Beginner terms
Named Arguments (PHP 8.0)
PHP 8.0+
PHP 8.0 named arguments let you pass values by parameter name — skipping optional params, self-documenting calls, and enabling out-of-order argument passing.
3mo ago
php beginner
Naming Test Methods (Given/When/Then)
Test method names should describe behaviour, not implementation — test_calculateTotal_givenDiscountedItems_returnsReducedPrice beats test_calculateTotal().
3mo ago
testing beginner
Null Coalescing ?? Operator (PHP 7.0)
PHP 7.0+
PHP 7.0's ?? operator returns the left side if it exists and isn't null, otherwise the right — replacing isset($x) ? $x : $default with $x ?? $default.
3mo ago
php beginner
Null Reference Errors
PHP 5.0+
Errors caused by calling methods or accessing properties on null — PHP's 'Call to a member function X() on null' and JavaScript's 'Cannot read properties of null' are the most common runtime errors in both languages.
3mo ago
php beginner
number_format() & money_format()
PHP 4.0+
number_format() formats a number with grouped thousands and a specified number of decimal places — the correct way to display prices, statistics, and large integers in PHP. money_format() was deprecated in PHP 7.4 and removed in PHP 8.0.
3mo ago
php beginner
Namespaces Introduced in PHP 5.3
PHP 5.3+
PHP 5.3 (2009) introduced namespaces with the namespace keyword and backslash separator — enabling PSR-4 autoloading and modern package management with Composer.
3mo ago
php beginner
NaN — Detection & Avoiding Pitfalls
ES2015
NaN is the only JavaScript value not equal to itself — use Number.isNaN() (not isNaN()) to detect it, as isNaN() coerces its argument first.
3mo ago
javascript beginner
Nullish Coalescing (??) & Logical Assignment
ES2020
?? returns the right side only when the left is null or undefined — unlike ||, it does not trigger on 0 or empty string. Parallel to PHP's null coalescing operator.
3mo ago
javascript beginner
Native dialog Element
HTML5
The HTML dialog element provides accessible modals and non-modal dialogs natively — with built-in focus trapping, backdrop rendering, and the Escape key — without JavaScript libraries.
3mo ago
frontend beginner
Null Coalescing Operator Not Used
PHP 7.0+
Using isset() + ternary or if/else chains when the null coalescing operator (??) or null coalescing assignment (??=) would be cleaner and more idiomatic.
3mo ago
style beginner
Named Arguments (PHP 8.0)
PHP 8.0+
Pass arguments to a function by parameter name rather than position, improving readability and allowing optional parameters to be skipped.
3mo ago
php beginner
Naming Conventions
PHP 5.0+
1
Consistent naming rules for classes, methods, variables, and constants that make code self-documenting and predictable.
3mo ago
style beginner
Null Coalescing Operator (??)
PHP 7.0+
Returns the left operand if it exists and is not null, otherwise the right — cleaner than isset() ternary chains.
3mo ago
php beginner
Nullable Types (?Type)
PHP 7.1+
Declaring a type as ?Type allows either a value of that type or null — shorthand for Type|null.
3mo ago
php beginner
Nullsafe Operator (?->)
PHP 8.0+
Chains method calls and property accesses on potentially-null objects without nested null checks; returns null on the first null encounter.
3mo ago
php beginner