I've been doing websites in ASP.NET but never got the handle on it before Microsoft released a new version so I've decided to shift to PHP. I need know what is the best and fastest way to learn PHP. I've started with http://www.w3schools.com/php, http://php.about.com/od/learnphp/Learn_PHP.htm and http://www.php-learn-it.com/. Are there any other resources I could use, and which books would you recommend?

I learned pretty much directly through w3schools, and once I just coded and coded, if I ran into any problems, google searches resulted in simple and immediate answers. It's a pretty simple language, and the more you code in it, the more it will become familiar (obviously).

But the tutorial on w3 will leave you with a very good foundation.

The following books has helped me out and i think that they are really good books.

1, PHP and MYSQL web development for dummies.
2, PHP 6 and MYSQL 5.
3, Beginning PHP and MySQL From Novice to Professional,

hope that helps.

If you're a pretty good programmer, then the documentation on PHP will be enough to identify the syntax changes: http://www.php.net/

One of my favorite places I found was this place, not just for php, but most major coding languages. Although it is designed for those that have roughly no previous programming experience:
http://www.tizag.com/phpT/

I haven't used ASP.NET before, so I don't know if I could point you to a good transitional guide, but you could probably just jump around through this one.

Although everyone has pretty much pointed out some of the good sites to learn from, I would also recommend getting some free php scripts and sort of work backwards from them. I actually bought a large php script and learned through trial and error with many things I wanted to change. Just something that could help.

I haven't used ASP.NET before, so I don't know if I could point you to a good transitional guide, but you could probably just jump around through this one.

The ASP.NET concept is pretty much totally different than normal PHP development. ASP.NET It is more like just a framework inside of which programming languages can operate.

PHP has more functionality by itself than any one part of the ASP.NET framework, and isn't so modular by default, since it is just a programming language, and a fairly loose one at that, so you'll have to learn to enforce some rules so that you can keep a handle on the organization of your code. Despite this, I really love PHP.

Personally, I find the Microsoft platform a bit bloated and prone to errors. It is nice that the code compiles, however. I'm mostly a PHP guy though, so don't chalk me up as a .NET expert just yet.

I suggest buying a Book in PHP, I suggest:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/PHP-MySQL-Dy...9880688&sr=1-1 - I started with this book and I was fluent with PHP in about 1 week.

I'm just starting myself. I mainly use:
www.w3schools.com <-Great for all around help.
www.php.net <-Great if you have questions about a function
www.killerphp.com <-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
www.google.com googling any questions and tutorials.

I've had a good amount of success. I do fail a lot before I get stuff working, but it only makes me better. Just don't get discouraged by not being able to get something to work. Stick with it and try everything.

Another place you can try is the PHP IRC channel on freenode. There are still quite a few people who hang out there that might be able to help you out if you're stuck on something. Just make sure you do a good Google search before hand. If the solution is easy to find they might be ticked.

I'll also reiterate the previous poster who mentioned "Beginning PHP and MySQL From Novice to Professional". It's one of the best PHP books I've ever read.

I don't recommend buying as book for php.
besides it will cost you money while great free resources out there,also there are new features from time to time.
my best recommendation is official php documentation site
http://www.php.net
and official mysql documentation site
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/
also you can get really usefull php scripts from
http://www.phpclasses.org/

Best way to go is to install some ready made scripts from the php resource index, and from there, just messing around with them helped me get to where I am now with php.

Just keep practicing...And remember, PERFECT PRACTICE, makes PERFECT(ion)

Originally Posted by wayfarer07

The ASP.NET concept is pretty much totally different than normal PHP development. ASP.NET It is more like just a framework inside of which programming languages can operate.

Yeah, i looked into it and heck, even downloaded Visual Web Developer 2008 just to test it out. You also apparently needed to know a programming language like C# or Vbscript or something (which I know practically nothing about).

Originally Posted by wayfarer07

PHP has more functionality by itself than any one part of the ASP.NET framework, and isn't so modular by default, since it is just a programming language, and a fairly loose one at that, so you'll have to learn to enforce some rules so that you can keep a handle on the organization of your code. Despite this, I really love PHP.

Personally, I find the Microsoft platform a bit bloated and prone to errors. It is nice that the code compiles, however. I'm mostly a PHP guy though, so don't chalk me up as a .NET expert just yet.

I am too, not because I don't like .NET or don't want to learn about it, but because all the applications I use are coded in it (Wordpress, vBulletin, etc.). And you only need to know one programming language, PHP, as opposed to many with ASP.NET, I wouldn't even know which one to choose. Open Source support is always a plus too.

I know Newbie is a .NET Extraordinaire, but he hasn't logged on since last year. Wonder where he is...

A common problem with learning a language is the constant question after you complete a task. "Now what do I learn/do?" Well this will give you a plan and resources to follow from beginning to advancing your skills. I just ran into it right now and it looks very promising. So even though you may not like the specific tuts it gives you, it atleast gives you a plan to follow.

http://nettuts.com/articles/web-roun...-from-scratch/

Good interest for me thank a lot.

Good Luck with that.

I do both ASP.NET and PHP and they are two differnt beasts.

ASP (not .net) is closer to PHP then ASP.NEt

ASP.NET is all CODE BEHIND and you get a click and drop interface.

PHP and ASP the code is all intermingled in the HTML or in some cases generate all the HTML itself.

I learned everything by trial in error. It got to the point where i built my own Controls Class Framework, including a "DBManager" that can do some basic database stuff, similar to the Dbconnection in the .net framework.

Good Luck

Everyone learns in their own way, but one thing I always say is to set yourself a project, just a small goal would suffice. I find just trawling through books/online without a project, doesn't do it for me.

If online video is your thing, try out the online tutorials at lynda.com they are really good quality.

Good Luck

best fastest way is to develop a website with database in back end. that would give you a lot of knowledge... nothing beats practise

I'm trying to learn myself and using book as a starter (which I
love) - "Head first PHP & MySQL" by Lynn Beighley and Micheal Morrison