How does a match expression differ from switch?

match uses strict (===) comparison, returns a value, has no fall-through and throws UnhandledMatchError if nothing matches

match uses loose (==) comparison and falls through to the next case

There is no difference; match is an alias of switch

What do named arguments, such as htmlspecialchars($text, double_encode: false), let you do?

Pass arguments by parameter name, in any order, skipping optional parameters you do not need

Create new variables inside the function

Call private methods from outside a class

What must happen before you read or write $_SESSION?

Call session_start(), before any output is sent to the browser

Set a cookie called PHPSESSID by hand

Nothing; sessions start automatically in every PHP setup

Which approach safely queries users by an email address submitted in a form?

Use a PDO prepared statement with a placeholder and pass the email to execute()

Concatenate the email into the SQL after addslashes()

Wrap the email in quotes inside the SQL string

Remove spaces from the email before inserting it into the SQL

How should you store and check user passwords in PHP?

password_hash() to store and password_verify() to check

md5() the password and compare hashes

Encrypt it with base64_encode()

What is the difference between include and require when the file is missing?

require stops the script with a fatal error; include gives a warning and carries on

include stops the script; require only warns

What should you do before echoing a user's comment into an HTML page?

Escape it with htmlspecialchars() using ENT_QUOTES and UTF-8

Nothing, if it was validated on input

Run strip_tags() and trust the result in every context

Free PHP Quiz (PHP 8) With Answers

This free PHP quiz checks the knowledge you need to build secure, modern PHP applications: PHP 8 features such as match, the nullsafe operator and named arguments, strict types, arrays, superglobals, sessions, PDO prepared statements, password hashing, include versus require, comparison rules and escaping output against XSS. It suits students and junior developers. Answer all 12 questions, check your score, then read the explanations and revisit the PHP guide for anything you missed.

Frequently asked questions

Which PHP version does this quiz assume?

PHP 8.x. Some answers differ in PHP 7, for example how a number is compared with a non-numeric string.

Why are there security questions in a PHP quiz?

SQL injection, XSS and weak password storage are among the most common flaws in PHP applications, so prepared statements, escaping and password_hash() are core skills.

Do I need a framework to use these ideas?

No. Everything here is plain PHP. Frameworks such as CodeIgniter and Laravel build on the same features.

PHP Quiz: 12 Questions on PHP 8

Frequently asked questions

Which PHP version does this quiz assume?

Why are there security questions in a PHP quiz?

Do I need a framework to use these ideas?

Want to Learn This Properly?

Frequently asked questions

Which PHP version does this quiz assume?

Why are there security questions in a PHP quiz?

Do I need a framework to use these ideas?

More free quizzes

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