Many of us like to pick some recommended good PHP books and start learning. However, learning does not stop at books. In the current information age, books are important however they also get outdated very early.
So, to make it easy for all the curious folks out there, we decided to help you in our own way and on those lines, here is our list of the Top PHP blogs and video tutorials that you must definitely check out.
PHP Manual
Arguably, the best of them all, the PHP Manual has everything that you need in your quest to achieve glory in PHP. The best thing about PHP Manual is the section in every page that allows users to post their comments and experience with the function, and unlike the random comments that you will usually find under videos, these comments are extremely helpful in the practical applications of PHP.
SitePoint
The fact that SitePoint covers all most the concepts and applications of PHP is reason enough to give this website cum series of blog posts an entry into this list. Whether you are a beginner or someone who has a few years of experience working on PHP, you will always find some content on SitePoint that will useful to you.
FromDev
- Best PHP Books for developers.
- Useful PHP Libraries
- Best PHP IDE for head down coding developers
Derek Banas Video Tutorial on YouTube
Before you guys go crazy with “how a video that says ‘Learn PHP in 30 minutes’ could actually be good, it has to be crap.” Well, I thought the same until one day I needed to brush up the little concepts of the language and ended up watching Derek Banas’s Video tutorial on YouTube and it was at that time I realized that these videos are actually not that bad if you are in a hurry and just need a quick recap. Again, it is not a tutorial, not a guide, not a reference material, just a quick recap of what you have learned, so use it for that only.
StackOverflow
And here it comes, my personal favorite, I call it the ‘Demi-God’, StackOverflow is, according to me, the best website for enthusiasts who are trying to learn a new language and making errors and getting their hands dirty in the process.
Blogs from PHP Developer
What would you think if I tell you that this blog has been in operation for more than a decade and is read and appreciated by thousands if not millions around the world? Well, this is it. A blog post every month covering one topic and giving an explanation with code examples, the blogs from PHP developer has all that it takes to be a professional in PHP.
David Walsh’s Blog
David Walsh in his own words is the guy who does not design the websites, he makes them work and looking at the posts on his blog, you would sense that he means business. With his experience and knowledge, it is no surprise that David Walsh’s blog receives high audience week in and week out. Javascript, HTML5 and PHP, this blog is a complete package, one you would not want to miss out on.
Roshan Bhattarai’s Blog
The phrase ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ could not have found a better example than Roshan Bhattarai’s blog. Looking at the structure, layout and the overall design of the blog, you would not believe if I tell you that the content on the blogs written by Roshan is extremely helpful and highly rated.
Chris Shiflett’s Blog
I would not call Chris Shiflett’s Blog an explicit PHP blog as Chris writes about an array of topics ranging from his personal life, his views, but most importantly, most of his blogs are around PHP and web development and boy, when this guy writes them, he writes them pretty well. Chris is also the author of Essential PHP Security.
Nikic’s Blog
So, here we have it, the only female PHP blogger to make this list and the more amusing thing about Nikita Popov or Nikic as she is commonly known as, is the fact that she is only 20 and a student. She contributes as an open source developer and also at StackOverflow.com and her contents are no-nonsense straight to the point, just like the layout of her blog. Way to go girl..!!
Paul M. Jones Blog
Paul M Jones is an internationally-recognized expert on PHP, who writes mostly about the software projects along with a host of other things. Paul has a different way of writing technical blogs and even though it is not entirely direct, it is pretty effective, and of course given his experience and working knowledge on PHP, when he writes, the world reads.
Tobias Schlitt’s Blog
For a technical writer who has to hire me, surprise me with an amazon wishlist list attached and the F word used for spammers at the right end of his blog, Tobias Schlitt is doing a pretty great with his PHP content. Tobias’s blog has his private blogs, pictures and most importantly (to us at least), content around his open source development in PHP and other web development tools.
Wild Academy Video Tutorials on Youtube
Wild Academy uploads video tutorials on YouTube and their tutors Jack Williams and Mike Wieger have the experience and the skills required to assist any PHP enthusiast. Since their videos are primarily targeting beginners in PHP, you will find that the concepts are explained in depth.
The New Boston Video Tutorials on YouTube
The New Boston video tutorials on YouTube has over 1 million subscribers and if you have any doubts regarding why they attract so many views, you should watch their video tutorials on PHP. The videos are well compiled, structured and have a nice flow to them, thus ensuring that students do not get bored.
CodeAcademy Video Tutorials on YouTube
CodeAcademy does not have a lot of subscribers to boast about and their video tutorials on PHP do not even cover the whole language, however;, the reason why they feature in this list is because of how they have explained the Object Oriented Concepts of PHP through their videos. If you are confused about how OOPs blends with PHP, these video tutorials might really help your cause.
CodeCourse Video Tutorials on Youtube
Formerly known as PHP Academy, Code course have gone beyond PHP and have included other web development and tools in their kitty, which might be the reason that prompted the change in name. However; regardless of the name, the PHP video tutorial by Codecourse on YouTube are highly descriptive and contains details about each and every aspect of the language. If you are just starting with PHP, this might be the perfect match for you.
There and Back Again, By Joshua
With around 122 blogs on PHP and another 100 odd and PHP-Ajax combination, ‘There and Back Again’ gives you everything that you want to know on PHP and its application. It is amusing how Joshua perfectly explains even the most difficult of PHP concepts in his usual laid back and casual writing.
Adam Khoury’s Video Tutorials on Youtube
Adan Khoury’s PHP tutorials on Youtube do not cover the whole language, in fact, they cover only a small part of it; then why does it feature in the list? Well, most of the PHP enthusiasts develop their inclination towards the language after realizing that this is that one thing they need to learn to have a good website online and therefore, Adan Khoury, with his highly descriptive videos on web development, is here.
Web Soft Tutorials
With the strong Indian accent, comes an Indian developer who seems pretty strong in PHP, JQuery and Javascript. Web Soft Tutorials uploads basic PHP tutorials for beginners and have their tutorials in Hindi and Urdu as well. So, if you happen to be more comfortable with those two languages rather than English, this is the web tutorial that you were looking for.
Stuart Herbert’s PHP Blog
When the main heading of a blog reads Stuart on PHP, you know that this blog is the real deal on PHP. Stuart’s blog do not just confine to the technical aspects of PHP and go far beyond that with sometimes videos attached to his blogs as well. He garners a high number of views and a look at his blog would tell you why.
Web Development Blog
Not just PHP, Web Development Blog, being true to its name, offers everything and anything you need to know about web development. No, it is not Wikipedia of web development, it sure isn’t google, but web development blog is good at what it does and that’s what really matters. The content is good, informative, vivid and liked by the readers, what else can you ask for?
Article Updates
- Updated on May 2019: Minor changes and updates to the introduction section. Images are updated to HTTPS.
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