Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run
Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run — Practise PHP coding with a compiler and an AI mentor
Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run is a free-to-start iOS and Android app for PHP coding on your phone. A built-in PHP compiler and editor runs your script and shows the output, or the web page it prints, while 49 courses take you from your first echo to MySQL with PDO, Laravel and REST APIs, with an AI mentor to explain your errors.
- Price
- Free, Pro upgrade
- Platforms
- iOS and Android
- Languages
- 22
- Age rating
- 4+
- Requires
- iOS 15.1 or later
- App Store
- 5.0 ★ (1)
Data in, a page out.
That is most of what PHP does. A request arrives with a query string, a form or a cookie, the script runs, and HTML comes back. The app is built to let you watch that loop: describe a request, run the script, and see the page it produces next to the source and the console.
What it is
Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run is an iOS and Android app that teaches PHP from the first echo statement through MySQL, object-oriented code, Laravel and REST APIs. It offers 49 courses and 195 lessons ordered from level A1 to C2, a mobile PHP editor and compiler that renders printed HTML as a web page, a request simulator for $_GET, $_POST, cookies and sessions, a SQLite database sandbox, 60 coding missions, and an AI mentor that explains error messages.
Inside the app
What it looks like
The course
What the PHP course covers
49 courses and 195 lessons drawn from the app's own course list, from your first script to frameworks, security and deployment.
Getting Started and PHP Basics
What PHP is, running a first script, then variables, types and echo, the groundwork every later course assumes.
Control Flow, Functions and Scope
if/else, switch and loops, followed by functions, arguments and variable scope.
Arrays, Strings, Dates
Arrays and the array functions, string functions, and date and time handling, the everyday tools of PHP scripts.
PHP and the Web
Embedding PHP in HTML pages, working with GET and POST forms, and managing sessions and cookies.
Object-Oriented PHP
Classes and objects, inheritance, interfaces and traits, namespaces with PSR-4 autoloading, and Composer for packages.
Databases, JSON and APIs
MySQL with PDO and prepared statements, plus JSON and consuming REST APIs.
Laravel
MVC and routing, the Eloquent ORM, authentication and authorization, queues and jobs, and building REST APIs with Laravel.
Security, Testing and Deployment
XSS, CSRF and SQL injection, unit testing with PHPUnit, and deploying a PHP application.
How it works
How a session works
A session pairs a short lesson with code you run straight away, so the idea and the practice happen in the same sitting.
Take one short lesson
Open a course and work through a lesson of five to ten minutes: a plain-language explanation first, then an example you can change.
Run it and see the page
Write a script in the editor and tap Run. Output appears in a console tab, and when your code prints HTML you also see it rendered as a web page next to the source. Running code needs an internet connection.
Ask, check and keep going
When an error message makes no sense, ask the AI mentor what went wrong. A quiz and a coding challenge follow each topic, and Bug Hunt gives you a broken script to fix.
What's inside
What comes with the app
49
Courses, A1 to C2
195 lessons ordered by level, from variables and loops to OOP, MySQL with PDO, Laravel, security, testing and advanced topics such as Docker and microservices.
Run
Mobile PHP editor and compiler
Write a script, tap Run and read the console. When the script prints HTML, a Page view shows it as a web page beside the source and the console.
Request
Request simulator
Fill in $_GET, $_POST, cookies and the session, then run your script as if a browser had sent that request.
SQLite
Database sandbox
Practise PDO against a real SQLite database with tables you can query, so a lesson on prepared statements has something to run against.
60
Coding missions
20 easy, 20 medium and 20 hard missions, plus 20 guided projects with starter code and hints, and step-by-step builds of a contact form, a login system, a blog with CRUD and a REST API.
AI
AI mentor
Ask about a concept, an error message or a piece of code and get a clear explanation. Error messages point to the line in your own code.
Background
What is PHP used for, and is it still worth learning?
PHP is a server-side scripting language built to generate web pages, and it still runs a very large share of the web, including WordPress and many custom backends. It is worth learning if you want to build or maintain websites, work with MySQL, or take over an existing PHP codebase. Modern PHP 8 with namespaces, Composer and frameworks such as Laravel is a different experience from the old stereotype.
Server-side executionwhy the browser never sees your code
PHP runs on the server and sends only the result to the browser. That is why a script can read a database or a session without exposing it, and why testing PHP means sending it a request, not just opening a file.
Request data$_GET, $_POST, cookies, sessions
Everything a visitor sends arrives in superglobals such as $_GET and $_POST, with cookies and a session holding state between requests. Understanding these is the difference between a script and a working web page.
PDO and prepared statementstalking to MySQL safely
PDO is the standard way to query a database from PHP, and prepared statements keep user input out of the SQL string. This is the habit that prevents SQL injection, one of the most common web vulnerabilities.
Frameworks and Composerhow real projects are built
Composer installs packages and autoloads classes, and a framework such as Laravel adds routing, an ORM and authentication on top. Most PHP jobs involve a framework, so the language basics are a stepping stone rather than the finish.
Fit
Who it's for — and who it isn't
A good fit if you
- Are a complete beginner who wants to write PHP without setting up a local server first
- Maintain or are inheriting a PHP or WordPress site and need to read the code
- Want to practise MySQL with PDO, sessions and forms in small runnable exercises
- Are preparing for a backend interview and want questions with answers
- Learn in short sessions on a commute rather than long desk blocks
Not the right tool if you
- Need to run code offline, because the PHP runner needs an internet connection
- Want to install the real Laravel or Symfony: the framework lessons use a small teaching stand-in, clearly labelled
- Expect every course to be free: the first course is free and Pro unlocks the rest
- Need a full desktop project with Composer, a web server and version control
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to learn PHP coding on a phone?
Use an app where the code actually runs, so each lesson ends with something you executed. Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run has a mobile PHP editor and compiler, short lessons of five to ten minutes and an AI mentor for errors. It runs your script and shows the console output or the rendered page, which is the feedback PHP beginners need most.
Can I run PHP code on my phone?
Yes. The app includes a PHP compiler and editor: write a script, tap Run and read the output. The code runs through the app's code runner, which needs an internet connection. If your script prints HTML, a Page view shows it as a web page next to the source and the console.
Does the app teach Laravel and MySQL?
Yes. The course list covers MySQL with PDO and prepared statements, then Laravel fundamentals with MVC and routing, the Eloquent ORM, authentication, queues and building REST APIs. The framework lessons use a small teaching framework to practise routes, views and a query builder, and the app labels it clearly as not the real Laravel.
How many courses and lessons does Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run have?
It has 49 courses and 195 lessons, ordered from level A1 to C2 so a complete beginner and a working developer both find a next step. Lessons run five to ten minutes. There are also 60 coding missions and 20 guided projects for practice beyond the lessons.
Is PHP still worth learning?
Yes, if you work with websites. PHP powers WordPress and a large number of custom backends, and modern PHP 8 with Composer and Laravel is widely used for APIs and web apps. Learning it also teaches server-side ideas such as requests, sessions and databases that carry over to other languages.
Can I practise forms, sessions and cookies without a web server?
Yes. The request simulator lets you describe a request by filling in $_GET, $_POST, cookies and a session, then runs your script as if a browser had sent it. A database sandbox gives you a real SQLite database to practise PDO against, so you can test form handling and queries on the phone.
Is Learn PHP & Laravel: Code, Run free?
It is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. The free version includes the first course, Getting Started with PHP, two coding missions, Bug Hunt, the daily recall drills, the code editor and three AI mentor questions a day, and it shows ads. Pro unlocks every course, mission and project, the certificate exam and an unlimited AI mentor, and removes ads.
Is there a certificate or interview preparation?
Yes. Passing the final exam, a Pro feature, earns a certificate of completion. For interviews, the app includes 50 interview questions with clear answers, 50 quiz questions and a cheat sheet with 71 entries. A certificate shows what you studied and is not an accredited qualification.
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