Are there any good resources for transitioning from Java/C# to PHP

Question

OK, so I see that there are a few articles for transitioning from PHP to Java, but I am going the other way around.

I have experience with developing with C# and Java applications (these languages have roughly similar architectures).

I have recently begun to work with PHP, and there are a few things which seem very unusual from the JAVA/.NET background. One example being the encouragement of not managing database connections like one would do in C#/Java.

While I do see how a fair amount of concepts are shared between PHP and the other languages, I wonder what other pitfalls I might run into.

What are some tips when moving from Java to PHP? Are there any good resources on moving from Java to PHP? I have been using http://php.net which works really well, but I was wondering if anyone had firsthand experience of concepts which work well in Java/C#, but not so much in PHP?

Thanks

Answer 1

I would strongly recommend PHP and MySQL Web Development V4 (I read 3, but 4 is out now) by by Luke Welling and Laura Thomson. Just check the reviews on Amazon if you don't believe me - they're dripping. It's one of the best programming books I've ever read, let alone on PHP.

Answer 2

If you use Eclipse, I recommend trying the PHPEclipse plugin. It lets you work on PHP projects in a familiar environment.

Also, I recommend checking out the CodeIgniter framework. It is a fantastic framework that felt very comfortable to me. They also have great tutorials that have you creating a very simplistic blog from scratch in about 30 minutes.

Answer 3

I would recommend PHP Objects, Patterns, and Practices. I was in a similar situation as you and this helped me transfer my Java skills to PHP.