Part 4 Exercises - Back-End with PHP - Full-Stack Web Development Course

Exercises Overview

Welcome to the Part 4 exercises! These hands-on activities will help you master PHP for server-side web development. Complete each exercise to build your skills in creating dynamic web applications.

Your Progress

Complete exercises to track your progress

PHP Basics Exercises

4.1

Hello PHP

Your first PHP page

Beginner

Create a PHP page that displays "Hello, World!" and demonstrates basic PHP syntax including variables, echo statements, and embedding PHP in HTML.

Detailed Instructions

Create a PHP file: Save as "hello.php"
Add PHP opening tag: Start with <?php
Create variables: Store your name and a greeting message
Use echo: Display the greeting with your name
Mix HTML and PHP: Add HTML structure around PHP code
Test the page: Run it on a PHP server (XAMPP, WAMP, or live server)

PHP Template

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Hello PHP</title>
</head>
<body>
    <?php
    $name = "Your Name";
    echo "<h1>Hello, " . $name . "!</h1>";
    ?>
</body>
</html>

Submit Your Work

4.2

Variables and Data Types

Working with PHP variables

Beginner

Create a PHP script that demonstrates different data types: strings, integers, floats, booleans, and arrays. Display each variable's value and type.

Requirements

Create variables of each data type
Use var_dump() or gettype() to show variable types
Perform basic operations (addition, concatenation)
Display results in a formatted HTML table

Submit Your Work

Form Processing Exercises

4.3

Contact Form Handler

Process form submissions

Intermediate

Create a contact form with fields for name, email, and message. Build a PHP script that processes the form, validates the input, and displays a success message or error messages.

Requirements

Create an HTML form with name, email, and message fields
Validate that all fields are filled
Validate email format using filter_var()
Sanitize input using htmlspecialchars()
Display success message or validation errors
Prevent XSS attacks by sanitizing output

Form Processing Template

<?php
$errors = [];

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
    $name = trim($_POST['name'] ?? '');
    $email = trim($_POST['email'] ?? '');

    // Validation
    if (empty($name)) {
        $errors[] = "Name is required";
    }
?>

Submit Your Work

Sessions & Cookies Exercises

4.4

Simple Login System

Using sessions for authentication

Intermediate

Create a simple login system with a login form and a protected page. Use sessions to track logged-in users and redirect unauthorized access.

Requirements

Create a login form (username and password)
Validate credentials (hardcoded for simplicity)
Start a session and store user data
Create a protected page that checks for session
Add a logout functionality
Redirect unauthorized users to login page

Submit Your Work

Database Operations Exercises

4.5

User Registration System

Database CRUD operations

Advanced

Create a user registration system that stores user data in a MySQL database. Include form validation, password hashing, and display a list of registered users.

Requirements

Create a MySQL database and users table
Build a registration form with validation
Use PDO for database connection
Use prepared statements for security
Hash passwords using password_hash()
Create a page to display all registered users
Handle errors gracefully

Database Connection Template

<?php
try {
    $pdo = new PDO(
        "mysql:host=localhost;dbname=your_database",
        "username",
        "password"
    );
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
} catch(PDOException $e) {
    echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}
?>