Suggest a path for me

Certainly! You're already outlining a strong and practical learning path. Here's some tailored advice and possible tweaks:

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Your Path with Suggestions

1. PHP For Beginners

   • Good start if you want to refresh the basics, especially after 10 years.
   • Tip: If you find this is too basic, skim or skip to OOP/modern parts.

2. Object-Oriented Principles in PHP

   • Essential since modern frameworks (like Laravel) are OOP-focused.

3. SOLID Principles in PHP

   • Smart choice! This will help you write maintainable and robust code, especially for larger projects.

4. Laravel From Scratch (2026)

   • Excellent resource. Start here as soon as you're comfortable with basic PHP OOP.
   • Tip: Focus on database migrations, Eloquent ORM, and routing—these will be most relevant to integrating with your existing SQL database.

5. Filament 5 in Depth

   • Great for admin panels and rapid UI/admin generation in Laravel. This will directly help your project.

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Additional Suggestions

• Laravel Database/Eloquent Documentation: Since you will be working with an existing schema, read Eloquent's documentation on:

  • Customizing Table Names
  • Primary Keys
  • Defining Relationships
  • Customizing models to match your existing SQL structure.

• Skip/Delay:

  • You might consider skipping ultra-basic PHP parts and jump straight into OOP, then Laravel. Much of Laravel’s learning makes more sense in practice than in theory.
  • If time is truly tight, SOLID can be referred to as you face design challenges, rather than studying upfront.

• Bonus:

  • If you ever need authentication/authorization, look at Laravel Breeze or Jetstream.
  • If integrating with an existing database is complex, Laravel’s Database Query Builder is a good fallback from Eloquent.

• Practice

  • Build as you go! Start setting up Laravel and connecting it to your database ASAP. Real-world issues will drive your learning.

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Sample Approach (in code):

Connecting Laravel’s Eloquent model to a non-standard table (“legacy_users” as an example):

class LegacyUser extends Model
{
    protected $table = 'legacy_users';
    protected $primaryKey = 'user_id'; // if not 'id'
    public $timestamps = false; // if table doesn’t have Laravel’s created_at/updated_at
}

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Recap:

• Your path is well chosen, targeted, and practical.
• Focus on Laravel & Eloquent’s flexibility with custom schemas.
• Supplement Filament learning with Eloquent relationships and customization.
• Build alongside your learning: set up Laravel, connect to your database, and iterate.

Good luck, and welcome back to modern PHP and Laravel!