[Venkatesh]

Most PHP people that I know started with login/logout systems and database connectivity. It seems like a good way to start learning PHP and connecting it to web based systems.

I still don't know how to use PHP with a database, because my first and only PHP project was a an SMTP server coupled with a connector to a POP3 server. That is how I am able to have a Windows system be my email server, for free. =) Unfortunately, it is not perfectly done - there are occational weird, unexplainable problems with email. I found PHP was quite a good language for someone wanting to write basic networking software.