Explore creating scalable PHP web applications, structuring code efficiently, managing data storage, and implementing automated testing to ensure robustness and maintainability in real-world projects.

docker.tar.gz

Serve /usercode

Run index.php (quiet composer install)

Serve /usercode (quiet composer install)

execute_apcu

This course is for people who have already learned the basics of PHP (or just finished the "Learn PHP from Scratch" course) and want the bigger picture of making big web applications with this language.

First, you'll learn how all PHP web applications communicate with the world and how to turn multiple source code files into one application. Then you'll learn multiple approaches to structuring the whole application. It will help you write code that's easy to maintain. Also, this is a common topic for job interview questions.

Next, you'll learn different data storage methods, from user sessions to databases. This course doesn't duplicate the official documentation but instead provides an overview of the various tools you can use. You'll learn how to use them in PHP, their tradeoffs, and how to pick what's best for your project.

Finally, you'll learn how to make automated tests for your project to ensure that it works as expected.

Developing Web Applications with PHP

## Why routing

As we already know, we should handle our application’s HTTP requests in a single script. At the same time, we want our application to provide different resources depending on the URL. For this, we need a **router**, a module that parses the request and determines which piece of code should handle it based on the predefined configuration.

## Using a router

So, how do we write a router? As usual, we don’t. Although writing it could be an excellent coding practice, using an existing router library in production is better. Every framework comes with a router, and also there are several separate libraries. Usually, all the routers are very similar, and we can split the ways to use them into two categories—functional style and controller style.

### Functional style routing

This style is popular in microframeworks. With this style, we list all the routes in one place and attach a handler function to each route. As an example, here's how we can define routes for a lesson editor with the `altorouter/altorouter` library:

# Why routing

As we already know, we should handle our application’s HTTP requests in a single script. At the same time, we want our application to provide different resources depending on the URL. For this, we need a **router**, a module that parses the request and determines which piece of code should handle it based on the predefined configuration.

# Using a router

So, how do we write a router? As usual, we don’t. Although writing it could be an excellent coding practice, using an existing router library in production is better. Every framework comes with a router, and also there are several separate libraries. Usually, all the routers are very similar, and we can split the ways to use them into two categories—functional style and controller style.

## Functional style routing

This style is popular in microframeworks. With this style, we list all the routes in one place and attach a handler function to each route. As an example, here's how we can define routes for a lesson editor with the `altorouter/altorouter` library:

Learn how to make a single script that serves all the URL endpoints in our application.


Routing in PHP

Learn how to make a single script that serves all the URL endpoints in our application.

Introduction

Communicating with the Client

Static Web Application

Structuring Code Files

Application Architecture Basics

PHP-Based Web Application

Storing State

Databases

Using a Database in the PHP Application

Testing

Testing the PHP Application

Advanced Architecture Patterns

Final Assessment

Conclusion

Routing in PHP

Why routing

Using a router

Functional style routing