I still don't feel all that fluent with PHP :(

Go through the course again is one option. learning programming is all about repetition. If this particular course wasn't too helpful, try some other resources. I personally love using http://www.tutorialspoint.com/php/ This particular site has very simple examples and very thorough explanations. The trick to learning anything is to find out what kind of learner you are, then, to find the resources that have that kind of teaching. good luck!

it sounds as though you may be struggling with the concepts. I had this problem. Javascript and PHP are similar except for the major difference.

PHP is server side processing, loads and runs on the server

Javascipt is client side processing, loads and runs on your PC

PHP can manipulate all the data, just as Javascipt, but it does so "behind the scenes" (server side only) it interprets all the data before it goes to the browser. It can read, write, and manipulate databases on the server but then needs to pass it's information to the browser.

Javascipt on the other hand is a browser interpreter (client side only), it does all of it's processing within the browser, and can manipulate the information directly, and change items on the browser, but it can not change items on the server.

declaring variables are a one-sided process, declaring an X variable on PHP is not translated to X variable on Javascript.

therein, lies the rub (and the difference)

But, PHP can use the GET and POST functions to transfer the data from one to the other via HTML

HTML is kind of the conduit

Once, I got a grasp on the difference and how they inter related, then PHP started becoming clearer for me.

Hope that helps some

Hi Nicholas, Learning to code can feel this way sometimes, but don't get disheartened. The key is to keep coding, and in particular, read through code line by line until you do understand what it's doing. Break the code a little and see the effects, then correct it and watch it work again. Sorry to say, but watching and following along with a project or two will not make a person proficient in a language. Even the best coders refer to a source from time to time. I have come to appreciate that knowing is half the battle. As long as you know of a technique you can look it up, understand the code and implement it. We can't be hard on our self's for not memorizing every function, loop and code structure, for the average human it's not really possible. Write code, more code and then more code, and to top it off, write more code.

Keep on trucking :)

You should take the enhancing course if only for the fact that it explains use of the PDO and separates out some of the model and controller logic in the project in clear ways that help clarify how you might want to set up your own logic in a page.

I'd say this too, as far as learning. You might feel like you don't understand the concepts, but don't copy and paste from the forums to compensate for that. Re-watch the video, ask questions, and above all write your own code. Copying and pasting someone else's code doesn't really help you understand what its doing and why its doing it.

Take what you know and build your own small page in PHP. once you have it done add something, then more. When you get stuck, come here and post in the forums.

Its slow go sometimes, and the first time I got a dev job I felt like I was drowning in a sea of someone else's code that I couldn't piece together in a logical way. But asking for help, and writing my own code, and honestly breaking things over and over again, helped me a lot.

create a new practice.php file and as you go thru the courses, retype out the code into blocks and use comments in your own words to explain it to yourself later, helps for the quizzes!

Thanks guys for the tips! I will definitely start writing down what I learn and not pass a question until I fully understand the concepts :) great advice from you all :)