Learn PHP in 15 minutes

PHP is one of the most useful languages to know and is used everywhere you look online. In this tutorial, I start from the beginning and show you how to start writing PHP scripts.

The video covers the software you need to get started, data types, outputting data, variables, concatenating strings, operators, if statements, HTML forms, arrays and loops.

Check out my Learn HTML in 12 Minutes video for a quick introduction to HTML, which will be useful before trying to understand this tutorial:

Set Up a Local Web Server

Recommended Text Editors

VPS Provider

[gregorykalenian]

Anyone else here in 2019? This is still more informative/relevant than anything else I have found in my quest to teach myself web development.

[User.Joshua]

I spent most of my day (6-7 hours) learning exactly what you just taught in 15 minutes. Good job, Jake. You're an awesome teacher.

[rclair]

Played video twice the speed, learned PHP in less than 8 minutes

[imbezo]

0:00 PHP Introduction
1:01 Installing WAMP/MAMP
2:00 PHP FIle
2:55 Outputting strings
4:08 Variables
5:12 Concatenation
5:51 Operators
6:56 If statements
8:15 Handling data from HTML forms
9:53 Getting POST data / Array
10:53 Arrays explained
12:29 Loops

Jake, if you add to this to the bottom of the description it will automatically add chapters to the video. Hope this helps anyone looking for em!

[TheGaRaK]

Finally an excellent PHP introduction for anyone with a basic programming knowledge. Good job!

[picabloo]

Thank you so much. You condensed a 3 hour lecture into 15 minutes! 

[mr_clean]

10 years later and this tutorial is still extremely useful!!!

[may]

Thank you so much! I was having trouble getting myself to starting to learn PHP for a class and this video was just non-threatening and informative enough to kick me into it! The phrase "the hardest step is the first one" never felt more true...

[dchambers]

Absolutely First Class.  MIT students should be so lucky.  Superlative conveyance of info.  Excellent articulation.  Organized and fast, with no mistakes.  Jake, you're a PRO!  Thanks for posting.

[wyddindustries]

This style of video is excellent. As a programmer looking to learn a new language, this drops me right where I want to be without spending hours explaining how ints work. It's fast-paced for beginners which is also excellent, its easy to pause a video and very difficult to fast forward to the next topic. Thank you very much, keep up the good work.

[yoramswiers]

Honestly you are a better teacher than the one I have in college. Your going fast but it's all crystal clear (if you have at least some basic understanding of code in general). Thank you keep it up!

[ematene]

5 years on and still a great intro tutorial. Thank you.

[kunalmandalia]

Short and to the point - really helped get me started, thanks for making this Jake

[thefoodrebellion]

Brilliant and concise! I haven't touched PHP in a year or so and this helped me remember the syntax. Thank you

[JaySalia]

Thank you so so so much for this, crisp and to the point. You condensed a 3 hour lecture into 15 minutes and I learnt so much. Thank you! :)

[Simon_Laserna]

Hell yes!
Thank you for going at a decent pace. Way easier to go back and re-watch than fast forwarding. Really good job!

[hcorp]

Super simple and helpful. Still a super relevant tutorial 3 years later.

[nathanaelmorgan]

Excellent tutorial, this is exactly what I needed. Still relevant even 8 years later! Thank you Jake.

[VagueVoice]

Excellent man! Literally the first time seeing these php concepts and your quick way of explaining gives a great oversight into what you can do with this language. Cheers!

[ousmanetall]

Thanks Jake Wright, i am in senegal(african country) these very important and very useful utorial you put on, in a few time and simply full you teach one vast universal programming thanks thanks thanks your are wonderful