Server-Side Web Development with PHP and XHTML

Static websites limit how you can interact with your audience, but server-side programming opens up endless possibilities for dynamic content. Understanding how the server processes data and generates structured markup is the absolute foundation of web development. This text-based course guides you from writing your first PHP script to building fully functional, interactive web applications. You will learn how to configure a local development environment, write clean server-side logic, and dynamically generate compliant XHTML output. What you'll learn: Understand the core concepts of server-side programming and how PHP interacts with XHTML; Configure a local server environment to run and test your PHP scripts; Master fundamental PHP syntax, variables, control structures, and modern type-hinted functions; Process web forms securely using HTTP GET and POST methods; Validate and sanitize user input to protect your applications from common vulnerabilities; Generate structured, standards-compliant XHTML dynamically using server-side logic. The course starts with essential web terminology and basic environment setup, then advances through core PHP programming, form handling, and output generation. You will practice through structured written explanations, code analyses, and conceptual exercises. Designed for beginners with a basic understanding of HTML who want to transition into server-side development, this course requires no prior programming experience. Start building interactive web applications today.