PHP Glob() Function With Examples
This tutorial will help you enrich your skills in programming by learning how to use the PHP glob() function. The topic not only discusses what is glob() function but also …
PHP Tutorial
PHP powers ~80% of websites with server-side code, WordPress, Facebook (originally), Wikipedia, Slack admin, and the vast majority of Philippine BSIT capstones. This hub collects free PHP tutorials from “hello world” through PDO database integration, sessions and authentication, Laravel and CodeIgniter frameworks, and REST API patterns.
What you’ll learn in the PHP tutorial series
Beginner basics: variables, arrays, conditionals, loops, functions
Form handling: GET/POST processing, validation, sanitization
MySQL database integration: connecting, querying, prepared statements (PDO + mysqli)
Sessions and authentication: login systems, password hashing with bcrypt
Object-Oriented PHP: classes, inheritance, namespaces, autoloading
Frameworks: Laravel (modern), CodeIgniter (lightweight)
REST API patterns: JSON responses, routing, status codes, JWT auth
Security essentials: SQL injection prevention, XSS, CSRF tokens
Why PHP is still the #1 BSIT capstone language
In the Philippines, PHP + MySQL remains the most defensible capstone stack: (1) universal hosting: every cPanel shared host supports it, (2) panels are familiar with PHP code patterns, (3) massive open-source ecosystem including WordPress, Laravel, and Symfony, (4) easy deployment from local XAMPP to live shared hosting. PHP 8.x has modern features (named arguments, enums, readonly properties) that match newer languages.
Recommended PHP development setup
XAMPP or Laragon: local PHP + MySQL + Apache stack (free)
PHP 8.2+ (current stable as of 2026)
VS Code with PHP Intelephense extension
Composer for package management
Postman or Insomnia for API testing
phpMyAdmin for database GUI (bundled with XAMPP)
Related PHP resources
PHP Projects, 300+ downloadable PHP capstones
Laravel Projects, modern PHP framework
CodeIgniter Projects, lightweight PHP framework
MySQL Projects, database integration
AJAX Projects, modern PHP + JS integration
Scroll down to browse the full PHP tutorial catalog ↓
PHP Echo Array with Example
The PHP echo array topic is best for beginners in PHP programming and anyone who wants to learn the basics of output display in a program. However, if you are …
PHP Strlen With Program Example
Definition and Usage PHP has a built-in function called strlen() that tells us the length of a string. It takes a string as an argument and returns the length of …
PHP Chmod Dir Function With Examples
What is PHP chmod? PHP chmod() is a built-in function of the language that is useful for changing the mode of a specific file. This function can change the mode …
PHP Strip Tags With Best Example
Definition and Usage of PHP strip_tags The strip_tags() function is a built-in PHP function used to strip HTML and PHP tags from a string. This function returns a string that …
PHP Fgetcsv (With Advanced Program Examples)
What is PHP fgetcsv? The PHP fgetcsv() is a function used to read or parse the CSV (Comma/Character Separated Values) into the PHP program. So whenever the programmers need to …
PHP Preg_Replace with Advanced Examples
What is PHP Preg_Replace? The PHP preg_replace() function is a built-in language function and is useful for handling strings in an array. It works with strings by giving back a …
PHP Array_Walk With Advanced Example
Definition and Usage PHP has a built-in function called array_walk() which calls a user-defined function for each element in an array. The function needs to know the keys and values …
Sort An Array PHP (With Example Programs)
What Is Sort An Array PHP? Sorting means putting information in alphabetical or numerical order, or in a way that shows an increasing or decreasing relationship between the pieces of …
PHP Spread Operator (with Advanced Program Examples)
What is a PHP spread operator? The PHP spread operator is also known as the splat operator or scatter operator which comes from the concept of unpacking arguments. This concept …
PHP Else If Statement with Advanced Example
What is elseif/else if? The elseif is a combination of the if and else statements. Like else , it adds to an if statement to run a different statement if …
PHP Elvis Operator (Detailed Explanation With Examples)
What is a PHP Elvis Operator? The PHP Elvis operator has the symbol “?:” which looks like the signature look of the famous king of rock n’ roll artist, Elvis …
PHP Comment (Detailed Explanation with Examples)
This topic will give you another helpful insight into PHP programming. It will give you a well-detailed explanation regarding the proper application of PHP comments. Like other languages, PHP is …
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PHP still relevant in 2026?
Yes, extremely relevant. PHP still powers around 75-80% of websites with server-side code, including WordPress, Wikipedia, Slack admin tools, and most Philippine BSIT capstones. Modern PHP 8.x has features comparable to other modern languages (named arguments, enums, readonly properties, JIT compilation). For BSIT defense, PHP is one of the safest, most-defendable choices because panels are deeply familiar with it.
Which PHP version should I use?
Use PHP 8.2 or newer (8.3 is the current stable as of 2026). PHP 5.x and 7.x are end-of-life and pose security risks. Most Philippine shared hosting providers offer PHP 8.x in cPanel, just switch via PHP Selector. Older capstones using
mysql_* functions need 2-3 small patches to mysqli or PDO for PHP 8 compatibility.What's the difference between PHP, Laravel, and CodeIgniter?
PHP is the language itself. Laravel and CodeIgniter are frameworks written in PHP that give you structure (routing, ORM, auth, templating). Laravel is modern, feature-rich, with the largest community, best for new capstones. CodeIgniter is lightweight, fast, easier to learn, good for smaller projects or when your panel prefers traditional MVC. Pure PHP (no framework) still works for simple capstones but lacks structure.
How do I set up a local PHP development environment?
Easiest options: XAMPP (Apache + MySQL + PHP, free, cross-platform, the standard for Philippine BSIT) or Laragon (Windows-only, cleaner UI, hot-swap PHP versions, includes Nginx). Both give you
localhost/your-project in minutes. Pair with VS Code + Intelephense extension for the best free PHP IDE experience.How do I connect PHP to MySQL safely?
Use PDO (PHP Data Objects) with prepared statements, it's the modern, secure standard. Never concatenate user input into SQL strings (SQL injection risk). Example:
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?"); $stmt->execute([$user_id]);. Prepared statements + parameter binding = SQL injection prevention by design. The mysqli extension also supports prepared statements if you prefer it over PDO.What can I build with PHP for my capstone?
Common Philippine BSIT capstone domains using PHP + MySQL: Management systems (Library, Hospital, Hotel, Restaurant, Inventory, Payroll, School), E-commerce (shopping cart, online store), Booking systems (Hotel, Restaurant, Airline, Bus), Educational platforms (online quiz, LMS), Service appointment systems (clinic, salon). Browse our PHP Projects hub for 300+ downloadable examples.