PHP 4.3 vs 5 (which one should I start learning?)

[malfunction]

I'm planning to finally sit down and learn PHP - both for something to add to my CV and because I'm going to finally set up my own website (well sometime soon anyway). I was thinking of going with hosting-unlimited.net who are still using 4.3 - so should I start with that or find a host that's already upgraded to PHP5?

Suggestions appreciated. For background info I know ASP quite well as well as fair few other bits and pieces so I'm not coming to PHP 'cold'.

[Kezzer]

Not many changes from 4.3 to 5 i think. Only problem i have with PHP is interacting with forms, dunno why, just never been able to get the hang of it. Anyway, http://www.php.net/ is an excellent resource, probably the best online manual of any programming language I know. Well structured etc.

I don't know the differences between 4.3 and 5, the PHP website will probably tell you.

ASP is quite similar to PHP syntactically, it's just M$'s version of PHP (well that's what i learnt on my course )

[Iain]

Not many changes from 4.3 to 5 i think

erm....

There are too many to count. Biggest one imho is the move to the new OO model but there are others including better support for XML, web services, mysqli extensions and associated performance tweaks.

As Kezzer says, have a look at php.net or www.zend.com/php5

[aidanjt]

Az, exactly, the whole class support was overhauled entirely, PHP5 gave me everything I griped about with PHP4 OOP..

And they added PECL extention framework with PHP5 didn't they?.. looks all good to me.

[malfunction]

Cheers Az - the zend site had a much better summary - I just kept finding reference to incompatibilities between 4.3 and 5 on php.net...

So... Next question - can anyone recommend a PHP5 host (will do a google search too - not being lazy )

[aidanjt]

http://www.webconexion.net/services/web_hosting.php doesn't look too bad

*edit* different host here

[piggeh]

If you pick up a good book on PHP 5, it will tell you the old way (4.3) of doing things as well. From what I've covered in PHP in 24 hours (SAMS series), it generally goes over how it was done before showing you how it is now done in php 5. I havent got to the more complicated bits though so cant really vouch for Object-Oriented programming.

[aidanjt]

OOP is great for large projects, but a lot of hassle if your only doing simple things with it.

[Michael]

For learning the best thing I can suggest is running Apache from you're computer with PHP and MySQL... Can be set up in a night, and i'm sure people from here would help you.

That way you don't have to keep FTPing files all the time and everything is instant. 'Tis how I went about it anyway.