PHP Fast Track Guide - 86 Key Points Every Programmer from Other Languages Should Master (Ginno) (z-library.sk, 1lib.sk, z-lib.sk)

PHP Fast Track Guide - 86 Key Points Every Programmer from Other Languages Should Master Ginno Published by Blue Summit Bridge Press, 2025.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. PHP FAST TRACK GUIDE - 86 KEY POINTS EVERY PROGRAMMER FROM OTHER LANGUAGES SHOULD MASTER First edition. January 30, 2025. Copyright © 2025 Ginno. Written by Ginno.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Copyright Page PHP Fast Track Guide - 86 Key Points Every Programmer from Other Languages Should Master 1. The aim of this book 1. Understanding Weak Typing in PHP 2. Using PHP Superglobals for HTTP and Server Data 3. Arrays in PHP: Associative and Mixed Keys 4. Double-Quoted Strings and Variable Interpolation 5. Understanding Single-Quoted Strings in PHP 6. Using the Null Coalescing Operator (??) 7. Understanding the Spaceship Operator (<=>) in PHP 8. Session Management Made Easy in PHP 9. Numeric String Keys in Arrays Automatically Convert to Integers 10. Difference Between include and require 11. Set Error Reporting Levels with error_reporting() 12. Check Variable Existence with isset() 13. Understanding `empty()` in PHP 14. PHP’s Falsy Values Explained 15. Type Juggling in PHP Can Cause Unexpected Comparison Results

16. Strict Comparison Ensures Both Type and Value Match 17. Multi-Line Strings with Heredoc and Nowdoc 18. Defining Constants in PHP 19. Understanding include_path in PHP for File Inclusion 20. Dynamic Behavior with PHP Magic Methods 21. Mastering PHP's Array Functions 22. Reusing Code with PHP Traits 23. Using Namespaces to Avoid Name Collisions 24. Secure Database Interactions with PDO 25. Using MySQLi for Procedural and Object-Oriented MySQL Access 26. Avoid Using Deprecated mysql* Functions 27. Understanding PHP Regular Expressions (POSIX and PCRE) 28. String Concatenation with Dot Operator in PHP 29. Global Variables and Functions: Understanding Accessibility 30. Static Methods and Properties in PHP 31. Simplifying Class Autoloading with spl_autoload_register 32. Boosting Performance with PHP 8's JIT Compilation 33. Simplifying Inline Anonymous Functions with Arrow Functions 34. Attributes for Metadata Handling in PHP 8

35. Flexible Parameter Ordering with Named Arguments 36. Defining Multiple Types with Union Types 37. Nullsafe Operator: Safe Method Chaining with ?-> 38. Match Expressions: A Safer Alternative to Switch 39. Configuring and Overriding PHP's Default Error Handler 40. Using json_encode and json_decode for JSON Processing 41. Using Composer for Dependency Management and Autoloading 42. Understanding PHP Configuration Variations Across Environments 43. Setting the Default Timezone in PHP 44. PHP Scripts Run Server-Side, Output HTML to Clients 45. Using Prepared Statements to Prevent SQL Injection 46. Sanitize and Validate Input Data 47. Preventing XSS with htmlspecialchars and htmlentities 48. Protecting Against CSRF with Tokens 49. Using file_get_contents() to Retrieve File or URL Content 50. Finding Files with glob() 51. Image Manipulation with Gd and Imagick Libraries 52. Improving Performance with OPcache 53. Boosting Performance with PHP-FPM 54. Securing Passwords with password_hash() 55. Localization and Formatting with the Intl Extension

56. Flexible Date and Time Manipulation with PHP 57. Understanding PHP Errors: Notices, Warnings, and Fatal Errors 58. Using Strict Types for Type Safety 59. Understanding PHP's foreach Loop for Arrays 60. Avoid Using @ for Error Suppression in PHP 61. Runtime Configuration with ini_set() 62. Quick Testing with PHP's Built-in Server 63. Session and Cookie Basics in PHP 64. PHP Undefined Constants as String Names 65. Ad Hoc Class Creation with Anonymous Classes 66. Using Variables from Parent Scope in Closures 67. Understanding Interfaces as Contracts 68. Abstract Classes for Base Method Definitions 69. Working with Files and Directories in PHP 70. Understanding Output Buffering in PHP 71. Using SimpleXML and DOM for XML Parsing 72. PHP Stream Wrappers for Data Handling 73. Using hash() for Secure Data Integrity Checks 74. Avoiding eval() for Safer Code 75. Retrieve PHP Configuration Values Using ini_get() 76. Understanding PHP's Associative Arrays and Nested Data 77. Detailed Inspection of Variables with var_dump()

78. Using Anonymous Functions for Callbacks 79. Understanding Type Hinting in PHP 80. PHP Multi-Dimensional Arrays with Dynamic Resizing 81. Understanding PHP's error_log() Function 82. Introduction to PHP's Phar Archives 83. Customizing Stream Behavior with stream_context_create() 84. Understanding PHP Constants: Case Sensitivity 85. Simplifying File Operations with SplFileObject 86. Understanding PHP_INT_MAX 87. Understanding filter_var() for Input Validation and Sanitization 88. Handling Multibyte Strings with utf8_encode() and mbstring

Index Chapter 1  Preface 1. The aim of this book Chapter 2  Essential Knowledge: Basics 1. Understanding Weak Typing in PHP 2. Using PHP Superglobals for HTTP and Server Data 3. Arrays in PHP: Associative and Mixed Keys 4. Double-Quoted Strings and Variable Interpolation 5. Understanding Single-Quoted Strings in PHP 6. Using the Null Coalescing Operator (??) 7. Understanding the Spaceship Operator (<=>) in PHP 8. Session Management Made Easy in PHP 9. Numeric String Keys in Arrays Automatically Convert to Integers 10. Difference Between include and require 11. Set Error Reporting Levels with error_reporting() 12. Check Variable Existence with isset() 13. Understanding `empty()` in PHP 14. PHP’s Falsy Values Explained 15. Type Juggling in PHP Can Cause Unexpected Comparison Results 16. Strict Comparison Ensures Both Type and Value Match 17. Multi-Line Strings with Heredoc and Nowdoc

18. Defining Constants in PHP 19. Understanding include_path in PHP for File Inclusion 20. Dynamic Behavior with PHP Magic Methods 21. Mastering PHP's Array Functions 22. Reusing Code with PHP Traits 23. Using Namespaces to Avoid Name Collisions 24. Secure Database Interactions with PDO 25. Using MySQLi for Procedural and Object-Oriented MySQL Access 26. Avoid Using Deprecated mysql* Functions 27. Understanding PHP Regular Expressions (POSIX and PCRE) 28. String Concatenation with Dot Operator in PHP 29. Global Variables and Functions: Understanding Accessibility 30. Static Methods and Properties in PHP 31. Simplifying Class Autoloading with spl_autoload_register 32. Boosting Performance with PHP 8's JIT Compilation 33. Simplifying Inline Anonymous Functions with Arrow Functions 34. Attributes for Metadata Handling in PHP 8 35. Flexible Parameter Ordering with Named Arguments 36. Defining Multiple Types with Union Types 37. Nullsafe Operator: Safe Method Chaining with ?->

38. Match Expressions: A Safer Alternative to Switch 39. Configuring and Overriding PHP's Default Error Handler 40. Using json_encode and json_decode for JSON Processing 41. Using Composer for Dependency Management and Autoloading 42. Understanding PHP Configuration Variations Across Environments 43. Setting the Default Timezone in PHP 44. PHP Scripts Run Server-Side, Output HTML to Clients 45. Using Prepared Statements to Prevent SQL Injection 46. Sanitize and Validate Input Data 47. Preventing XSS with htmlspecialchars and htmlentities 48. Protecting Against CSRF with Tokens 49. Using file_get_contents() to Retrieve File or URL Content 50. Finding Files with glob() Chapter 3  Essential Knowledge: Advanced 51. Image Manipulation with Gd and Imagick Libraries 52. Improving Performance with OPcache 53. Boosting Performance with PHP-FPM 54. Securing Passwords with password_hash() 55. Localization and Formatting with the Intl Extension 56. Flexible Date and Time Manipulation with PHP

57. Understanding PHP Errors: Notices, Warnings, and Fatal Errors 58. Using Strict Types for Type Safety 59. Understanding PHP's foreach Loop for Arrays 60. Avoid Using @ for Error Suppression in PHP 61. Runtime Configuration with ini_set() 62. Quick Testing with PHP's Built-in Server 63. Session and Cookie Basics in PHP 64. PHP Undefined Constants as String Names 65. Ad Hoc Class Creation with Anonymous Classes 66. Using Variables from Parent Scope in Closures 67. Understanding Interfaces as Contracts 68. Abstract Classes for Base Method Definitions 69. Working with Files and Directories in PHP 70. Understanding Output Buffering in PHP 71. Using SimpleXML and DOM for XML Parsing 72. PHP Stream Wrappers for Data Handling 73. Using hash() for Secure Data Integrity Checks 74. Avoiding eval() for Safer Code 75. Retrieve PHP Configuration Values Using ini_get() 76. Understanding PHP's Associative Arrays and Nested Data 77. Detailed Inspection of Variables with var_dump() 78. Using Anonymous Functions for Callbacks

79. Understanding Type Hinting in PHP 80. PHP Multi-Dimensional Arrays with Dynamic Resizing 81. Understanding PHP's error_log() Function 82. Introduction to PHP's Phar Archives 83. Customizing Stream Behavior with stream_context_create() 84. Understanding PHP Constants: Case Sensitivity 85. Simplifying File Operations with SplFileObject 86. Understanding PHP_INT_MAX 87. Understanding filter_var() for Input Validation and Sanitization 88. Handling Multibyte Strings with utf8_encode() and mbstring Chapter 4  Request for review evaluation

CHAPTER 1  PREFACE

1. THE AIM OF THIS BOOK Welcome to this concise guide tailored for programmers from other languages who wish to master PHP efficiently. This book is designed to focus exclusively on PHP-specific knowledge, ensuring you acquire only the essential skills needed to excel.Whether you are a beginner starting your journey with PHP or a seasoned developer looking to refresh your understanding of the latest must-know PHP concepts, this guide has you covered. Each section zeroes in on the key points that matter, helping you avoid unnecessary distractions and learn at a rapid pace.Dive in and equip yourself with the precise knowledge you need to become a proficient PHP professional.

CHAPTER 2  ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE: BASICS

1. UNDERSTANDING WEAK TYPING IN PHP PHP supports weak typing, meaning that variables do not require explicit type declarations and can hold different types of values at runtime. This feature increases flexibility but requires careful handling to avoid type-related bugs. Below is an example demonstrating PHP's weak typing and how variables can seamlessly switch between types. [Code Example] <?// Declaring a variable with an integer value $variable = 42; echo "Integer value: $variable\n"; // Changing the same variable to hold a string $variable = "Now a string!"; echo "String value: $variable\n"; // Changing the same variable to hold a float $variable = 3.14; echo "Float value: $variable\n"; ?> [Execution Result] Integer value: 42 String value: Now a string! Float value: 3.14

In PHP, variables are dynamically typed. This means you can assign values of any type to a variable without declaring its type. PHP automatically determines the type based on the value assigned. While this makes coding easier and more flexible, it also increases the chance of type confusion, which could lead to errors. For example: - Mathematical operations involving incompatible types may yield unexpected results. - Concatenation of strings and numbers may produce unintended outputs. To avoid issues: 1. Use `var_dump()` to check the type of a variable during debugging. 2. When strict type enforcement is needed, PHP 7+ allows enabling strict types using `declare(strict_types=1);` at the top of the script.