How to Check a Value Is Numeric in PHP
Definition and Usage of is_numeric in PHP The is_numeric() function describes whether a variable is a number or a string of numbers. If the variable is a number or a …
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 Anonymous Functions with Example Programs
What are PHP anonymous functions? PHP anonymous functions are also called closure or lambda functions. This allows programmers to create and use functions even that are not specified in the …
PHP Capitalize First Letter with Best Example
PHP has many built-in functions that make the first letter capital. We are going to show you three methods on how to capitalize the first letter of a string in …
Not in Array PHP (With Advanced Program Examples)
This topic is all about identifying how to use the functions in_array() and not in array in PHP. This will deepen your knowledge about PHP programming by learning the in_array …
Const PHP Class (With Example Programs)
What is const PHP class? The const PHP class is the function used to define or apply the constant as a class in programming. This is usually applied when you …
PHP Coding Standards with Best Example
Based on the standard practices of every programmer, each organization has its own coding standards. PHP Coding Standards are important because there may be many programmers working on different modules. …
PHP Session Function (Start and Destroy)
What is a Session in PHP? PHP Sessions is a way to keep information from one web page to the next so that users can be recognized as they move …
File Inclusion in PHP (With Program Examples)
In PHP, there are two functions that are used to put the contents of a file containing PHP source code into another PHP file, and these are include and require. What …
PHP Cookies: A tutorial to Create, Modify, and Delete with Example
What is a Cookie? A cookie (browser cookies) is a little data file that a web server requests from a user’s browser to save. This data is then present in …
Decision Making in PHP (With Advanced Examples)
What is decision-making in PHP? Decision-making in PHP is the method that enables programmers to create options or decisions through conditional statements. Moreover, for decision-making statements to work, the programmer …
Types of Loops in PHP (With Flowcharts and Program Examples)
What is loops statement in PHP? When you write code, you often want to execute the same block of code a certain number of times. So, we can use loops …
Constants in PHP (Definition With Examples)
Like other programming languages, PHP has its own set of programming keywords and built-in functions that are very useful for web and system development. Additionally, it also gives alternative actions …
PHP Upload File with Example
Uploading files to the server would be easier using an HTML form and a PHP script. At first, the files are uploaded to a temporary directory, and then a PHP …
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.