I just completed the PHP basics. There are PHP coders n lovers out there. I would like to here How you managed to learn or how you experienced/felt learning PHP at initial stage. I feel very uncomfortable and complicated even at JS. Though i am very enthusiastic at HTML, CSS and ADOBE softwares, I found PHP is somehow hard. MYSQL is not so hard for me.
PHP it's not so hard, try some video tutorials. To learn php you need to manage codes, try to make some basic scripts by tutorials and with the time you will become more experienced...
Have you been just reading code or have you been trying out some basic functions? I got my 12yo to mess about with this page: hxxp://jeremy.itamer.com/something.php and he had to create forms, hidden fields, verify the submitted content, set up css etc and it gave him a really good intro. It's broken now, but it gives a good idea of what a learning script might do and how you can get started. Ultimately you'll probably only ever code plugins and extensions to existing CMS systems and they are really easy once you get the hang of classes. Oh, and FWIW, your first programming language is always the hardest. Once you know one the others all fall into place.
I agree with sarahk your first programming language is the most difficult to learn. Then from there it gets easier and easier as you progress and learn other languages. The most difficult part of learning PHP for me was the fact that out of the box it's just a sloppy language compared to other strict languages. You can easily write crap code and it will function. The most difficult part of learning PHP as your first language would simply be due to the fact that you don't understand the fundamentals of programming. If you think PHP is difficult just wait until you dabble with C++ or Java... or even the Cryptic Perl
There are two things you need to cover when coding with any language: Programming Concepts Coding Syntax Nothing is perfect in start, but practice makes man perfect.
There is a lot of dependencies of what programming you want to learn, web programming or system programming?