Where can I go to get some advanced PHP tutorials and training. I know how to set variables and sessions and connect to MySQL and all that. Most of the sites I have found are really for beginning or they just give examples of how to do specific things. Any ideas where I can go to get some advanced training?

Well what you've asked about -- setting variables, for example -- is not advanced. You may want to start at PHP.net and ask question from there. To address the example I cited, namely setting variables, you could start at http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.php .

I know, what I was saying is that I already know that. But I want something that will assume you already have PHP experience and knowledge and go into more advanced methods.

Sorry. I misread the question.

I don't know of any such sites. I think of advanced programming as including (at least) these subjects:

• Well-designed databases

Here, you will want to study database design and take your databases to 3NF (third normal form). Then, you will want to study about when third normal form conflicts with the next bullet.

• Reducing the number of calculations necessary to perform a given task

There may be tutorials out there. Look for concepts such as Big-O loop invariant conditions. These are advanced concepts and you'll find a lot of math in Big-O, but the result is optimized code which runs substantially faster.

• Systems analysis

This is a complicated field and requires substantial study and practice to get it right. The result will be that you write programs which enhance business processes, save money, and considers the end user comfort. A by-product is that you will understand more about business structures and how to optimize them -- not necessarily just from a technology-related view.

• Streamline program architecture

Minimizing the number of calculations is a subset of this area. This area additionally includes memory management, data storage considerations (e.g. when is a file a better or worse solution for data storage than a database?), and object-oriented programming (OOP). For programming methods, I recommend text books (there are online ones out there, some free and some not). For things which are constantly improving, I'd recommend current research publications as they'll keep you on top of the latest.

• Search engine optimization

Not too complicated to do directly, but there are a number of techniques using site structure, cross-site linking, and site syndication, for example, which can teach you a lot. Just troll around the key websites here and check out forums. People in this area rarely keep things quite -- they tend blab on wondering (aloud) if "it's" true instead of just trying the technique and seeing.

• B2B data communication technologies and techniques

XML, SOAP, XML-RPC, and REST. Check those out. Since you're talking about PHP, make sure you know the SimpleXML object and cURL.

• Mulithreading

There are probably some good tutorials out there, but I don't know much about it from a PHP perspective. When I needed to create a multithreaded app in C#, I was able to find plenty of tutorials online.

I'd say if you take those topics above, you have a few years of study that will wind you up as one of the better coders out there. Add experience and it all gets better.

The best way is to try to create an application yourself. Start with a simple Guestbook or messageboard. I would also suggest going to Amazon.com and searching for Php/MySQL for a start.

Problem is that making an advanced tutorial is very difficult. Advanced programming usually takes a lot of code and would be like making an entire pm system or image manipulation script. And other than books no one really has the time.

Originally Posted by Demexii

Problem is that making an advanced tutorial is very difficult. Advanced programming usually takes a lot of code and would be like making an entire pm system or image manipulation script. And other than books no one really has the time.

Actually, making the PM system for my site was fairly easy. I have yet to come across something that I could not really do. The problem is, my code is beyond ugly. I'll write a thousand lines of code for something that should really take six or seven hundred. I was just looking for something that would help code a little better.

Originally Posted by choskins102

Actually, making the PM system for my site was fairly easy. I have yet to come across something that I could not really do. The problem is, my code is beyond ugly. I'll write a thousand lines of code for something that should really take six or seven hundred. I was just looking for something that would help code a little better.

Depends on what you do with it I guess. Setting up BBcode, a wysiwyg editor, a report system with permissions, flood controls and integration could be pretty complicated stuff depending on what you really want and need. Also database design and code optimization is important. Not sure how you learn that other than going through yourself seeing poorly written code and looking for a faster or better way of doing it.