I'm not sure how popular php 6 is and if many webhost even support it, so basically learn php 5 first or just straight to php 6? Thanks in advance.
+10
A:
This is relatively easy to answer: PHP 6 doesn't exist yet - it is still under development - , so you're safe and sound with PHP 5.
If the choice is between PHP 4 and 5, absolutely go with 5. PHP 4 is dead and should not be used any more.
Pekka
2010-10-27 18:16:37
REally it doesn't exist? Then whats this:
dave
2010-10-27 18:18:00
http://giorgiosironi.blogspot.com/2010/04/php-6-finally-released.html
dave
2010-10-27 18:19:09
@dave without even opening that link: Look at the date. Notice anything? :)
Pekka
2010-10-27 18:19:35
@dave hahahaha, that article is awesome
Harmen
2010-10-27 18:21:22
Release management by sed... the new paradigm?
Marc B
2010-10-27 18:23:42
LOL...ya. Hey thanks again for your feedback, im starting on php 5 right away...lol thanks.
dave
2010-10-27 18:24:03
Hehe, missed it last April, but a chuckle now nonetheless :)
Wrikken
2010-10-27 22:27:44
+20
A:
PHP 6 doesn't exist and has no roadmap, so I'd stick with PHP 5 for now. :)
Adam Backstrom
2010-10-27 18:16:41
A:
The amount of time it took to launch 5 from 4 was significant. That might be the case for PHP6. Stick to 5, the core of PHP will remain the same and you will only have to learn a few items when PHP 6 comes out.
Duniyadnd
2010-10-27 18:17:02
A:
Given that PHP6 is not even released yet and no date given, I'd say learn PHP5..
Tatu Ulmanen
2010-10-27 18:17:12
@Tatu your gravatar is so weird. At first glance, it looks like everything you say is Community Wiki. Sneaky move! ;)
Pekka
2010-10-27 18:55:38
@Pekka, I know, I should do something to that site, perhaps just slab a large "under construction" sign or something there. And yes, I'm on permanent CW mode.. :)
Tatu Ulmanen
2010-10-27 19:01:56
+1
A:
I would recommend diving into PHP5 (currently the de facto), adapting to PHP6 once you are adept shouldn't be very difficult. Here is a thread regarding the changes:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/716703/what-is-coming-in-php-6
Orbit
2010-10-27 18:17:54
A:
As the others have said, PHP 6 does not yet exist. I think a few books were published a while back with titles like 'Learn PHP 6', which is maybe where you got PHP 6 from. Since then the roadmap to PHP 6 has basically been torn up by the core PHP dev's. It looks like the next major version will probably be called PHP 5.4 and no-one knows if, or when, PHP 6 will appear.
Jeremy
2010-10-27 18:21:13
A:
PHP 6 has been renamed to PHP 5.3 for the time being. There are quite few differences between PHP 5.2 and 5.3 (noticeably namespaces) and learning PHP 5.2 should be just fine. Most PHP developers don't bother with 5.3 functionalities yet anyway.
** EDIT **
However, one thing to note is that as of July 22, 2010, PHP 5.2 has reached it's end of life.
Yanick Rochon
2010-10-27 18:21:32
A:
By learning and understanding PHP 5.3 (there are some differences) you will be well prepared for PHP 6 as there arent (in it's current state) that many differences - although it's just my opinion.
I don't think you will fall behind by starting with PHP 5.3
Repox
2010-10-27 18:22:32
A:
As other people are alluding to on here, all development of PHP6 has halted; they have merged a number of features that was going to be in 6 into the 5 trunk. Some of them made it into 5.3 and more of them will be in 5.4. There will NOT be a PHP6 released any time soon. So you should just learn with the current version that is released, 5.3.3.
Here is a good article on the state of PHP development. http://lwn.net/Articles/379909/
LLBBL
2010-10-27 19:40:12
A:
PHP6 development was almost put on hold, no one knows when it will be resumed, all attention of developers now on improving PHP5 (the most things was planed for PHP6 already in PHP5.3 and most others will be soon, except for UTF which is the main reason why PHP6 is still not ready.)
Vladson
2010-10-27 23:52:13