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Interested in becoming a master of the PHP language and MySQL database but don't know where to begin? This best-selling book ranks among the most thorough and practical guides in print, covering all of the key concepts and features, and showing you how to effectively integrate PHP and MySQL to build powerful web sites.
The book begins with a vast overview of PHP's capabilities, starting with a survey of the installation and configuration process on both the Windows and Linux platforms. Next, several chapters are devoted to basic PHP concepts, including variables, datatypes, arrays, functions, string manipulation, and processing user input. Other key PHP topics are also covered, including PEAR, session handling, LDAP integration, the Smarty templating engine, Web services, and PDO.
Next up is a presentation of MySQL's key features. You're first guided through MySQL's installation and configuration process, and are presented with an introduction to its storage engines, datatypes,administration utilities, security features, and data import/export facilities. New MySQL 5�specific chapters have been added in this edition, covering triggers, stored procedures, and views. Along the way, you'll gain insight into PHP's assortment of MySQL functions (using both the mysql and mysqli extensions), and learn how to create and execute queries, perform searches, and carry out key database tasks from within your Web application.
W. Jason Gilmore is a Columbus, Ohio–based developer, consultant, writer, and editor. He’s a cofounder of the CodeMash conference and is a member of the 2008 MySQL Conference speaker selection board. In his previous capacity as Apress’s open source editor, he fostered the publication of more than 60 books, along the way helping to transform the open source line into one of the industry’s most respected publishing programs.
Through W.J. Gilmore, LLC, (http://www.wjgilmore.com/) Jason provides an array of consulting and web development services to small businesses around the country. Contact Jason at wjATwjgilmore.com if you’re looking for competent, timely, and cost–effective services.
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August 28, 2006: This book is geared for three types of readers I believe (a rarity among books). First are people who have no experience in programming or web development whatsoever, the second are people who have worked in other languages whether be on the desktop or the web, the third type are people who already have some basic PHP and/or MYSQL experience and want to further their knowledge into intermediate topics. How can a book accommodate so many types of readers? Well, being slightly over 800 pages helps and also this book is very well written and organized and focuses on all the important topics. It?s basically split into three parts (even though it does not say it specifically). The first part comprises of basic PHP skills (installing, syntax basics, functions, OOP and regular expressions), the second part are intermediate to advanced topics (PEAR, authentication, networking, web services, SQLite and PDO) and the third part covers the basics and some intermediate topics of MYSQL (installing, data types, MYSQL and mysqli extensions, stored procedures, triggers, views and transactions). The book basically covers everything you need to know about PHP and MYSQL for most of your needs. Unless your going to be writing large, enterprise applications on a daily basis (most of us will not be), it really is the only book you should need. If you?re a novice, don?t be scared of the size of the book or how many topics it covers. The author assumes no prior knowledge and starts you from the very beginning with easy to understand examples that step you through everything you need to get going. It covers the latest version of PHP (version 5.1) which includes PDO (PHP Data Objects) which provides a data abstraction layer to help connect to other database other than MYSQL (DB2, SQL Server, ORACLE, etc.) , and built-in functions for database commands. This is a book I highly recommend and should be in your library if you want to learn PHP and MYSQL effectively.
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August 24, 2006: This is states it is for the Novice to the Professional and that is completely true. If you are new to PHP or if you know PHP well this book is for you. Great for beginners and a reference for the professional to turn to again and again. The foundation of the web is simple database back ends and interactive web page front ends. MySQL is an Internet standard back end database and it's ease of use combined with the power of PHP make the 2 a great combination to construct web databases easily and powerfully. Gilmore guides the reader step by step from installation to basic functions, and finally to practical uses for PHP and MySQL. But wait a minute, Gilmore adds two more things. He sneaks small chapters in the middle of his book on SqlLite and PDO. For those thinking that MySQL is a bit too much for their small project then turn to SqLite. Gilmore explains how to install and use SqLite quickly. If you are a programmer and are familuar with using Microsoft's ADO for database connections, then you can turn to PDO (PHP Dataobjects). PDO provides the power and simplicity to connect to various databases that you may have at your disposal. One of the great sections in the book is Gilmore's explanation of how to do Object Orientated Programing in PHP. Starting with PHP 5 you can harness the power of PHP to deal with you program objectively. Object Orientated Programming is mentally the way to go as you can plan, organize, and assemble your code logically. Other chapters of interest include how to effectively use Arrays, Authentication, File Uploads, PHP and LDAP, Secure PHP, Securing MySQL, Practical Database Queries, and Importing and Exporting data. If you do any work with PHP at all, be sure to check out this book. It will pay for itself in full.