Learn PHP from Scratch

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. While other languages, like Javascript, function on the client-side, your PHP code will execute on the server level. It works seamlessly with our HTML. Furthermore, your PHP can be embedded within your HTML and vice versa. The important thing to remember is that, no matter how complicated your PHP is, it will ultimately be output as simple HTML.

HTML is 100% static. PHP is a scripting language that is perfect for developing dynamic web pages and applications.
You must have the following installed on your computer in order to begin.

Web Server: Apache, IIS, etc.
Database Server: MySQL, Oracle, etc.
Web Browser: Firefox, IE, Opera, Crome, etc.
Text Editor: Dreamweaver, Eclipse, etc.
PHP Language

Optional:

Tools: Wamp, Xamp, PHPTraid

Advantages of using PHP:

Every web language comes with its advantages and disadvantages, and you will find PHP is no different. However, PHP is a popular web language for many reasons.

Easy learning curve. The less time you have to spend searching the manual and studying a web language, the more time you will have to actually create and optimize your application. One of PHP's best features is that it is extremely easy to learn compared to other web languages. The syntax is arguably logical and many of the common functions describe exactly what they do.

Familiar syntax. PHP is a great language for developers with programming experience, especially programming in C and Perl, which is what PHP's syntax is mostly based on. If you know how to program in C and/or Perl, you won't have any issues writing applications in PHP.

Cost. It's free and open source. Can't beat that.

Performance.PHP is a relatively efficient web language. Scalability in your code and applications is very important and you can rely on PHP to serve as many web pages as you need efficiently (of course, it can't help if your coding inefficiently).

Community. The PHP community absolutely rocks. You'll find some of the most in-depth and comprehensive documentation of the entire language at php.net. In addition, there are thousands of PHP help forums and websites to help you when you get stuck. Furthermore, since PHP is open source, it is constantly being improved. PHP 5 recently implemented very strong support for object oriented programming and the language continues to become more powerful.

Recommended PHP & MySQL Tutorial site link:

1. Download PHP Software & manual, learn the fundamentals & advanced of PHP.

2. Download MySQL Software & manual, learn the fundamentals & advanced of MySQL.

3. Essential PHP & MySQL Video Training - Lynda.com

4. Introductory Tutorial of PHP

5. MySQL Reference Manual w/ Tutorial Intro

6. Mysql++ A C++ API for Mysql

7. Installing PHP on any OS

8. W3Schools PHP Tutorial

9. Practical PHP Programming

10. PHP 101-For the absolute beginner

11. Zend.com PHP Tutorials