of these most common challenges when learning and working with PHP and MySQL, especially as a beginner. 

• Properly securing SQL code. Many will treat security as an afterthought. This lack of attention will allow the script to be vulnerable to attacks. To avoid this, security always needs to be in your mind. You can utilize the power of prepared statements. These make it easy to throw the quick script in for security. 
• Overuse of Error Suppression. When first learning PHP, you may not realize that there are multiple different error levels. You will discover ways to prevent these warning messages from popping up. New programmers commonly overuse error suppression to prevent every little problem that may pop up. However, doing so will leave the web application vulnerable and unreliable. While you want to avoid being overwhelmed with the number of error messages that may pop up, when starting, it is better to look at all of them so you can learn which ones to suppress and which need to fix. 
• Removing Development Configuration. One common missed step when learning PHP is removing the Development Configurations while still in the staging environment before deploying the site. Forgetting to do this can lead to bugs and glitches throughout the site or applications. You can set a reminder as you approach the time you plan to launch the application or site to remember to remove this before the launch to avoid any unnecessary disasters.

How Does Learning PHP & MySQL Compare to Other Languages?

If you are interested in entering the web development field, you may wonder what other languages you need to know or where you should start. With web development, you will need to know various languages to be successful. One of those languages is Python. 

Python is a general-purpose language that is in high demand. Those who use Python typically use it to develop applications, create machine learning algorithms, automate tasks, and analyze and visualize data. This open-source language emphasizes readable and efficient code while remaining flexible and scalable. Python has developed multiple frameworks and libraries to perform different tasks that allow it to be more flexible and efficient. 

Most commonly, Python is used for Data Science as it can quickly analyze and visualize data sets. Data Scientists find ease in Python as the language is simple to learn and use. One will also see Python used in machine learning, software development, and automation. With Python, one can explore several different avenues as a programmer.

Read about what Python is and how to learn it. 

Learn Despite Challenges

Although PHP and MySQL are simple to learn, they still offer challenges. However, many challenges you will face are not particular to PHP and MySQL but rather all languages. 

Choosing a simple language to learn first allows you to face these challenges in a more forgiving environment. You will learn how to overcome these challenges, making learning other languages easier. Each language will present its own set of challenges. However, the more you work with a language, the easier those challenges are to overcome. Working with a forgiving syntax first will allow you to make mistakes and figure out how to troubleshoot without completely messing up your script. 

Practice eliminates challenges

The best and most reliable way to overcome challenges is to continue working with and practicing with the programming languages. The more familiar and comfortable you are with any programming language will help out in any troubleshooting you may have to do. The more you practice, you learn to recognize when to use error suppression and when to fix certain areas of the script. The more you work on launching apps or websites, the more you will become familiar with adding in the extra layer of security and removing the development configurations you use in the staging environment. As you become more familiar with PHP and MySQL, they may seem less intimidating, and the challenges will be easier to manage. 

Learn Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides various web development classes that meet various scheduling needs and learning styles. No matter which class you enroll in, you’ll learn from expert instructors in small intimate classes. Any students can attend in-person training at Noble's Manhattan campus or remotely from anywhere worldwide. In addition to the courses, students can retake the course within of year of completion for no additional charge, giving them more time to hone their skills.

For those interested in beginning their web development journey, Noble offers a short Intro to WordPress for Developers course that covers the basics of PHP. This course covers how WordPress Themes work and how to develop and upload them onto a live site. For a more in-depth look into web development through WordPress, consider the WordPress Bootcamp. This course goes more in-depth on how to use HTML, CSS, and PHP to develop websites for WordPress. 

If you want a general overview of PHP and MySQL, you can take the PHP and MySQL bootcamp course. In this course, you learn the fundamentals of both PHP and MySQL. Before taking this course, you should have some basic knowledge of HTML and CSS. 

Those interested in learning other back end web development languages to start their web development career should consider enrolling in the JavaScript Development Certificate course or the Python Developer Certificate course. Both courses go in-depth into each language. After learning PHP and MySQL, you should consider learning JavaScript and Python, as you will encounter them throughout your programming career. Having each of these languages on your programming toolbelt with help jumpstart your web development career!