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PHP Computer Book Reviews

Programming PHP
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Programming PHP, 2nd Edition, is the authoritative guide to PHP 5 and is filled with the unique knowledge of the creator of PHP (Rasmus Lerdorf) and other PHP experts. When it comes to creating websites, the PHP scripting language is truly a red-hot property. In fact, PHP is currently used on more than 19 million websites, surpassing Microsoft's ASP .NET technology in popularity. Programmers love its flexibility and speed; designers love its accessibility and convenience.

As the industry standard book on PHP, all of the essentials are covered in a clear and concise manner. Language syntax and programming techniques are coupled with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. With style tips and practical programming advice, this book will help you become not just a PHP programmer, but a good PHP programmer. Programming PHP, Second Edition covers everything you need to know to create effective web applications with PHP. Contents include:

Detailed information on the basics of the PHP language, including data types, variables, operators, and flow control statements Chapters outlining the basics of functions, strings, arrays, and objects Coverage of common PHP web application techniques, such as form processing and validation, session tracking, and cookies Material on interacting with relational databases, such as MySQL and Oracle, using the database-independent PEAR DB library and the new PDO Library Chapters that show you how to generate dynamic images, create PDF files, and parse XML files with PHP Advanced topics, such as creating secure scripts, error handling, performance tuning, and writing your own C language extensions to PHP A handy quick reference to all the core functions in PHP and all the standard extensions that ship with PHP

Praise for the first edition:

"If you are just getting into the dynamic Web development world or you are considering migrating from another dynamic web product to PHP, Programming PHP is the book of choice to get you up, running, and productive in a short time."

--Peter MacIntrye, eWeek

"I think this is a great book for programmers who want to start developing dynamic websites with PHP. It gives a detailed overview of PHP, lots of valuable tips, and a good sense of PHP's strengths."

--David Dooling, Slashdot.org

Customer Review: Outstanding tutorial on PHP along with all of its possibilities
Most of the books I've looked at on PHP have tied it in a three-legged race with mySQL. I was looking for something that taught the core language itself and its place in applications besides those in which it is teamed with mySQL. This appears to be that book. The core PHP language features powerful string and array handling capabilites, as well as greatly improved support for object-oriented programming. Along with standard and optional extension modules, a PHP application can not only interact with a database such as MySQL or Oracle, it can also draw graphs, create PDF files, and parse XML files. You can write your own PHP extension modules in C to provide a PHP interface to the functions in an existing code library. You can even run PHP on Windows, which lets you control other Windows applications such as Word and Excel with COM or interact with databases using ODBC. This book is a guide to all of these capabiliies of the PHP language, as well as a tutorial on the core language itself. This book assumes you have a working knowledge of HTML and that you know how to program - preferably in either C, C++, or Perl. The first six chapters teach the core language itself. The six chapters include a dedicated introduction and a chapter on language basics which acts as a concise guide to PHP program elements such as identifiers, data types, operators, and flow-control statements. The next four chapters after that concern functions, strings, arrays, and objects respectively. The following is an outline of the remaining chapters of the book: Chapter 7, "Web Techniques" - PHP was designed as a web-scripting language and, although it is possible to use it in purely command-line and GUI scripts, the Web accounts for the vast majority of PHP uses. A dynamic web site may have forms, sessions, and sometimes redirection, and this chapter explains how to implement those things in PHP. You'll learn how PHP provides access to form parameters and uploaded files, how to send cookies and redirect the browser, and how to use PHP sessions. Chapter 8, "Databases" - PHP has support for over 20 databases, including the most popular commercial and open source varieties. This chapter covers how to access databases from PHP. The focus is on the PEAR DB system, which lets you use the same functions to access any database, rather than on the myriad database-specific extensions. In this chapter, you'll learn how to fetch data from the database, how to store data in the database, and how to handle errors. The chapter finishes with a sample application that shows how to put various database techniques into action. Chapter 9, Graphics - Many web images are dynamically created, such as graphs of stock performance. PHP supports the creation of such graphics with the GD and Imlib2 extensions. This chapter demonstrates how to generate images dynamically with PHP, using the GD extension. Chapter 10, PDF - PHP has several libraries for generating PDF documents. This chapter shows how to use the popular fpdf library. The FPDF library is a set of PHP code you include in your scripts with the required function, so it doesn't require any server-side configuration or support, meaning you can use it even without support from your host. Chapter 11, XML - This chapter shows how to use the XML parser bundled with PHP, as well as how to use the optional XSLT extension to transform XML. Generating XML is also briefly covered here. Chapter 12, Security - PHP's convenience is a double-edged sword. The very features that let you quickly write programs in PHP can open doors for those who would break into your systems. It's important to understand that PHP itself is neither secure nor insecure. The security of your web applications is entirely determined by the code you write. This chapter gives tips on making that code secure. Chapter 13, Application Techniques - This chapter demonstrates some techniques you may find useful in your PHP applications, such as code libraries, templating systems, efficient output handling, error handling, and performance tuning. Chapter 14, Extending PHP - This chapter demonstrates writing C language extensions to PHP. Although most functionality can be written in the PHP language, sometimes you need the extra speed and control you get from the C API. C is the mechanism for creating the thin middle layer between PHP and any third-party C library. For example, to be able to talk to the MySQL database server, PHP needs to implement the MySQL socket protocol. It would be a lot of work to figure out this protocol and talk to MySQL directly using "fsockopen" and "fputs" from a PHP script. Instead, the same goal can be accomplished with a thin layer of functions written in C that translate MySQL's C API, implemented in the libmysqlclient library included in MySQL, into PHP language-level function calls. This thin layer of functions is known as a PHP extension. Chapter 15, PHP on Windows - The most common reason to use PHP on Windows is to develop web applications on your Windows desktop. What can be confusing at first is the number of various configurations and choices available. There are many variants of the Windows operating system, and many web servers are available for those operating systems. PHP itself can run as either a DLL or a script. This chapter explains how to install, configure, and make the best use of PHP on Windows systems. One approach is taken and followed to its conclusion, although there are a number of different ways to arrive at the same destination. Also explained is how to take advantage of the features unique to the Windows platform, such as connecting to databases with ODBC and controlling Microsoft Office applications through COM. As you can see this book really provides two functions. It is a very thorough tutorial and reference on the PHP programming language, and it is also a tutorial and showcase of all of the different uses PHP can have. Well commented code and instructions are provided throughout. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to learn the PHP programming language as well as those that know the basics and want to put the language to work. Just make sure you know HTML and programming - preferably both C and PERL - first.
Customer Review: Solid Look At PHP Programming
'Programming PHP' by Kevin Tatroe is a solid look at this popular open source solution for generating dynamic web pages. Competing against the money solutions ASP and JSP, PHP will give you the same kind of functionality, but at a much lower price! Packed with over 500 pages of PHP goodness, this book will make you a better PHP programmer and teach you how to go all the way from defining the most basic of variables to performing database tasks and all sorts of other important tasks and tricks of the trade. I highly recommend this well-written and well ordered book, perfect for anyone that wants to learn and excel at PHP programming!! Chapter Overview 01. Introduction 02. PHP Basics 03. Functions 04. Strings 05. Arrays 06. Objects 07. Web Techniques 08. Databases 09. Graphics 10. PDF 11. XML 12. Security 13. Application Techniques 14. Extending PHP 15. PHP on Windows ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide (2nd Edition) (Visual QuickPro Guide)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

It hasn't taken Web developers long to discover that when it comes to creating dynamic, database-driven Web sites, MySQL and PHP provide a winning open source combination. Add this book to the mix, and there's no limit to the powerful, interactive Web sites that users can create. With step-by-step instructions, complete scripts, and expert tips to guide readers, veteran author and database designer Larry Ullman gets right down to business: After grounding readers with separate discussions of first the scripting language (PHP) and then the database program (MySQL), he goes on to cover security, sessions and cookies, and using additional Web tools, with several sections devoted to creating sample applications. This guide is indispensable for Web designers who want to replace their static sites with something more dynamic. The companion Web site includes source code, support forums, and extra tutorials. In addition to being updated for the most recent releases of MySQL and PHP, this new edition offers 25% new material, including updated examples for improved clarity and comprehension and new installation instructions for PHP, MySQL, and other related technologies.
Customer Review: Excellent PHP & MYSQL
Very good starter book on PHP and MYSQL. It really explains the interaction of PHP with the MYSQL database. I already have my website in progress.
Customer Review: Not really for a beginner
But not for a seasoned programmer either. Luckily I fit that description! I found the book useful and the examples were easy to follow. Can't say I always understood but it has given me a better understanding of PHP and how it works with MySQL. I was able to adapt the code in most instances for a project I am working on. Although I would of loved to have seen more in the ecommerce example, such as how to add custom options to products (i.e. size/color/qty) as well as adding coupon codes to the checkout. I still am clueless as to how to do this and will need to outsource this portion :(.

PHP and MySQL Web Development (3rd Edition) (Developer's Library)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

We've taken the best and made it even better. The third edition of the best-selling PHP and MySQL Web Development has been updated to include material and code on MySQL 5, PHP 5 and on PHPs object model and validation. Through a clear, practical approach, you will learn to develop secure, dynamic websites by integrating and implementing the PHP scripting language and the MySQL database system. Real-world examples and working sample projects will give you a strong foundation on which to start building your own websites, complete with features such as SSL, shopping carts and payment systems. The accompanying CD includes the source code from each example in the book, the entire book in PDF format, and source code and binaries for PHP 5, MySQL 5 and Apache. Readers have called PHP and MySQL Web Development call it the best technical book they've ever read, but don't take their word for it. Find out for yourself!

Customer Review: Have it, don't use it much
I don't have a real reason for not using it other than everything I've wanted to do I could find decent examples on the web. So to be fair, I don't know if it's a good book or not. Thus the middle of the road 3 star rating.
Customer Review: Hihgly Over-Rated !
I bought this book primarily because of the impressive reviews. After struggling with the book for months, I now feel that others' reviews of the book were too generous. First of all, the book needs to be better organized. And the codes need to be thoroughly tested. The content is lean, compared to the volume of the book. I tried several other PHP tutorial books, but I have not yet found one which met my expectations. This is just my two cents.

Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL, 2nd Edition
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

There are many reasons for serving up dynamic content from a web site: to offer an online shopping site, create customized information pages for users, or just manage a large volume of content through a database. Anyone with a modest knowledge of HTML and web site management can learn to create dynamic content through the PHP programming language and the MySQL database. This book gives you the background and tools to do the job safely and reliably. Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL, Second Edition thoroughly reflects the needs of real-world applications. It goes into detail on such practical issues as validating input (do you know what a proper credit card number looks like?), logging in users, and using templates to give your dynamic web pages a standard look. But this book goes even further. It shows how JavaScript and PHP can be used in tandem to make a user's experience faster and more pleasant. It shows the correct way to handle errors in user input so that a site looks professional. It introduces the vast collection of powerful tools available in the PEAR repository and shows how to use some of the most popular tools. Even while it serves as an introduction to new programmers, the book does not omit critical tasks that web sites require. For instance, every site that allows updates must handle the possibility of multiple users accessing data at the same time. This book explains how to solve the problem in detail with locking. Through a sophisticated sample application--Hugh and Dave's Wine Store--all the important techniques of dynamic content are introduced. Good design is emphasized, such as dividing logic from presentation. The book introduces PHP 5 and MySQL 4.1 features, while providing techniques that can be used on older versions of the software that are still in widespread use. This new edition has been redesigned around the rich offerings of PEAR. Several of these, including the Template package and the database-independent query API, are fully integrated into examples and thoroughly described in the text. Topics include: Installation and configuration of Apache, MySQL, and PHP on Unix®, Windows®, and Mac OS® X systems Introductions to PHP, SQL, and MySQL administration Session management, including the use of a custom database for improved efficiency User input validation, security, and authentication The PEAR repository, plus details on the use of PEAR DB and Template classes Production of PDF reports
Customer Review: MySQl-PHP textbook
As usual in text books, there is a lot of useless information that is not necessary, but since writers are paid by the word, this is to be expected. I wish there was a section on MySQL commands.
Customer Review: I really like this book
I really like this book--direct, no-nonsense, and intelligently written with a minimum of jokes. One thing that seems strange, that I'm hoping someone can clarify: In the section of chapter 8 dealing with transactions and concurrency, there is no mention of setting transaction isolation levels (SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL command in MySQL). Instead, concurrency is achieved solely by setting table locks. I can sort of understand this in that the authors are using MyISAM tables. But why no mention of transaction isolation levels using INNODB tables, given that this is the more standard way of dealing with concurrency issues?

Beginning PHP and MySQL 5: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Beginning PHP 5 and MYSQL: From Novice to Professional offers a comprehensive introduction to two of the most popular Web application building technologies on the planet: the scripting language PHP and the MySQL database server. This book will not only expose you to the core aspects of both technologies, but will provide valuable insight into how they are used in unison to create dynamic data-driven Web applications.

Beginning PHP 5 and MYSQL explains the new features of the latest releases of the world's most popular Open Source Web development technologies: MySQL 4 database server and PHP 5 scripting language. This book explores the benefits, extensive new features, and advantages of the object-oriented PHP 5, and how it can be used in conjunction with MySQL 4 to create powerful dynamic Web sites.

This is the perfect book for the Web designer, programmer, hobbyist, or novice that wants to learn how to create applications with PHP 5 and MySQL 4, and is a great entrance point for Apress's extensive spectrum of PHP books planned for 2004.

Customer Review: Frustrating
I'm not new to programming or web programming, but I was new to PHP. This book is much better as a reference than an intro to PHP, however, even there it has its limitations. I bought this book, read the first 5 chapters (130 pages), and then stopped reading it because I was learning too slowly (ie, reading too many pages and picking up too little usability). As an introductory text, I would rather this book moved at a greater breadth but less depth -- it goes through dozens of specific functions, making it feel like a dictionary. There is also little attention brought to the functions you will be using soon over the ones you will not use for awhile yet. In that sense, it was very frustrating to spend a lot of time reading several chapters and still not feeling like I was getting anywhere or able to use much of the power of PHP. In my frustration, I decided to revisit w3schools . com, and I found their tutorial immensely useful as an introduction to both PHP and MySQL (I needed both and I needed them quickly). That choice allowed me to start writing some PHP code within an hour and start working with databases quickly as well (nothing is mentioned about MySQL until Chapter 24 of this book). So now, instead of use this PHP/MySQL book as a learning tool, I use it as a reference. The index isn't ideal*, so it still isn't a great reference, and the MySQL layout has not been helpful. I will be buying some PHP cookbooks to get a better feel for the capabilities of PHP and how to use its functions properly, and I will report back in this review after I find a better reference to recommend over this one (hopefully by mid-January). *The index is HUGE, but I still have a difficult time finding things I need since I look for a lay-word over the word that is listed. If I already knew the word that is listed in the index, I may not even need to look in the index. This book was written for new programmers that want a programming introduction to PHP and was not written for web programmers new to PHP. Although I program, I want features of a web programming book when I buy a web programming book. What I consider a feature of a (good) web programming book: Chapters are split into a quick intro to the most commonly used fuctions of the chapter's topic (5-10 pages) and a longer part for use as a reference (15-20 pages). The book's format has good eye catching sections so readers do not waste time finding what is important if we just want to skim things so we can get into doing some web programming quickly. Commonly used functions are not buried in a bunch of uncommonly used functions.
Customer Review: excellent coverage of essential 'need to know'
Although the title says 'From Novice to Professional' be aware that you won't go from novice to *expert* with this book. It will, however, bring you to a decent functional level (hence professional). Also, it is true that the book assumes a basic understanding of programming. So if you're new to programming, get an 'Intro to Programming' book before or follow some general programming tutorials to bring you up to the basics. This is a great introductory book to PHP that can as well serve as a reference. It covers many areas, not always in depth, but most times enough to give you some solid bases and get you to actually 'do stuff'. The good thing about this is that at least 95% percent of the stuff covered matter. What that means for you is that you are veered to the right choice of technologies and concepts from the beginning, ready to expand your knowledge in any of the areas. The book assumes that you want to work with Apache (which you should ;) ) and explains how to set things up in both unix and windows environment. However, even with a book these installations seldom go without problems, so I would strongly recommend to search for a bundle installation like wampserver, xampp or any other that group the 3 applications (apache, mysql, php). If you're strong headed like me and like to hurt yourself you can decide to go through the pain and install each individually. The tradeoff is that you have a better understanding of the overall environment. My best advice if you choose this route is to RTFM (read the 'fine' manuals). My second best advice is Google. Chapter 1 and 2 will serve you better as reference later on in your journey as you become profecient enough to actually care about tweaking your environment for features and performance. Once all is installed and working, the book really starts with chapter 3. There's an extensive coverage of basic language features such as variables, arrays, functions, scope, comments, escapes, selection and repetition structures, etc. You will gain some solid notions of intermediate level stuff with chapters on file handling, file uploads, session handling, data insertion and retrieval, authentication. Some chapters bring you to a productive level with more advanced features like object oriented programming, templating (which with OOP offer good precursors to the concepts behind the MVC when you will learn about design patterns in more advanced texts), web services, regular expressions, error handling. MySQL as well is covered to a workable level, I particularly liked that Jason Gilmore walks you through the creation of a database class to encapsulate your connection and access needs. It well illustrates some of the practical application of OO Programming in the real world. Most serious developers use similar classes in their day to day development. There are other chapters in the book that may be of interest to some (networking with php, ldap, SQLite). This is probably not the last php book that you'll need, but it's a great first step to prep you for more advanced subjects. Overall for the beginner this is a great bang for the buck.

Foundation PHP for Dreamweaver 8
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

In this book, you'll learn how to:

Install, configure, and troubleshoot a testing environment with PHP/MySQL and Apache or IIS
Learn the fundamentals of PHP and good database design
Use Dreamweaver 8 server behaviors to create robust dynamic applications that validate user input for greater security and reliability
Incorporate live XML feeds into your web pages with PHP and Dreamweaver 8's new XSL Transformation server behavior
Download and apply a suite of custom-built PHP functions designed exclusively for this book

Want to add the power of a database to your websites? Build online forms that send feedback straight to your inbox? Incorporate live news feeds and XML data into your web pages? This book shows you how to do all that and more.
Dreamweaver 8 takes a lot of the hard work out of integrating a database into your websites, but it can't do everything. So instead of just giving you a series of instructions to click this and click that, this book helps you understand what's going on in the background. As a result, you're more likely to remember and to get it right.

Most books on PHP concentrate on code and throw all design considerations out the window. This one is different. It makes use of Dreamweaver 8's vastly improved CSS rendering, and shows you how to build a site that's smart in both senses of the word. It looks good and is intelligent too. You'll learn how to change the entire look of the site, using PHP to serve up different stylesheets each month. You'll also build a contact form protected against email injection attacks. All of Dreamweaver's PHP server behaviors are put through their paces, and you'll even make some custom server behaviors that will come in useful on any site you create.

Two chapters take you through the setup process with step-by-step instructions for both Windows and Mac OS X, helping you make the right choices: Apache or IIS? Remote or local testing? There are even instructions on how to set up virtual hosts on your own computer. And in the unlikely event that things go wrong, there's plenty of troubleshooting advice too.

In this book we look specifically at using Dreamweaver's built-in server behaviors to build dynamic web sites using PHP and MySQL, the world's most popular open source server-side language and database server combination, which are both reliable, powerful, and open source (and therefore free to use!) This latest version of Dreamweaver includes more powerful support for PHP and MySQL than ever before, and we'll show you how to make this work for you. No previous experience of PHP or MySQL is necessary to use this book.

Examples built throughout the book include a content management system, and an online image gallery. All examples are designed to meet modern usability requirements and be web standards compliant.

Summary of Contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1: So, You Want to Build Dynamic Sites?
Chapter 2: Dreamweaver and PHP--A Productive Partnership
Chapter 3: Getting the Work Environment Ready
Chapter 4: Getting Ready for the Case Study
Chapter 5: Integrating PHP into Your Site
Chapter 6: Getting Feedback from an Online Form
Chapter 7: Putting the Power of a Database
Chapter 8: Building a Random Quotation Generator
Chapter 9: Working with Multiple Tables
Chapter 10: Using Sessions to Track
Chapter 11: Displaying a Blog and Photo Gallery
Chapter 12: Using XSLT to Display Live News Feeds and XML
Appendix A: Using Languages Other Than English in MySQL
Appendix B: Essential MySQL Maintenance
Index

Customer Review: Don't judge this book by it's Title!
The title of this book is seriously misleading! It implies a much narrower (and less valuable) focus than it really has. If you're like me, you skim a list of titles to choose books that are worth a second look. For those few, you may skim the Table of Contents and maybe the Index. This book has FAR more value than you'd expect from it's Title, and even it's TOC. Each Chapter heading implies a nugget of value, but then delivers an entire gold mine on it's particular topic. If you want to start with a "virgin" WinXP machine, install Apache, MySQL and PHP from scratch, and then build a robust web application (not just pretty pages), by all means buy this book. Then read it thoroughly -- don't just skim it or poke around in it. You can end up with a database-driven website, complete with user privilege management, session management, a blog, a photo gallery and RSS news feeds. You'll even know how it all works. This book holds SO much more than just PHP and Dreamweaver!
Customer Review: Heavy Buy Recommendation!!!!
If you are looking to understand php and how it relates to dreamweaver than this is your book! The author does a wonderful job of breaking down an extremely challenging subject into small obtainable portions. Chances are if you are looking at this book, you would like a no nonsense way to add a database to the backend of either an existing website or one your currently working on. You've found your manual. Also, one of the best things about this book is that it gives you quite a bit of options on implementing different technologies (i.e. installing apache vrs iis) David shares his views on which is better, but he allows you to ultimately make the decision. Lastly, and most importantly!!!!!!!! I ran into a problem installing one of the applications in this book (because my system settings fall on the outside of the 90% 10% rule) and I went to the friendsofed website. I posted my problem and within 1 day, David himself replied to my question to help solve the problem. Within two exhanges, he diagnosed and cured my problem. If that's not reason enough alone to buy this book, I don't know what is. It's a must have.

PHP 5 / MySQL Programming for the Absolute Beginner (For the Absolute Beginner)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Are you ready to begin programming with PHP and MySQL? Then get ready to jump right in. You'll get an introduction to programming with a specific focus on programming web servers with the PHP programming language. Much of the original content from the first edition (1931841322) is retained, but you'll also cover updates relating to the upcoming PHP 5.0 release. Following the same format as the popular first edition, this book provides easy-to-follow instruction. You will use the concepts presented in the book to create games using PHP and MySQL. As each concept is put to the test, you'll acquire programming skills that will easily transition to real-world projects. A true beginner's guide, this book enables you to acquire programming skills that you can use in the next language that you tackle.
Customer Review: One of the best textbooks I've read
This book is awesome for someone who is just beginning to learn PHP. Probably the best intro book I've ever read. The examples and concepts are explained very clearly. It is also easy to follow. I am also a student in the department where Mr. Harris teaches, and I've taken a number of distributed education courses where he is the instructor on the videos. He's a great instructor and has been helpful to me when I've emailed him. If anybody is in the area, I'd highly recommend that you take one of his courses. The videos compliment what he talks about in his books.
Customer Review: Amazing Book!.....
I was a little scared about other people comments, but I decided to buy the book and give a try, thanks God!... I did it, I have learned so much with this book, if I can give 10 stars I will, hoping the author continue making books like this in a series, excellent work.

Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Build Your Own Database-Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL is a practical guide for first-time users of PHP & MySQL that teaches readers by creating a fully working Content Management System, Shopping Cart and other real-world applications. There has been a marked increase in the adoption of PHP, most notably in the beginning to intermediate levels. PHP now boasts over 30% of the server side scripting market (Source: php.weblogs.com). The previous edition sold over 17,000 copies exclusively through Sitepoint.com alone. With the release of PHP 5, SitePoint have updated this bestseller to reflect best practice web development using PHP 5 and MySQL 4. The 3rd Edition includes more code examples and also a new bonus chapter on structured PHP Programming which introduces techniques for organizing real world PHP applications to avoid code duplication and ensure code is manageable and maintainable. The chapter introduces features like include files, user-defined function libraries and constants, which are combined to produce a fully functional access control system suitable for use on any PHP Website.
Customer Review: Excellent Book
I highly recomend this book. I think it best serves those who already know the syntax of PHP, but it is a excellent book. I recomend either "Learning PHP" (The O'Reilly book) or "PHP for the World Wide Web : Visual QuickStart Guide" for a beginner. Both of these books will help you learn the syntax and concepts of PHP, but then it is best to move on to a book that gives practical examples, and this book excells at giving practical examples.
Customer Review: A good book for getting started with php and databases.
By reading just the first 4 chapters I was able to create my own webpages using php and the mySQL database to store tables of data. It has some good example programs that you can follow.

AJAX and PHP: Building Responsive Web Applications
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Building Responsive Web Applications with AJAX and PHP is the most practical and efficient resource a reader can get to enter the exciting world of AJAX. This book will teach you how to create faster, lighter, better web applications by using the AJAX ingredients technologies to their full potential. Assuming a basic knowledge of PHP, XML, JavaScript and MySQL, this book will help you understand how the heart of AJAX beats and how the constituent technologies work together. After teaching the foundations, the book will walk you through eight real-world case studies covering tasks you’ll be likely to need for your own applications: - AJAX enabled form-validation page - Online chat room - Customized type-ahead text entry solution, that helps users find the help page for the PHP functions - A simple cards game that supports multiple simultaneous sessions - Whiteboard where online users can draw online - Database-enabled, editable and customizable data grid - RSS aggregator application - Use the script.aculo.us JavaScript toolkit to build a drag&drop enabled sortable list The appendixes guide you through installing your working environment, using powerful tools that enable debugging, improving, and profiling your code, working with XSLT and XPath, and working with existing AJAX frameworks.
Customer Review: Packs quite a punch!!
For under 300 pages of content, this books packs quite a punch. I've always liked books that are under 400 pages because we never get to finish reading those that are over 1300 pages (definitely not for learning a new language). I start out with a mid-size book like this one and once I grasp the basics, I dig into advanced topics with another hefty book. But this one had me covered with so much I don't think I need an advanced book. Christian Darie proves it again - big books are heavy books, small books are great books. He and his co-author organized the content nicely and included lots of code examples that work. Real code! With links to some of the best stuff on these topics.
Customer Review: Quick introduction and reference to AJAX with PHP
This book highlights several different ways of using PHP and AJAX. It's short, but includes examples of form validation, instant messenger, and the all important sortable table. All-in-all, a good book, but if you're needing something more in-depth or more advanced, a longer (more pricey) book may be a better option.

PHP Solutions: Dynamic Web Design Made Easy (Solutions)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

In this book you'll learn how to:

Create dynamic websites with design and usability in mind, as well as functionality
Understand how PHP scripts work, giving you confidence to adapt them to your own needs
Bring online forms to life, check required fields, and ensure user input is safe to process
Upload files and automatically create thumbnails from larger images
Manage website content with a searchable database

You want to make your websites more dynamic by adding a feedback form, creating a private area where members can upload images that are automatically resized, or perhaps storing all your content in a database. The problem is, you're not a programmer and the thought of writing code sends a chill up your spine. Or maybe you've dabbled a bit in PHP and MySQL, but you can't get past baby steps. If this describes you, then you've just found the right book.

PHP and the MySQL database are deservedly the most popular combination for creating dynamic websites. They're free, easy to use, and provided by many web hosting companies in their standard packages. Unfortunately, most PHP books either expect you to be an expert already or force you to go through endless exercises of little practical value. In contrast, this book gives you real value right away through a series of practical examples that you can incorporate directly into your sites, optimizing performance and adding functionality such as file uploading, email feedback forms, image galleries, content management systems, and much more. Each solution is created with not only functionality in mind, but also visual design.

But this book doesn't just provide a collection of ready-made scripts: each PHP Solution builds on what's gone before, teaching you the basics of PHP and database design quickly and painlessly. By the end of the book, you'll have the confidence to start writing your own scripts or&8212;if you prefer to leave that task to others--to adapt existing scripts to your own requirements.

Right from the start, you're shown how easy it is to protect your sites by adopting secure coding practices. The book has been written with an eye on forward and backward compatibility--recommending the latest PHP 5 techniques, but providing alternative solutions for servers still running PHP 4.3. All database examples demonstrate how to use the original MySQL extension, MySQL Improved, or the PHP Data Objects (PDO) introduced in PHP 5.1, letting you choose the most suitable option for your setup.

Summary of Contents:

Chapter 1: What Is PHP--And Why Should I Care?
Chapter 2: Getting Ready to Work with PHP
Chapter 3: How to Write PHP Scripts
Chapter 4: Lightening Your Workload with Includes
Chapter 5: Bringing Forms to Life
Chapter 6: Uploading Files
Chapter 7: Using PHP to Manage Files
Chapter 8: Generating Thumbnail Images
Chapter 9: Pages That Remember: Simple Login and Multipage Forms
Chapter 10: Setting Up MySQL and phpMyAdmin
Chapter 11: Getting Started with a Database
Chapter 12: Creating a Dynamic Online Gallery
Chapter 13: Managing Content
Chapter 14: Solutions to Common PHP/MySQL Problems
Chapter 15: Keeping Intruders at Bay

Customer Review: One of the Best
I recently read PHP Solutions by David Powers, and have to say it has been one of the better ones I've come across in awhile - definitely one I will keep at arm's length. I think the best way to describe it is to use an analogy. What CSS Mastery is for CSS, PHP Solutions is for PHP. This book is full of practical PHP tips and tricks that can help you hit the ground running. It takes a learn-by-doing approach. While this isn't a comprehensive how-to guide covering OOP, it does approach things with a future-proofing mindset. Powers is careful to point out where things are specific to PHP 5, and gives alternatives to making them work in version 4. He also talks about what features will be prevalent in PHP 6, such as PDO (PHP Data Objects) becoming the more standardized way to handle database connectivity. The first few chapters start off with the basics, showing PHP syntax and explaining how to build dynamic templates using includes. He also shows how to protect includes from being accessed independently of their accompanying pages, storing them separately from publicly accessible directories. He also shows how to build a file-upload interface for use in a basic CMS. He then goes on to build a photo blog, complete with auto-generated thumbnails. One cool solution he uses is checking the width of an image, and then using that numerical value to set the width of a paragraph which contains explanatory text. By constraining the width, it keeps the line of text from being longer than the image is wide. He also shows how to use PHP's date output to keep the copyright for your site on-par with the current year. The latter part of the book gets into more advanced topics such as user management, remember sessions with cookies, and handling database security. By the time you complete this book, you will have the know-how to create a light-weight content management system that will uniquely fit your needs. I really like that PHP Solutions takes you through the process of creating a dynamic site from start to finish, unlike many books which contain a slew of disparate examples. I would unreservedly recommend it to anyone looking to get into PHP. For another opinion, read the book review by Jonathan Snook [...]freelance web developer and member of the CakePHP [...] documentation team.
Customer Review: Master All Aspects of PHP With This Book
So many computer books are like learning how to ride a bike, but this one is different. You actaully ride the book with PHP Solutions. The author explains and provides code that is extremely useful in your every day PHP/MYSQL projects. The code is good code, in that he introduces includes from the getgo, and upon submit the pages call themselves, which is great for data validation. Also, he is extremely approachable via the friends of ed forum, which is way cool. Buy this book. It is fantastic.

PHP Cookbook (Cookbooks (O'Reilly))
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

When it comes to creating dynamic web sites, the open source PHP language is red-hot property: used on more than 20 million web sites today, PHP is now more popular than Microsoft's ASP.NET technology. With our Cookbook's unique format, you can learn how to build dynamic web applications that work on any web browser. This revised new edition makes it easy to find specific solutions for programming challenges.

PHP Cookbook has a wealth of solutions for problems that you'll face regularly. With topics that range from beginner questions to advanced web programming techniques, this guide contains practical examples -- or "recipes" -- for anyone who uses this scripting language to generate dynamic web content. Updated for PHP 5, this book provides solutions that explain how to use the new language features in detail, including the vastly improved object-oriented capabilities and the new PDO data access extension. New sections on classes and objects are included, along with new material on processing XML, building web services with PHP, and working with SOAP/REST architectures. With each recipe, the authors include a discussion that explains the logic and concepts underlying the solution.

Customer Review: A reference every PHP programmer should have
This is my first O'Reilly book in the "Cookbook" series. At first I thought this book would probably contain the code and instructions for building a couple of web applications such as a shopping cart or a blog engine. This isn't that book. Rather it provides the reader with code snippets that can be used as building blocks for all kinds of applications. If I had to describe this book in one sentence I would say it is as if the author took down all the "Hmm..., I wonder how that is done?" questions and created an answer key. One thing I like about this book is that the authors don't waste the first few chapters trying to teach or give an overview of the language. Instead they hop right into the usage of the language that relates to real world stuff. So here is a brief overview. The book covers PHP 5 and goes over many of the new and improved features. The first six chapters provide recipes for more basic subjects (strings, numbers, dates & times, arrays, variables, and functions. Again, this isn't an intro to PHP, that is another book such as Programming PHP from O'Reilly. This is that book you reach for once you have moved from PHP basics and are ready to build some real world stuff. By chapter seven the authors are discussing classes and objects. I like using classes when coding in C++, so this is a good chapter for those who like OOP. The next nine chapters go over web stuff starting out with basic things like cookies, forms, and databases. Then the authors go into more advanced areas like session management, XML, automation and web services (REST, SOAP, Mail, FTP, LDAP, and DNS to name a few). The next chapter [17] is on the topic of graphics. This is a cool chapter if you like to create dynamic images. Things like creating a button image on the fly, or generating charts. Graphics are great to have a knowledge of because everyone likes graphical presentation of data and this chapter can help you get there. Chapter 18 is on security and encryption which I found rather helpful. No one wants there web application to be the link that allows data to be compromised, and this chapter deals with many of those problem areas. Chapter 19 covers localization, chapter 20 is on debugging and testing. The debugging section does a great job of getting a person setup with the tools they need to properly debug an application including creating your own exception class. This is an outstanding chapter that every programmer can appreciate since every application needs debugging. The remaining chapters cover performance tuning, regular expressions, files, directories, command line PHP, PERL and PECL. Being a Perl guy I found it interesting to see how the authors utilized regular expressions in PHP. And the chapter on command-line PHP was outstanding; I thought the recipe for creating a PHP command shell was pretty cool. CONCLUSION -- This book is like having the answer key to most of the random questions a person comes up with when writing code. I found this book to be very useful, it will be one of those references that I keep close, and gets very little shelf time. It is a solid book. It is hard to say what parts I liked best because this is one of those books that you like and must have, but then as time goes on and you use it more and more its value grows. This is an excellent book and I would strongly recommend it the PHP users that want to move to the next level.
Customer Review: PEAR DB
This is basically an excellent book. A lot of very useful stuff. Unlike the online PHP manual, it is on this technology called a book. This comes in handy on say a NYC subway train, where you want to brush up on some PHP, or find the solution for something you are working on. One major warning though: all the database stuff (about 20-30 percent of the book) depends on the PEAR DB class. That is a great thing to use as are many of the PEAR classes. But there is certainly great PHP code that doesn't rely on PEAR DB. Besides the db stuff the book has great examples with strings, numbers, I/O (files and directories), dates, etc. And being that I used to be a Reptile Biologist - you got to love that Iguana. If nothing else, just buy it for the cover.

PHP 5 Objects, Patterns, and Practice
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

PHP 5 Objects, Patterns, Practice is a practical design and management book. It explains object-oriented programming in PHP 5, the latest version of PHP. This book explores the principles underlying design patterns (principally those patterns collected by the 'Gang of Four') and presents a range of patterns in a PHP context. This book also examines tools and practices that exist which underpin good software design, including unit testing, documentation, version control and automated build.

Customer Review: good style, good information
i enjoyed reading the book and learned a lot though i consider myself as an expierenced php programmer. basic and advanced stuff together with a balanced mixture. patterns make programming complex software architectures easier.
Customer Review: very helpful book
This was the exact right book at the right time for me. I have been managing a php software project for the past 5 years and it's growing harder to deal with. I had started to make some haphazard use of design patterns, cvs, and pear already. It's hard to find time away from daily business pressures to improve one's practices, but this book brought together some very useful techniques and tools in a concise way. I've read patterns books for other languages, but having the examples in php with special attention to php 5's oo improvements made this one much more useful and quicker to absorb for me.

Foundation PHP 5 for Flash (Foundation)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

David Powers has been professionally involved with the electronic media for some 30 years, mostly in radio and television—he was BBC Tokyo correspondent in the late 1980s and early 1990s—but more recently with the Internet. He built his first site in 1995, and was instantly hooked. Eventually, the sheer tedium of updating content convinced him there must be a better way. After a brief flirtation with ASP, he experimented with PHP, and found himself hooked yet again.

A fluent Japanese speaker, Powers specializes in building Japanese-English bilingual websites, writing about Japan, and translating Japanese (he’s translated several plays). He co-authored Foundation Dreamweaver MX 2004 (1590593081) and PHP Web Development with Dreamweaver MX 2004 (1590593502). Powers also worked as technical reviewer on a number of web-related titles for Apress.

Customer Review: What a great book!
"Foundation PHP 5 for Flash" by David Powers is a great book, as I've come to expect from both David Powers and his publisher, Friends of ED. The word "Foundation" in the title may lead you to think this is a beginner's book; it decidedly is not. As stated on the back cover, the book is aimed at the "reasonably experienced Flash user who has mastered the basics." I'd even say that it takes a mastery of more than just the basics to get the most out of this book. Without a very good knowledge of ActionScript, much of the material would be difficult to follow. That being said, this book is not about ActionScript. It's not even really about Flash. It's a book about PHP -- and a very, very good book about PHP at that. It's also a book about MySQL. Prior to the most advanced chapters, the tie-in with Flash (and ActionScript) is said in one word: LoadVars. Once you get past that, you can pretty much forget about ActionScript for much of the book and focus on learning PHP and MySQL. Although the book does show by example how to get variables between your Flash user and LoadVars in ActionScript, you really do need to be comfortable with the ins and outs of Flash in general and ActionScript in particular in order to make full use of those examples, and this is not the book for learning that part of it. In the more advanced chapters, more ActionScript comes into play, and it can get confusing if you're not already comfortable with it. (I'd liken diving into this book without knowing ActionScript or PHP to learning to speak Spanish and Italian at the same time: at some point, you're going to say "dónde" when you mean to say "dove.") What this book does cover extremely well is everything that happens on the back end, outside of Flash. The chapters that introduce PHP do much more than just introduce it: they are an excellent tutorial in the language that would even be a great resource for people who just want to learn PHP without having anything to do with Flash. Concepts are explained clearly and completely, and the examples are extremely useful and illustrative. The same can be said for the MySQL chapters: You really do learn MySQL, and not just by breezing through one or two superficial examples as in most PHP books. The nuts-and-bolts chapters are particularly brilliant. David Powers's walk-throughs on installing Apache, PHP and MySQL are legendary. You simply couldn't ask for a better guide! The appendices -- including 20 whole pages on various things that might go wrong and what to do about it -- are indispensable. My only criticism is of the often convoluted examples. The author's style is to build up the examples iteratively, retracing and revising the code, step by step, over many pages as you learn new techniques. He will often walk you through the "obvious-but-wrong" way of doing something, then make changes little by little, introducing new concepts along the way. While this is perhaps a good way of learning, it sometimes feels like you're reaching over your head with your right hand to scratch your left ear. As usual, the Friends of ED name on the cover means you're buying quality. Everything from the paper to the layout to the typography is top-of-the-line. While black-and-white printing usually doesn't work well for Flash books, it's perfectly fine for this book (remember, I told you that this isn't really a book about Flash). The author is very active in the Friends of ED readers' forum, so you can be certain that any questions you have about the examples (or about pretty much anything else for that matter) will be answered by the author himself in great detail if you address them on the forum. So if you know ActionScript and want to learn how to put a database behind it, or if you're a skilled PHP programmer looking for another way to apply your knowledge, or even if you have no real interest in Flash but want to gain a deep understanding of PHP/MySQL, this is a great book for you. Be prepared to spend lots of time with it -- it's nearly 700 pages and it has zero fluff -- but it is time very well spent indeed.
Customer Review: OVER RATED FOR NOVICES!
On the upside, the tutorials on installation are excellent. Apache, PHP 5 installation and if you get that far, the MySQL installation are all well described and carefully written. The forum works, if you happen to be a programmer. Theres quick help for those seeking answers but not so quick if you are novice... When you get into trouble is when you realize that version changes make understanding the complex code jargon very difficlut to understand- though coded exaples for the Flash version that I have were provided. The examples are impossibly long and complicated and when you finally sift though them Eureka, it does not work. FRUSTRATING. Though said to have working examples, I could not get the tedious long examples to work on my computer- and spent many hours re reading the entire book to find out why. I did not expect a quick and easy solution to learning but after two months, I made no progress and found my incompetnce with programming becomiing overwhelming. This book may kill your desire to learn, even if you are willing to spend the time. This book is a time bandit. Phenomonally complicated for beginners, it's written for experienced programmers, though said to be for novices. It has been my experience to see most programmers who write books, write at a level that is not possible to understand by beginners. It's like going into a new city and asking for directions from a local resident, " it's easy to find and you can't miss it " is the norm. Powers may leave you sleeping on the street.

Learning PHP 5
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

PHP has gained a following among non-technical web designers who need to add interactive aspects to their sites. Offering a gentle learning curve, PHP is an accessible yet powerful language for creating dynamic web pages. As its popularity has grown, PHP's basic feature set has become increasingly more sophisticated. Now PHP 5 boasts advanced features--such as new object-oriented capabilities and support for XML and Web Services--that will please even the most experienced web professionals while still remaining user-friendly enough for those with a lower tolerance for technical jargon. If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. With attention to both PHP 4 and the new PHP version 5, it provides everything from a explanation of how PHP works with your web server and web browser to the ins and outs of working with databases and HTML forms. Written by the co-author of the popular PHP Cookbook, this book is for intelligent (but not necessarily highly-technical) readers. Learning PHP 5 guides you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master for professional web programming results. This book provides a hands-on learning experience complete with exercises to make sure the lessons stick. Learning PHP 5 covers the following topics, and more: How PHP works with your web browser and web server PHP language basics, including data, variables, logic and looping Working with arrays and functions Making web forms Working with databases like MySQL Remembering users with sessions Parsing and generating XML Debugging Written by David Sklar, coauthor of the PHP Cookbook and an instructor in PHP, this book offers the ideal classroom learning experience whether you're in a classroom or on your own. From learning how to install PHP to designing database-backed web applications, Learning PHP 5 will guide you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master to achieve professional web programming results.
Customer Review: A note for Perl jocks
If you can't install all the Perl modules you want (say on a $12.99/month commercial host), give PHP a try. It has weaknesses and strengths vis-à-vis Perl, but you can use both! They work well together, and with XHTML, CSS, and MySQL. Who says you have to choose one over the other? After scouring the web for tutorials and sample code, I think this book is the quickest way to get up to speed. It is concise with excellent code samples, warnings of pitfalls, and techniques for thwarting adversaries (hackers). It is straightforward without annoying cuteness or humor. PHP code lives entirely within a web page. Some advantages: 1. You don't have to make print statements for all the HTML on the page; the PHP code can be inserts in the HTML. 2. Flow control. A page can include its own associated programming logic for easier maintenance and an uncluttered webroot directory. A form page can recursively call itself, instead of a separate script, for processing, and can call other pages. 3. It's embarrassingly *EASY* to learn with this book! Some instructions just changed names (split is "explode," next is "continue") but others are new and super-handy for the web! Sessions and cookie-handling are built in to the language (chapter 8). Scope rules and data structures are different; you can't shift, pop, or test for undef, but you get two-dimensional arrays. If you go this route I guarantee you will have read this entire book, plus some of the online PHP manual, by the time your site is done. This book is not comprehensive but selects an excellent breadth of features. One typo is unforgivable, and for that I unapologetically deduct a star: the very first database example in Chapter 1 shows $db->numrows() without the parentheses, which does not work. I spent two days trying to figure out what was wrong. Very confusing since the old way of doing it (before PHP's PEAR extensions) was mysql_num_rows TIP #2: Blank screen got you down? You can see the syntax error by running it from a command line, like this: php5 mypage.php
Customer Review: some good tricks
If you're in a Windows shop, save yourself a lot of pain: download EasyPHP (mentioned on p. 261). Then substitute a version 5.2 php for C:\EasyPHP\php (which is version 4.3) . HINT: EasyPHP uses the php.ini in the conf-files dir, not the one in the php.

Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 with ASP, ColdFusion, and PHP: Training from the Source
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Learn by doing! Follow along, step-by-step, as you upgrade a static HTML site that uses obsolete code to an XML standard-compliant, CSS-formatted dynamic site using Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP), Macromedia ColdFusion, or the open source PHP. Create several integrated applications for a fictional travel tour operator, including a searchable listing for tour descriptions, country profiles, and a tour price calendar. In this official Macromedia guide, you’ll learn how to:
Use a relational databaseâ€”Microsoft Access or MySQLâ€”as the driving force behind a site Use Dreamweaver’s built-in server behaviors and application objects to assist in the rapid development of dynamic Web applications Read and hand-code ASP VBScript, ColdFusion Markup Language, and PHP scripts well enough to understand how dynamic Web pages work, troubleshoot errors, and customize scripts Collect and manipulate user-entered data, performing calculations on the fly Use SQL to pass information between your pages and the databaseValidate forms using client-side and server-side scripts

Customer Review: Great Resource for beginning in PHP using Dreamweaver
My compliments to the author. I have been a user of Dreamweaver for a couple of years and have been designing websites for about 3 years, but i had a very limited understanding of server-side programming and PHP. This book provided a very clear explanation of the differences between static and dynamic websites. This book also provides the benefit of the tutorials provided in each lesson. The tutorials are very thorough and structured in a relevant order. I would definitley recommend this book to any current users of DW who want to get into PHP and SQL. a beginners knowledge of web-design and programming experience would be a plus before getting into this book, but not a necessity. After working through this book , i feel that i am well educated in the subject of PHP and SQL databases, enough so that i can move on to a more advanced book and learn the more detailed aspects of PHP. Also, i only used the PHP part of the book, because of personel preference. However, the book also does a excellent job in covering the ASP and CFM technologies as well.
Customer Review: A reference book you'll want to keep close at hand...
Author Jeffrey Bardzell does a great job of explaining the ins-and-outs of ASP, ColdFusion, and PHP use within Dreamweaver 8 in MACROMEDIA DREAMWEAVER 8 WITH ASP, COLDFUSION, AND PHP: TRAINING FROM THE SOURCE. Not only does the book cover the subject matter in an easy-to-follow style, but examples and sample files are also provided on the CD that comes with the book. As a person who learns more by doing than by just simply reading about it or seeing it in a diagram, I found this feature to be very useful. MACROMEDIA DREAMWEAVER 8 WITH ASP, COLDFUSION, AND PHP: TRAINING FROM THE SOURCE was a great resource. Primarily, I used it to brush on PHP usage within Dreamweaver, and for this purpose the book certainly exceeded my every need! I've got PHP forms up and running on various client websites now, and would have had a much more difficult time building the complex forms without Bardzell's advice. MACROMEDIA DREAMWEAVER 8 WITH ASP, COLDFUSION, AND PHP: TRAINING FROM THE SOURCE is definitely a book that you'll want to keep on your shelf for frequent reference!

Beginning Google Maps Applications with PHP and Ajax: From Novice to Professional
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Until recently, building interactive web-based mapping applications has been a cumbersome affair. This changed when Google released its powerful Maps API. Beginning Google Maps Applications with PHP and Ajax was written to help you take advantage of this technology in your own endeavors--whether you're an enthusiast playing for fun or a professional building for profit. This book covers version 2 of the API, including Google's new Geocoding service.

Authors Jeffrey Sambells, Cameron Turner, and Michael Purvis get rolling with examples that require hardly any code at all, but you'll quickly become acquainted with many facets of the Maps API. They demonstrate powerful methods for simultaneously plotting large data sets, creating your own map overlays, and harvesting and geocoding sets of addresses. You'll see how to set up alternative tile sets and where to access imagery to use for them. The authors even show you how to build your own geocoder from scratch, for those high-volume batch jobs.

As well as providing hands-on examples of real mapping projects, this book supplies a complete reference for the Maps API, along with the relevant aspects of JavaScript, CSS, PHP, and SQL. Visit the authors' website for additional tips and advice.

Customer Review: An absolutely excellent roadmap to Google Maps API Integration
This book was an absolutely incredible guide to the nuances of the Google Maps API. It clearly goes from simple integration, to geocoding to more complex functions such as overlays etc. I found it absolutely invaluable for my project, and I'm sure you will too.
Customer Review: Understandable
I found this book to be very readable and easy to follow. It doesn't just rehash old ideas but gives new ways to do things with clean code. I am a beginner in maps and have got so much out of this book already.

PHP & MySQL For Dummies 3rd edition (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Build an online catalog and a members-only site

Everything you need to know to create a dynamic PHP and MySQL Web site!

Been thinking of creating a high-quality interactive Web site? This book is just what you need to get started! Here's the fun and easy way(r) to develop a Web application in PHP 4, 5, or 6 and MySQL 5, test your software, enable your Web pages to display, change, and move database information, and much more.

Discover how to
* Plan and implement a Web database application
* Design and build a MySQL 5 database
* Build dynamic HTML forms
* Create scripts that store, retrieve, and update database information
* Display database information in a Web page
Customer Review: Good beginner book -- useful for reference -- quickly digested
Very practical material that can also be used for reference while working on projects. I found that the mateials are consummed very quickly and the developer may have to research further deeper into some areas. Beware of differences in function names and uses in different PHP versions. (v. 4 vs. v. 5), which is described by the author. Hope it helps.
Customer Review: This is the way to get started
The basic concept of the web was that there would be a bunch of documents around, each document would have a unique name/address (called a Uniform Resourse Locator or URL) and when you wanted to read that document you would browse to that URL and get the document. There was no thought of connecting the documents to a database so that the information being presented to the visitor would vary depending on what he wanted. Then beginning a dozen or so years ago, it kind of instantly became obvious to everyone that database connectivity was needed. And we got several competing approaches. Some like Cold Fusion were commercial packages. Some like Microsoft's ASP were nominally free (if you used their operating system). And there were other approaches using Java, Perl, CGI, etc. Conclusion. If you are starting out to set up a web site using a database to supply the data being displayed, you would not go wrong to use PHP and MySQL. The packages are free, reliable, fast, and easy to use. This is a book to use when you are getting started. It gives you the basic concepts of web/database interconnectivity so you can understand just what's going on. After this, you'll want more specialized materials: the MySQL reference manual for instance so you can go much deeper into it's version of SQL; and something that goes deeper into PHP. But start with this one. Once you get a site doing some simple database connectivity you can go deeper into your own particular application.

PHP & MySQL Everyday Apps For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Provides Web developers using the popular combination of PHP (a scripting language) and MySQL (a database system) with practical applications that they can adapt and put to work right away A 2002 survey found that PHP was running on over 9 million Web sites, and there have been over 1.8 million PHP downloads since May 2002; MySQL reports 2 million users Applications include a user login, an online catalog, a shopping cart, a content management system, a Web forum, and a mailing list management system The author walks readers through the creation of each application, offering two different versions-procedural (the traditional PHP coding method) and object-oriented (new in PHP 5)
Customer Review: NO CD
I downloaded it, but not could not find the accompanying cd. can anyone post a link to it!
Customer Review: Recommended for Advanced - Beginners
This book is challenging and informative. Some basic knowledge of PHP MySQL is required before beginning this book.

Advanced PHP Programming
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Over the past three years PHP has evolved from being a niche language used to add dynamic functionality to small sites to a powerful tool making strong inroads into large-scale, business-critical Web systems. The rapid maturation of PHP has created a skeptical population of users from more traditional ""enterprise"" languages who question the readiness and ability of PHP to scale, as well as a large population of PHP developers without formal computer science backgrounds who have learned through the hands-on experimentation while developing small and midsize applications in PHP. While there are many books on learning PHP and developing small applications with it, there is a serious lack of information on ""scaling"" PHP for large-scale, business-critical systems. Schlossnagle's Advanced PHP Programming fills that void, demonstrating that PHP is ready for enterprise Web applications by showing the reader how to develop PHP-based applications for maximum performance, stability, and extensibility.
Customer Review: A must read for intermediate level PHP Programmers or above
This is a hefty tome, weighing in at 650 pages chocked full of great information about advanced PHP programming. The book is divided into five sections each with several to many chapters. The sections are Implementation and Development Methodologies, Caching, Distributed Applications, Performance, and Extensibility. Where appropriate sample applications are developed to present a point, in other situations a higher level approach is taken. Covered within various chapters are topics like Error Handling, Unit Testing, Computational Reuse, Session Handling, Benchmarks, Profiling, and detailed information on how the Zend Engine works. While I've used or learned about several of the topics covered within, I think I learned something (whether it was a new approach, completely new information, or a refinement to what I already believed) in every single section. Ultimately, I think I will become a better PHP programmer for having read this book. I will be recommending this book to all my friends, and basically to everyone of an intermediate skill level with PHP or above. My friends are going to need to buy their own copy though, as I will not let this one out of my sight.
Customer Review: Nice Survey Book / Not Great
I agree with other reviewers that this is a survey or concept book. Schlossnagle is a bright php programmer but a lousy teacher. Do not buy this book if you are hoping to learn 'Advanced PHP Programming' from it. This book is too superficial in it's coverage of the many subjects. Ie: Schlossnagle's coverage of Object Oriented Programming is less than six pages (why bother?), and does not adequately cover the basics. This book is good for introducing you to things you may not have thought of before. Ie: I liked the section on exceptions but found it too brief and assumed too much. I was therefore forced to read other materials, including the official php manual, before I had a real grasp of exceptions. Larry Ullman does a much better job of explaining subjects. His PHP Advanced for the www (first edition) is an excellent book to actually learn from. Unfortunately it is a little dated and the second edition is still a couple months away. Do yourself a favor, spend your money on another book if you are intending to actually learn 'Advanced PHP Programming' from a book.

PHP and MySQL by Example
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Customer Review: Example-driven, to the point!
We purchased dozens of copies of this book and use it for our PHP and MySQL Bootcamp. This book is straight forward and loaded with real-world examples. Most of the examples can be used for actual websites right out of the book. The book also comes with a CD with all the code (though it'd be nice to have it online as well - not sure if they provide it). Overall, highly recommended for anyone who prefers to learn by example.
Customer Review: Computer libraries strong in PHP5 or MYSQL need this.
If you're a newcomer to PHP 5 and MYSQL and lack programming or database background, that shouldn't keep you from benefitting from PHP and MYSQL By Example, which assumes no prior knowledge and starts from ground zero in instructions. Its 'by example' system is the key to success, with chapters offering diagrams, charts, and plenty of visual examples. Computer libraries strong in PHP5 or MYSQL need this.

PHP for the World Wide Web, Second Edition (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

So you know HTML, even JavaScript, but the idea of learning an actual programming language like PHP terrifies you? Well, stop quaking and get going with this easy task-based guide! Aimed at beginning PHP developers just like yourself, this volume uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of visual aids to get you started testing scripts, using basic syntax, working with variables, creating Web applications, and everything else you need to know to create dynamic Web pages with this increasingly popular and important scripting language. Along the way, you'll learn about all that's new in version 5: the new Zend Engine, updated XML support, greatly improved streams (now able to access low-level socket operations), a bundled copy of SQLite, and more. Throughout the book, you'll find sample scripts and projects as well as the timesaving tips and techniques that have become the hallmark of the popular Visual QuickStart series. A companion Web site offers all of the book's scripts for download.

Customer Review: Excellent
I had bought PHP From Novice to Professional(Apress,Author:Gilmore) that book is not a very friendly beginner book let alone novice so I've decided not to review it until I finish Php For The World Wide Web. I know actionscript pretty good and am wanting to learn php. Unlike the book mentiond above this book is great for someone that knows nothing about php, I am nearly finished with it and I've only had it two days. It is a good read to get up to speed with the php programming language.I have gotten his other book "Php and Mysql for Dynamic Websites" from my local library and if that book is a good as this one is I will not hesitate to purchase a copy right away.
Customer Review: Fantastic
Purchasing Larry Ullman's book is as good as signing up for any online course in PHP. The exercises in the book are perfectly explained in simple language; I'm 1/3 through, and NOTHING has confused me yet. Any questions that are not answered in the text can be addressed in the online forum which is frequented by the author. I won't hesitate to buy any of Larry's other titles.

Beginning Ajax with PHP: From Novice to Professional
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Ajax breathes new life into web applications by transparently communicating and manipulating data in conjunction with a server-based technology. Of all the server-based technologies capable of working in conjunction with Ajax, perhaps none are more suitable than PHP, the world's most popular scripting language.

Beginning Ajax with PHP: From Novice to Professional is the first book to introduce how these two popular technologies can work together to create next-generation applications. Author Lee Babin covers what you commonly encounter in daily web application development tasks, and shows you how to build PHP/AJAX-enabled solutions for forms validation, file upload monitoring, database-driven information display and manipulation, web services, Google Maps integration, and more. You'll learn how to

Take advantage of PHP and advanced JavaScript capabilities to create next-generation, highly responsive Web applications. Enhance commonplace application tasks such as forms validation and tabular data display. Manage cross-browser issues, ensuring your applications run on all major Web browsers. Take advantage of the Google Maps API and add spatial mapping features to your website.

You'll also be introduced to other key topics like conquering cross-platform issues, countering potential security holes, and testing and debugging JavaScript with efficiency. All examples are based on real-world scenarios, so you'll be able to apply what you learn to your own development situations.

Customer Review: Decent introduction to Ajax, but flawed execution
This book is pretty polished and gives a lot of information, but I found it flawed in a few rather bothersome ways.... First off, the author glosses over a lot of things that are generally considered "best practices" when it comes to using HTML -- for example, web page examples are often cluttered with "style" attributes applied to multiple tags, when this sort of thing should really be dealt with using a stylesheet (reducing the amount of typing and *greatly* increasing the readability of the examples!) If there is a particular reason why he doesn't do this, he should tell us, and he doesn't. Second is the frequent use of innerHTML, which is nonstandard JavaScript -- I would be far more confident that he's truly teaching me the best way to use Ajax if he were more clearly demonstrating knowledge of best practices for HTML and CSS. The other thing that made this book cumbersome in places was that in giving an example script, he'll dump four or more pages of solid code in your lap, and then say "Okay, here's what I did...", which leaves you flipping back and forth trying to follow what he's saying about code that's several pages back. I've had a much easier time with other books that explain as they go: give a chunk of code, and if there's something that warrants explanation, do it right away and *then* proceed with more code. It's a decent book in terms of information, but a harder slog than it could (or should) have been.
Customer Review: Solid Intro to Ajax
This is a solid book for those looking to get their feet wet with Ajax concepts. Beginning Ajax with PHP: From Novice to Professional was penned by Lee Babin of the recently formed Icona.ca. He brings a wealth of PHP knowledge to the table and effectively shows how to use it alongside JavaScript. He starts out by explaining some of the concepts behind Ajax, and how it differs from web programming in a controlled environment. He gives real-life examples of how to use asynchronous scripting, such as an image uploader / photo gallery. He also gives examples of how to use Ajax for form submission. He shows how to use the Google Maps API to create a spatially enabled web application - in this case, one that will locate nearby video game outlets. He also explains how to make use of PEAR - PHP Extension and Application Repository, using proven code to speed up Ajax development. He also covers how to make use of various web services, and touches on potential pitfalls for security when using Ajax. I liked the way he referred to Ajax as an increased surface area of attack. While not necessarily hazardous to your site or data, it does afford would-be malicious hackers more opportunity. Lee shows how to defend against this and secure your code. Lastly, he finishes up with an overview of DOM Scripting methods. To me, this seems like something that would have been better suited to the beginning of the book, but I suppose he positioned it as such to delve right into the guts of Ajax, and explain the theory behind it later. I did appreciate this tangible approach. My one qualm with this book is the client-side code in the examples. There is a mix of document types throughout: HTML 4.01 / XHTML 1.0 Transitional / XHTML 1.0 Strict. I would like to have seen more attention placed on best practices for unobtrusive JavaScript and CSS layout, instead of inline event handlers and tables. That being said, it does effectively explain concepts behind Ajax and gives understandable PHP examples. It is well worth the read.

Essential PHP Security
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Being highly flexible in building dynamic, database-driven web applications makes the PHP programming language one of the most popular web development tools in use today. It also works beautifully with other open source tools, such as the MySQL database and the Apache web server. However, as more web sites are developed in PHP, they become targets for malicious attackers, and developers need to prepare for the attacks.

Security is an issue that demands attention, given the growing frequency of attacks on web sites. Essential PHP Security explains the most common types of attacks and how to write code that isn't susceptible to them. By examining specific attacks and the techniques used to protect against them, you will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the safeguards you are about to learn in this book.

In the much-needed (and highly-requested) Essential PHP Security, each chapter covers an aspect of a web application (such as form processing, database programming, session management, and authentication). Chapters describe potential attacks with examples and then explain techniques to help you prevent those attacks.

Topics covered include: Preventing cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities Protecting against SQL injection attacks Complicating session hijacking attempts

You are in good hands with author Chris Shiflett, an internationally-recognized expert in the field of PHP security. Shiflett is also the founder and President of Brain Bulb, a PHP consultancy that offers a variety of services to clients around the world.

Customer Review: Overpriced
Of the 103 pages in the book there are probably only 13 of unique information and 90 pages of saying the same exact thing over and over again. Worse yet, I found the author had already released the 13 pages of useful information online for free. Definitely wish I had browsed this one in a store before I blew $30.
Customer Review: Alright - not very meaty though
Alright - not very meaty. Overall I'm glad I read it though, as I picked up some useful nuggets. ========== Update 2006-12-30 - I'd like to bump this up to four stars. The book came in handy today - I used some code in it regarding session variables.

Pro PHP XML and Web Services (Pro)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Pro PHP XML and Web Services is the authoritative guide to using the XML features of PHP 5 and PHP 6. No other book covers XML and Web Services in PHP as deeply as this title. The first four chapters introduce the core concepts of XML required for proficiency, and will bring you up to speed on the terminology and key concepts you need to proceed with the rest of the book. Next, the book explores utilizing XML and Web Services with PHP5. Topics include DOM, SimpleXML, SAX, xmlReader, XSLT, RDF, RSS, WDDX, XML-RPC, REST, SOAP, and UDDI.

Author Robert Richards, a major contributor to the PHP XML codebase, is a leading expert in the PHP community. In this book, Richards covers all topics in depth, blending theory with practical examples. You'll find case studies for the most popular web services like Amazon, Google, eBay, and Yahoo. The book also covers XML capabilities, demonstrated through informative examples, in the PEAR libraries.

Customer Review: Great PHP XML Reference
'Pro PHP XML and Web Services' by Robert Richards is a great book to help you learn your way around these technologies. Packing in over 900+ pages, this book gives a broad overview of the subject matter which is outlined here: 01. Introduction to XML and Web Services 02. XML Structure 03. Validation 04. XPath, XPointer, XInclude 05. PHP and XML 06. Document Object Model 07. SimpleXML 08. Simple API for XML 09. XMLReader 10. Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations 11. Effective and Efficient Processing 12. XML Security 13. PEAR and XML 14. Content Syndication: RSS and Atom 15. Web Distributed Data Exchange 16. XML-RPC 17. Representational State Transfer 18. SOAP 19. Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) 20. PEAR and Web Services 21. Other XML Technologies and Extensions If you need a book that dives into the XML technology and doesn't look back, this is a nice pickup that gets the job done. Lots of other Apress books I feel are a bit too long, but this book at over 900 pages I have less complaints about. It's solidly written and a nice companion book to have on your bookshelf for anyone that programs with XML. **** RECOMMENDED
Customer Review: Heavy Metal XML
This is first and foremost an XML reference. The author takes the reader through over 100 pages XML background in the first three chapters, then an overview of a few utilities like XPath and XPointer before he touches on PHP. Having provided some grounding in the basics, he then proceeds to develop the use of XML in PHP from the basic topics of DOM (Document Object Model) and XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) to the more advanced topics of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and web services. Along the way Richards introduces the reader to utility classes like SimpleXML, SAX (Simple API for XML), XMLReader. He also touches on PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository) utility classes and topics like security, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration). The author's examples are reasonably concise and readable; making the necessary points without getting carried away. The bottom line is that this is a highly effective reference (that means fairly comprehensive, but dry reading; I read cover to cover, but it was relatively tedious) on XML and its varied uses in association with PHP. This is not a book for the newcomer to programming, nor is it a cookbook for examples for the casual programmer/web developer, although the author does provide PEAR examples for connecting with major web services like Amazon, Google and Yahoo (among others). My suggestion for readers is to review what you need of the first 11-12 chapters to ensure a firm grounding in XML, and then hop to the chapters specific to the problem being faced. P-)

Setting Up LAMP: Getting Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP Working Together
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

You could think of Setting Up LAMP as four books in one, but it's actually something much more valuable: a single volume that presents the open-source technologies known collectively as LAMP—Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP—as tightly dovetailed components of today's most affordable and effective platform for building dynamic web-based applications.

Each technology has uses outside of this context, of course, but within it they form something greater than the sum of their parts. This book shows you how to take full advantage of this power, walking you through all the steps required to lay your Linux foundation, install and configure your Apache web server, and then begin using PHP to access content stored in MySQL. Here are a few of the specific topics you'll find covered inside: Installing and configuring qmail with support for IMAP, POP3, SMTP, virtual domains, spam filtering, and antivirus Managing system users and groups Configuring your network Creating a custom firewall script using IP tables Recognizing when a system is in distress Handling MySQL database replication Configuring virtual domains Writing a basic PHP script that integrates with MySQL

If you're new to all of this, you'll quickly get to where you need to be to start developing and deploying the higher-level pieces of your web application. Even if you have experience with one or all of these technologies, this book—including its quick-start installation appendix—is a resource you'll want close by whenever you're setting up or fine-tuning your LAMP system.
Customer Review: Not what was expected.
I am very unsatisfied with this book. It only gives instructions on how to setup a lamp using one distro only. And it was geared only to well experienced users. The book was incomprehensible to me.
Customer Review: Not a beginner book
This book is listed as a beginner to intermediate book, but I would rate it as intermediate at the very least. The author has a fetish for unnecessarily elaborate terminology that overcomplicates straightforward operational activities (to exemplify my point). Otherwise, it is a good overview of the four technologies and how they work together to provide a seamless web presence.

PHP Game Programming
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

"PHP Game Programming" offers you the introduction you need to begin creating your own online games. You?ll be amazed at the games you can create with this powerful?and completely free?development tool! Dive right in as you begin with coverage of server configuration and the major features of PHP. Then you?re off and running as you use PHP to create and manipulate graphics, develop a chess game using a non-relational database, and send and receive data through sockets. Put your new skills to use as you create your own massively multiplayer online game! From the basics of PHP and HTML to the exciting task of creating dynamic terrain and Flash movies, "PHP Game Programming" will help you turn your online game ideas into reality!
Customer Review: Ultimately...
... not that good. It's unfortunate that the only book dedicated to php game programming really falls short on many levels. The main problem with this book, is it jumps from the very basics of php and mysql to extremely advanced topics all within a matter of a few pages... entirely omitting users of intermediate php/mysql knowledge. The book has a chapter about creating a MMO (my sole purpose for buying the book).. yet it doesn't tell you anything about HOW to make the MMO. The source code for the MMO has 150+ files, yet the chapter is only 20 pages long... The author does a great job explaining how to use php and mysql.. including great instructions for installation... the problem is that other books dedicated to learning these subjects do it better. This book should be about learning how to program a game in php/mysql, and it's not. This book is a book about learning the basics of php/mysql with some source code WAY more advanced than anything the book will cover. If you're advanced enough to decipher the authors code, then you don't need this book in the first place becaues you could already make games if you wanted. This book contains no content on game planning or design. The author write effectively.. I'd love for him to take a second pass at writing this... perhaps sit down and write a book dedicated to teaching you how to program a game. The MMO that comes within the book is certainly complex enough to deserve a book of it's own. Ultimately, this book is 280 pages long.. you cannot teach someone how to make a game in php/mysql in 280 pages. I'd love to see an author write a book that illustrates making a game from concept to design to code... the how and the why of the processes, and have it return a good game you can use as a foundation for creating other game. I really looked forward to getting this book before it was published. Now almost a year later, having been through the book 3 times fully, I can say I'm no closer to having any idea how to make a game than when I started.

PHP 5 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

What you hold in your hands is the answer to all your PHP 5 needs. We have written PHP 5 Recipes with a number of purposes in mind.

First, this book is a source of instant solutions, including countless pieces of useful code that you can just copy and paste into your own applications, giving you answers fast and saving you hours of coding time.

Second, this book is a useful reference to the most important aspects of the PHP 5 language, including the vital functions you know and love from previous versions of PHP, as well as the functions introduced in PHP 5.

Finally, this book explains the new PHP 5 functionality in detail, including the vastly improved object-oriented capabilities and the new MySQLi database extension.

We are confident PHP 5 Recipes will be a useful and welcome companion throughout your PHP journey, keeping you on the cutting edge of PHP development, ahead of the competition, and giving you all the answers you need, when you need them.

Customer Review: Extremely useful, well written, and very few errors
I highly recommend this book. It covers all aspects of PHP 5, including OOP, without getting bogged down. Though this book consists of contributions from four authors, it comes together as one smooth read. Its full of examples and hits its mark very effectively. It makes a great companion to the Zend PHP 5 Certification Guide. Well done!!
Customer Review: Excellent Book for new and experienced PHP programmers
I normally don't write reviews unless I had a bad experience. However, in this case, the PHP 5 Recipes book is an exception! I love this book! The examples are CORRECT!! The information I need is very well organized - I really love the way that the book was organized! I wish all of my tech books for other languages were arranged in this problem-solution manner. The information you need to build a robust and well organized and valid website is here in the book! I definitely highly recommend that you get THIS book if you are thinking about doing some php work. The php code they have is on the mark! The authors included more than I needed by including a section on XML/XSLT with PHP. Definitely get this book!

Core Web Application Development with PHP and MySQL (Core Series)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Customer Review: Good start !!
The way that the author guide you through this book is excelent. Don't hope so much for MySQL but it's an excelent beginning, so clear and always in focus.. The last exercises are really very interesting, but I recommend that follow them very carefully becouse they need some adjusts to work! but that's the idea or not?
Customer Review: Delicious, bite-sized chunks of PHP goodness
All computer books should be written like this. This is a very conscise, well written book that leaves no stone unturned on the subject matter and is presented in short, complete chapters that allow you quickly build up useable modules of knowledge on PHP & MySQL while building up to a complete understanding by the end. This is a great place to start on PHP & MySQL and will serve as a great ongoing reference for a long time to come.

Learning PHP and MySQL
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

The PHP scripting language and MySQL open source database are quite effective independently, but together they make a simply unbeatable team. When working hand-in-hand, they serve as the standard for the rapid development of dynamic, database-driven websites. This combination is so popular, in fact, that it's attracting many programming newbies who come from a web or graphic design background and whose first language is HTML. If you fall into this ever-expanding category, then this book is for you.

Learning PHP and MySQL starts with the very basics of the PHP language, including strings and arrays, pattern matching and a detailed discussion of the variances in different PHP versions. Next, it explains how to work with MySQL, covering information on SQL data access for language and data fundamentals like tables and statements. Finally, after it's sure that you've mastered these separate concepts, the book shows you how to put them together to generate dynamic content. In the process, you'll also learn about error handling, security, HTTP authentication, and more.

If you're a hobbyist who is intimidated by thick, complex computer books, then this guide definitely belongs on your shelf. Learning PHP and MySQL explains everything--from basic concepts to the nuts and bolts of performing specific tasks--in plain English.

Part of O'Reilly's bestselling Learning series, the book is an easy-to-use resource designed specifically for newcomers. It's also a launching pad for future learning, providing you with a solid foundation for more advanced development.

Customer Review: An easy introduction
If you want to do "something" using PHP and MySQL, and you don't know anything about these tools, this book will help you a lot! You will find everything you need to a quick start. I recommend it !
Customer Review: A straightforward guide to PHP and MySQL
I like this book because it was an easy step by step introduction to PHP and MySQL. New features are introduced one at a time so I didn't feel overloaded. This book also has many demonstrations using real life examples of situations where PHP and MySQL would be used. This book also shows how to properly setup Apache, PHP and MySQL. What I really admired was the easy to read language of this book that makes it useful both as a reference and as a book to read straight through. I thought the book was biased towards Windows, as the setup section goes in depth on the Windows environment. I would have preferred a more even handed approach that also covers the Unix-like environment. The book also uses some special PHP modules, PHP Smarty and PHP Pear. Personally, I was turned off by the book's use of these. I would have preferred that the book use entirely standard PHP. Considering that this is an introductory book, I think using object oriented modules is too much.

Spring Into PHP 5 (Spring Into... Series)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Customer Review: Watch out-typos Galore!
I'm new to PHP, and chose this book because I had good results with "Spring Into: HTML & CSS". The chunks are clear and concise with lots of examples. I've learned a lot from this book, but keep having trouble with errors in the script. After going over (and over) the code, I started realizing that it was typos in the book coding itself-not user error! Being new to PHP, constant typos make the learning process more drawn out and frustrating! I'm ready to get a different book so I don't have to struggle through the typos (at half way into the book, I've found over a dozen). There are some good things to get out of this book; but is it worth the frustration?
Customer Review: Hands Down
This book is amazing. Its so easy as a training guide and resource. I used a 3M highlighter with Tabs and continue to use this book as a reference. This book goes through Baby steps to configuring things to get you launched into your own PHP applications. I've read the PHP 4 Bible which I would rate a 2. This book 'Spring Into PHP' is honestly the best PHP book I've purchased. My other recommendation is SitePoints PHP & MySQL book, though I would still choose this book for beginner to novice over any.

php|architect's Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

Zend's new PHP 5 Certification Exam represent an excellent tool for professional PHP developers who want to distinguish themselves in their field. php|architect's Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide, edited and produced by the publishers of php|architect magazine, provides the most comprehensive and thorough preparation tool for developers who wish to take the exam. This book provides complete coverage of every topic that is part of the exam, including: ? PHP Basics ? Functions ? Arrays ? Strings and Patterns ? Web Programming ? Object Oriented Programming ? Database Programming ? Object-oriented Design ? XML and Web Services ? Security ? Streams and Network Programming ? Differences Between PHP 4 and 5 Written by PHP professionals and Zend Certified PHP 5 Engineers Davey Shafik and Ben Ramsey, and reviewed by core PHP developer Derick Rethans, this is the perfect book for every prospective Zend Certified PHP Engineer candidate!
Customer Review: Very pleased
This is a very good study guide for the Zend PHP5 exam. Touches on quiet a few of the more subtle subjects in PHP5 and has a very nice learning curve. It's not recommended for the beginners and has to be read alongside other materials (be it online or offline) for maximum efficiency. It's not the definitive PHP study guide and you shouldn't rely on it alone for the exam. Great value for money!

Professional PHP4 Programming
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

PHP is an open source, server-side HTML-embedded web-scripting language for creating dynamic web pages. Outside of being browser-independent, it offers a simple and universal cross-platform solution for e-commerce, complex web, and database-driven applications.

Professional PHP4 will show you exactly how to create state of the art web applications that scale well, utilize databases optimally, and connect to a back-end network using a multi-tiered approach. This book also aims at teaching PHP by coding - among other things - FTP clients, e-mail clients, some advanced data structures, session management, and secure programming.

Customer Review: Excellent
I just bought this book in my local BORDERS, and I gotta say this is by far the best PHP book out there. Took me 2 hours to decide which booh to buy, and in the end, this was the best. Extensive professional explanations and it's well worth the money.
Customer Review: OK, but sloppy
Having previously read Wrox's Professional ASP Programming, I tried this book, hoping for something of equal merit. This volume is has some decent material, but is marred by a tendecy to sloppiness. Firstly, as other reviewers have noted, there are too many authors (count 'em - 16!), which is unnecessary, and leads to inconsistencies in presentation. The book could quite easily have been authored by a single writer. There are only a few chapters that required specialist knowledge. For example, the early chapters are quite good at advising the reader on PHP settings. Since there's no option explicit in PHP,the author correctly advises the reader to increase their error setting to report unused variables. Later, however, much of the code uses uninitialised variables. This is particularly the case in the chapter on form handling, the approach to which is too crude, and uses form variables directly in code, whereas a better approach would be to capture them and process them using isset(). The isset() function isn't even covered in this chapter,but is used correctly in other chapters. Secondly, while the converstational tone of Wrox books is often appealing, it can also be a problem at times. The presentation is not always comprehensive enough, and Wrox authors have a tendency to give overly clever examples. Strangely, there's no reference section. I found some of the explanations sloppy and confusing, especially the section of session variables. (I still can't get the WAP application to work properly.) Thirdly, the chapter on OO design leaves the reader stranded. After a decent theoretical discussion, the writer informs the reader that there will be no code examples, as the reader now knows enough theory to work an example out for themselves! If I've paid for the book, I don't really want to have it set homework for me. Fourthly, there are an annoying number of errors in the code. Many of these are corrected in the online errata, but there are quite a few that aren't at present. Furthermore, some of them are not typos, but seem to be the result of misconceptions on the part of the writer. This tends to reinforce the impression that some of the authors are relatively inexperienced. Lastly, there are a large number of errors in the downloadable code. I suppose supplied code should be seen as a bonus, but it's poor quality control, and greatly adds to the user's annoyance.

Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Internet Series)
Posted by admin@NordholmBooks.com
2 Mar 2007 at 2:38pm

If you want to add more power and functionality to your Web sites, add some database applications like a powerful shopping cart or a fun quiz game. Such applications make your site more dynamic, allow you to gather information, and provide customized experiences for your visitors. Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP teaches beginning and intermediate designers the fundamentals of creating complex Web applications. By covering both open source (PHP/MySQL) and proprietary tools (Microsoft ASP and Access), readers gain insight to the strengths and weaknesses of each. In addition, they learn how to work with both sets of tools and determine which works best for their projects. Practical examples, including a shopping cart and quiz show, are used to teach the basic concepts behind creating and testing database code. Every example is also provided in both PHP and ASP for easy comparison and use. With the knowledge and experience gained here, beginners will learn the fundamental concepts behind these two technologies, while more experienced developers will learn which technology works best for their specific needs. Exercises, questions, and projects are included with each chapter.
Customer Review: VERY HELPFUL
Jeanine, Just wanted to let you know how helpful your book is. Before I thought, it was impractical to have two scripting languages and two databases. I said this because from my experience I started learning database from Access then learn Visual Basic Codes and Scripts. Originally, my field of profession is Financial Accounting. In the early 90's I learn Lotus then migrated to Excel spreadsheet programs. I was not satisfied for what Macros can do so I studied Access database. I was so amazed by it but there are things I know and hope will be easier and faster. I wanted to learn SQL knowing how powerful it is, but because how expensive commerialize DBMS softwares were it made me stick with Access. The internet period has arrived at that time, so I learned ASP with Visual Basic Scripting. I was not totally satisfied with it because VBScript is always tied up to a giant corporation and at the time I was learning HTML, XML & JavaScript. This made me confuse, what direction am I going. I decided to continue what I learned so far, apply it then to whatever will make it easier. So, I studied ASP with JavaScript Langauge. Consequently, from learning and experience, I read about MySQL and PHP and studied it as well. So far your book is the best and most helpful, in showing how to connect to a server and for sure will SAVE me and my clients alot. Currently, I am a financial administrator and partly the intranet designer of a University in San Francisco. My goal is to have my own server company. Thank you again and more power to you. John
Customer Review: Very helpful
Jeanine, Just wanted to let you know how helpful your book is. Before I thought, it was impractical to have two scripting languages and two databases. I said this because from my experience I started learning database from Access then learn Visual Basic Codes and Scripts. Originally, my field of profession is Financial Accounting. In the early 1990's I learn Lotus then migrated to Excel spreadsheet programs. I was not satisfied for what macros can do so I studied Access database. I was so amazed by it but there are things I know and hope will make things easier and faster. I wanted to learn SQL knowing how powerful it is, but how expensive commerialize DBMS softwares were it made me stick with Access. The internet period has arrived at that time, so I learned ASP with Visual Basic Scripting. I was still not comfortable & not happy with it because VBScript