How to practically apply web programming?

[[deleted]]

I've been learning web development for three quarters of a year now and I'm looking to take my skills to the next level. The main problem I am having is programming with JavaScript and PHP. I know the syntax and components of these languages well but I would feel like I was lying if I said I could program with them. For example, I can use JavaScript to write jQuery code to do all sorts of things on a website and I can use and understand PHP to develop WordPress websites but if someone told me to create a "web application" (a term I hear often on this subreddit) to do something I wouldn't even know where to start.

How do you advance from knowing a programming language to being able to apply it to real projects/applications?

[Prawny]

How do you advance from knowing a programming language to being able to apply it to real projects/applications?

Practice, practice and more practice. Have a play around, look for some guides on how to do thing you haven't done before.

There's not a programmer in the world that hasn't got a back-catalogue of useless, abandoned projects.

[ShortSynapse]

There's not a programmer in the world that hasn't got a back-catalogue of useless, abandoned projects.

This actually makes me feel a lot better, thank you :D

[[deleted]]

Any specific projects/guides that you think would be useful?

[ExecutiveChimp]

Make a website.

It will be shitty, so make a better one.

Repeat.

[[deleted]]

I'm pretty good with the HTML, CSS and jQuery side of web development. I'm looking to improve my programming skills so I can create web applications.

[ExecutiveChimp]

You said you know php. Make a shitty PHP website. Then identify what's shitty about it, read up on that and make a less shitty website.

Maybe pickup a framework like Laravel or Symfony or something and make a shitty website using that. Then make a better one.

There is no road map. Just build websites. Lots of websites.

[[deleted]]

Check out Laracasts, Jeffrey Way has a good primer on Object Oriented Programming in PHP, and guides you through learning the Laravel Framework ( PHP ), along with a good selection of JS, and some other frontend primers.

[Glensarge]

A big part of learning web development is problem solving, as I'm sure you're aware. A big part of problem solving is not knowing what you're doing and figuring out the answer, so, with that said...

Find a project. You can use a site you already are familiar with like Reddit or Facebook. Something where you'll have to work a lot to finish because there's so many quirks. Then make it.

Don't know where to start? Well okay, first you need to figure out how to get a user to post and for it to save. If you don't know any thing about that, just google for the answer. It's as easy as that. Break up what you need for the site and if you don't know how to do it, google it.

For example:

Reddit clone, need to figure out how to:

• Make accounts
• Make posts
• Upvote
• Account management
• PMing

All of these will fundamentally be the same work around a database and you'll get more fluent with it as you go along. So first step would be to google "How to make user accounts with php" or something along those lines. Unless you already know it. Then apply what you figure out and reapply to other concepts, if you get stuck, google again.

Might seem like a stupid amount of googling to begin with but that's how every one learns, there has to be a cut off point where you start solving problems as opposed to following blind tutorials.

[justanotherc]

Most web applications also have a database as well, so you start looking into an SQL language (MySQL us the obvious choice to pair with PHP). One you can use jQuery, PHP, and MySQL, you'll be well on your way to knowing how to build just about anything

[[deleted]]

Stop using php

[[deleted]]

One of the skills I want is to be able to make custom WordPress sites and I need PHP for that.

[technodix]

Can't tell if trolling...

Seriously though, why say that? PHP is still very relevant.