What's the easiest way to learn how to code in CSS and PHP?

tizag.com

You should pick a project that requires PHP and CSS and start working on it. It should be something that you find personally interesting or useful, so that you will be motivated to work on it. Do you have a personal website? Could you add some features to it using PHP? Could you redesign it using CSS?

Whenever I set out to learn a new language, I always buy a reference book to guide me through. I particularly like O’Reilly books. Take a look at Learning PHP 5 by David Sklar and CSS: The Definitive Guide by Eric Meyer. The PHP Cookbook is also an excellent reference book (thought it presupposes some knowledge of PHP).

sferik nailed it. Learn it by doing it. When you hit an obstacle, turn to a resource: reference book, the web or an expert/mentor. I’d add that taking apart what others have done is a useful practice. If you see an element of design or functionality that you like, download the source (this of course works better for CSS) and take it apart! I second the O’Reilly recommendation. Top shelf.

For learning CSS design in particulary, i get my inspiration on http://www.csszengarden.com/

I have always liked Lynda.com

I like the “Visual Blueprint” books for quickly picking up a new language. Amazon has PHP5: A Visual Blueprint, I’d recommend it. Sorry no link, on a phone.

I think tutorials are the way to go. They teach you through living, breathing examples.

Then you are equipped with the tools that may be required for a similar application are something that you’ve already executed.

Syntax guides are only useful for refrence, not learning.

@Spargett, I’d say that depends on how you learn and I’d say it’s more true when you’re just starting out than when you have a base of experience on which to draw. At this point in my career, I much prefer a reference to a tutorial. Tutorials, by nature, leave out a lot of detail to get you up-and-running quickly. Because programming is typically pretty similar from language to language, I want to know all of my options.

You could grab the source from a simple website and have a muck around with the css in it, giving you an idea of how it all relates…

i have found the easiest way for me to learn is by getting some know how via tutorials then putting it to use. the best place i have found that gives a real good base is www.w3schools.com they also put forth several different languages to learn from. the examples they give you are editable and shows you what the outcome is once you update it. very nice IMO!!