Web Development with PHP and MySQL

CIS 86

Mission College

Fall 2015

Instructor: Mark Brautigam

Welcome!

Welcome to CIS 86, Web Development using PHP and MySQL. This page gives you a little information about getting started the first week.

NOTE: Some of the materials on Angel still refer to last semester and have dates from last semester. I am trying to update these documents now. In particular, the lab PowerPoints and the lab code will probably change this semester. I tailor the labs to the needs and questions of the students each semester, so the emphasis changes from one semester to the next. However, the lectures PowerPoints and the video lectures themselves probably will not change.

How the class works

  • There will be video lectures posted on Angel. It is best if you watch them each week before the Thursday night lab.
  • There will be lab on Thursday nights, 6:30–9:40 pm, in GC 202. The lab is mandatory. We will present additional material on Thursdays, do some extra coding, and work in groups.
  • You may bring your own laptop to the Thursday night lab. However, we must insist that your laptop be fully charged and able to run without AC for the duration of the class. There are no AC outlets in the class for you to plug in your charger.

Prerequisites

  • You should know how to code a basic web page in HTML, including images, links, and bullet lists. We will teach you how to code tables and forms. It is good if you already know tables, but you don't have to know forms at all yet.
  • You should know some programming language, like C, C++, Java, Javascript, or Python. For the old-timers, BASIC or Pascal would be good languages to know. In particular, you should know how to write a FOR loop or WHILE loop, and how to create and access an ARRAY.
  • If you don't know these things, you will find this class difficult. However, they are not absolutely required.

Assignments due Thursday, Sept. 3

  • Learn to log into Angel, if you don't already know how. (If you're totally new and lost here, please go to the Mission College web site and look for the link that says "Angel Login."
  • Fill out the Class Survey in the Week 1 folder on Angel.
  • Introduce yourself on the discussion forum on Angel. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, what you do for a living, if you are taking any other classes, why you are taking the class, and what you hope to get out of the class.
  • Order the textbook. The textbook does not get good reviews but the bad reviews are unwarranted. This is currently the best PHP textbook available. I suggest you rent the textbook if you find it too expensive to buy. While it is a good textbook, it is not a good reference book and you'll find other better ones to use after the class is over.
  • Watch the video lectures posted in the Week 1 folder.

Assignments due Wednesday, Sept. 9

  • Install WAMP (Windows) or MAMP (Mac). This is the required web server software. It includes Apache, PHP, and MySQL.
  • Install an FTP client, such as FileZilla (Mac or Windows) or Fetch (Mac).
  • Install an SSH (Telnet) client, such as Putty (Windows). (Mac users can use the terminal command line.)
  • Install a good text editor, such as NotePad++ (Windows) or TextWrangler (Mac).