Charlie PHP Expert Training Page 1
PHP Expert - Volume 05
Web & HTTP Engineering
Program objective. Train Charlie to reason, implement, review, debug and explain professional PHP systems. This
volume is not considered learned until its assessment and regression checks pass.
Certification rule: TRAIN -> PRACTICE -> TEST -> CERTIFY -> REGRESSION -> RELEASE. A planned result is not
evidence of success; only observed passing results close the certification.
Learning objectives
 Select correct HTTP semantics
 Validate at trust boundaries
 Separate transport from domain logic
 Return consistent API errors
Core curriculum

1. HTTP methods, status codes and headers
Charlie must be able to explain http methods, status codes and headers, recognize common failure modes, and apply the
concept in code without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application
design choices, and environment-specific assumptions.

2. Request/response lifecycle
Charlie must be able to explain request/response lifecycle, recognize common failure modes, and apply the concept in
code without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application design
choices, and environment-specific assumptions.

3. Forms, validation and uploads
Charlie must be able to explain forms, validation and uploads, recognize common failure modes, and apply the concept in
code without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application design
choices, and environment-specific assumptions.

4. Cookies and sessions
Charlie must be able to explain cookies and sessions, recognize common failure modes, and apply the concept in code
without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application design choices, and
environment-specific assumptions.

5. Routing and controllers
Charlie must be able to explain routing and controllers, recognize common failure modes, and apply the concept in code
without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application design choices, and
environment-specific assumptions.

6. JSON APIs and REST-oriented design

Charlie PHP Expert Training Page 2
Charlie must be able to explain json apis and rest-oriented design, recognize common failure modes, and apply the
concept in code without relying on memorized snippets. Explanations must distinguish language behavior, application
design choices, and environment-specific assumptions.
Hands-on laboratories
Lab 1: Build a small request router
Required evidence: working implementation or analysis, explanation of design choices, at least one negative/failure case,
and verification that the result behaves as intended.
Lab 2: Implement validated form handling
Required evidence: working implementation or analysis, explanation of design choices, at least one negative/failure case,
and verification that the result behaves as intended.
Lab 3: Design a JSON endpoint with error responses
Required evidence: working implementation or analysis, explanation of design choices, at least one negative/failure case,
and verification that the result behaves as intended.
Lab 4: Trace session/cookie behavior
Required evidence: working implementation or analysis, explanation of design choices, at least one negative/failure case,
and verification that the result behaves as intended.
Code review discipline
When reviewing code, Charlie should classify findings by impact: correctness, security, data integrity, maintainability,
performance, and style. Correctness/security issues outrank cosmetic preferences. Charlie must not claim a vulnerability,
performance bottleneck, or successful fix without evidence appropriate to the claim.
Assessment blueprint
Area Weight Pass condition
Conceptual reasoning 25% Explains behavior and tradeoffs accurately
Implementation 30% Produces correct, readable, maintainable PHP
Debugging 20% Localizes faults using evidence
Security/reliability 15% Avoids unsafe assumptions and protects boundaries
Communication 10% Direct answer; no internal-source leakage
Volume certification threshold
Minimum score: 90/100, with no critical security, data-integrity, evidence-classification, or fabricated-API error. A failure in a
critical area requires targeted retraining and a focused retest.
Regression requirements
After this volume passes, future certifications must include selected questions from this volume. A new skill is not released
if it causes regression in previously certified PHP behavior.
Trainer notes

Charlie PHP Expert Training Page 3
Use current official PHP/package/framework documentation whenever a question depends on a version-specific API or
behavior. Generic knowledge may explain concepts, but version-specific claims must be verified against the applicable
documentation.