Hi all,

I was very interested in Web design, so I first did a basic course, with which I did the following site with what I learned http://www.microelec.ie/ . I don't keep this updated as I have not recieved any payment for doing the site. I know the site is done with tables, but its all I knew, and its very basic.

I then went on to study CIW at a local part-time college. I know you are all saying why did you do that. I enjoyed the course but there was an awful amount of stuff in it. I see now that actually getting down and doing the hand coding etc makes you learn alot more. It also gave me my first insight to CSS.

Anyway, I will need to add database functionality to a web site that I am doing. At the moment I have asked the client to hold off on this, and he is happy to for the time being. It is a site for selling property and the database would be used for a search feature for the different properties he has for sale. As far as I know this would be done with PHP/MySQL

My question, after all that rigmarole, is what is the best way to learn PHP/Mysql. I have a book on it which I am just starting "How to do everything with PHP/MySQL". Is it just a case of sitting down and reading the book and doing the practicals in it. Or do you have an easier method for me to learn it.

Thanks

Well, I found it easier to learn PHP and MySql by videos. www.lynda.com helped me..... Have a look! There is a "Free Trial" thing somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it out!

I learned with a book as well. Sitting down and doing the examples. Also by bugging the heck out of christopher when we were working in the same group Thanks Christopher

So yeah ... try stuff out and ask your questions here. We have A LOT of great members that knows PHP and MySQL

Buy a book, the kind of book depends on you. I got a book with more coding than description. I learned php my learning to read the code. Other people prefer theory. Have a look on amazon, there are loads of books about.

The second way to learn is online. I would advise against this, especially if it is from tutorials, as the chances are you will miss out on something. A book provides a structure and will cover most of the bases. Tutorials in my experience, while good at teaching you how to do this and that, fail to teach a language as a whole.