In the last five years, the PHP ecosystem has improved dramatically. So much to the point that it barely resembles its former self. Yes, today, PHP is a joy to use. Sure, it has its quirks, but so does every language.
We all start somewhere. When it comes to web development with PHP, well, your first stop is this series. Designed specifically and exclusively for beginners, here, you'll learn the fundamentals of PHP - all the way down to defining variables and arrays. If you feel somewhat unprepared for the content at Laracasts, this "PHP for beginners" series should be your next stop. New lessons are published every Thursday, so don't fall behind!
The typical beginner, whether they realize it or not, first learns procedural programming. But, before too long, they level up. Suddenly, an entirely different paradigm is introduced: object-oriented programming. Little do they know that they'll spend years researching and learning exactly what it means to work with objects and messages. In this series, you'll be introduced to the core principles of object-oriented programming in PHP. We'll begin with the basic constructs and work our way up.
Think about how many hours each week you spend within your editor. Doesn't it make sense to unlock every inch of its capabilities? I certainly subscribe to that idea! Why don't you come along, and I'll teach you everything I know about PHPStorm.
This series is exclusively for the working developer who, though familiar with Sublime Text, needs to tweak and optimize their editor particularly for PHP development. Come along, as we review everything from error detection, to project management, to automatic PSR-2 fixing.
Out of the blue, Microsoft jumps into the editor wars with an incredible offering that gives Sublime Text an overwhelming run for its money. In fact, it just might surpass it! So come along, as I demonstrate the ins, the outs, the tips, the techniques. Say hello to your new best friend: Visual Studio Code.
There's a reason why, after decades, countless developers still prefer Vim as their code editor of choice. That many people can't be wrong, right? In this series, I'll teach you how to master the most flexible editor on the planet.
A design pattern is a common solution to a common problem. Nothing more, nothing less. And, while some of these approaches might seem foreign or overwhelming to you, the important thing to remember is that, as a developer, you are in charge. That means you decide when a pattern is appropriate, and when it's completely unnecessary. That's the key.
SOLID represents a series of guidelines that developers can use to, if done well, simplify and clarify their code. While certainly not laws, understanding these concepts will make you a better developer.
We've all written code that misses the mark. Sure, it works, but, still, you're left with the feeling that you've missed something. The difficult part, unfortunately, is recognizing what that "something" is. In this series, we'll review ten techniques, one per episode, to improve the clarity of your PHP code.
If you've ever heard a developer use the term, "object calisthenics," you might have assumed that they were referring to some hugely complex topic. Luckily, though, that's not the case. It simply refers to a series of coding exercises to promote better software.
You did your best, but somehow that User object, over time, morphed into a monstrous God object. And your controllers started out nice and clean, but now... not so much. We've all been there. In this series, we'll review a number of ideas for whipping convoluted code into shape.
Does the thought of a confusing regular expression send chills down your back? Don't worry; you're in the majority. But, luckily, the truth is that the trick to understanding regular expressions simply boils down to basic memorization. It's not that tough, once you know what you're looking for.
While many courses at Laracasts focus on the workflow of building something entirely from scratch, this one is a bit different. Come along as I work on the Laracasts codebase, itself. Each episode is unique. One might cover a new Vue component we need for the UI. Another episode may require that we TDD a new feature entirely. So pull up a chair and let's get to work.
Slated for release in December, 2015, PHP 7 brings a wealth of new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. If you're curious, come with me, as I demonstrate what's new!
Though not as flashy as the long-in-development 7.0 release, PHP 7.1 nonetheless brings with it a number of useful features, ranging from short array destructuring, to negative string offsets, to improved return types. Come along, as we review what's new in PHP!
There's no shortage of content at Laracasts. In fact, you could watch nonstop for days upon days, and still not see everything!