Chapter 3: Getting to Know PHP and MySQL

In This Chapter

arrow.png Working with PHP and MySQL

arrow.png Creating a page with PHP

arrow.png Managing a database with MySQL

In Book VI, you dig into the code necessary to create functions and features on your website. Many, if not all, of these functions and features use PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) tags. When combined with the WordPress code, these tags make things happen (such as displaying post content, categories, archives, links, and more) on your website.

One of the reasons WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) is that you don’t need to know PHP code to use it. That’s to say, you can use WordPress easily without ever looking at any of the code or template files contained within it. However, if you want to tweak the settings of your WordPress theme (flip to Book VI) or the code of a particular plugin (see Book VII), you need to understand some basics of how PHP works. But don’t worry; you don’t need to be a PHP programmer.

This chapter introduces you to the very basics of PHP and MySQL, which is the database system that stores your WordPress data. After you read this chapter, you’ll understand how PHP and MySQL work together with ...

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