Part-time courses for adults

PHP3 - PHP Web Application Development

This course introduces object oriented PHP and the use of software design patterns for practical web application development.

The course covers development of PHP classes and methods in order to create and maintain web applications.  It covers the separation of the different parts of a web application and their relationships through object oriented programming and demonstrates their use in practical web development.

This course is ideal for the student who already has some knowledge of the PHP programming language.

Learning and teaching

This module includes a mix of traditional lectures and laboratory sessions.

The course will teach the fundamentals of Object Oriented programming applicable to PHP and will cover the use of Classes, Methods, and their relationships.

It will cover the generation of Objects through class instantiation, inheritance and extending classes.  This will be achieved through a number of individual projects requiring some level of PHP development that will be covered during the lessons.

The course will continue with examples of typical software design patters that use OO style programming to achieve a maintainable web application, and will discuss the advantages / disadvantages of different methods.

The secondary purpose of this section will be for the student to decide which style they will use for the final part of the course.

The course will then provide the opportunity for each student to select a suitable web application and follow their chosen design method to generate their own functional web application. Students will be given the opportunity to either use a pre-existing template or to use their own time to create a more personal bespoke application.

Coursework and assessment

To award credits we need to have evidence of the knowledge and skills you have gained or improved. Some of this has to be in a form that can be shown to external examiners so that we can be absolutely sure that standards are met across all courses and subjects.

During the course, you will be given assignments to be submitted to the course tutor.  At the end of the course, there will be a class test.

The most important element of assessment is that it should enhance your learning. Our methods are designed to increase your confidence and we try very hard to devise ways of assessing you that are enjoyable and suitable for adults with busy lives.

Reading suggestions

• PHP Object Oriented Solutions David Powers / Friends of Ed
• Practical Web 2.0 Applications with PHP Quentin Zervaas / Apress

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.