Foundation PHP 5 for Flash (Foundation)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 684 pages
• Published by: friends of ED
• Edition: 1st Edition March 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1590594665
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1590594667
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches
• Weighs: 2.4 pounds

Product Description
Our original Foundation PHP for Flash title was rightly regarded as a must-have title when it came to wanting to learn just how to make your Flash sites make use of backend technologies, that was published way back in the days of Flash 5 and PHP 4, and things move pretty fast in the world of web design! This latest, completely rewritten, edition again brings together three of the web's hottest technologies--Flash, the server-side language PHP, and the MySQL database system. We've brought things bang up to date, using ActionScript 2.0, PHP 5.0, and MySQL 4.1, the book has been designed to be version-neutral. In other words, you can be confident that you're working with the latest standards, but that your applications will not break if deployed on an older server. The book also provides a brief introduction to an alternative database system, SQLite, which is now automatically bundled with PHP 5 and requires no installation. At each stage of the book you'll be given an overview of a new area of PHP/MySQL, introducing you to the syntax while showing how it compares to ActionScript, and how it integrates with Flash to produce increasingly complicated applications. For example, earlier chapters cover things such as getting data from PHP to Flash and back again, variables, arrays, string manipulation, validating user input, and feedback forms. Later on, it moves on to more advanced subjects such as creating databases via the MySQL console and via phpMyAdmin, manipulating database data via a Flash interface, displaying data from an RSS feed in Flash, persisting data with sessions, and creating a full blown content management system. In addition, to get you up and running, the book features a detailed guide to setting up your environment - PHP, MySQL, and the Apache web server - along with extensive troubleshooting information. PHP is the language of choice on nearly 18 million domains, and MySQL has more than five million active users, including industry leaders like Google, the Associated Press, Sony, and NASA. They're open source and free; and with the help of this book, you'll see that they're easy and fun to learn.

From the Author
This book fills an important gap left by "Foundation PHP for Flash", now long out of print and very much out of date. By no stretch of the imagination, though, is it a rehash of the earlier book. It has been completely rewritten to bring it up to date with all the latest versions: PHP 5, MySQL 4.1, and ActionScript 2.0.

While writing the book, the typical reader I've had in mind is someone already comfortable in the Flash authoring environment, and probably with some experience of ActionScript, who wants to add the power of PHP and the MySQL database to Flash movies to create a richer, more interactive experience. Although the book is project-driven, I've deliberately designed each chapter so readers can come back later, find the information they need, and use it as a reference book. I've also incorporated a lot of troubleshooting advice, based not only on my own experience, but on feedback from users in online forums. Rather than just throwing huge chunks of code at you, I explain what the code does, and why I've chosen a particular technique. All the ActionScript is described, too, so the book should also appeal to PHP programmers wanting to improve their ActionScript skills.

I've been using PHP/MySQL for many years, and was delighted that Sham Bhangal agreed to act as my technical editor. Sham's an acknowledged expert on Flash and ActionScript (and the author of many best-selling books on the subject). Between us, I believe we've created a book that will not only take your skills to a higher level, but it's one you'll enjoy reading, too.

Reader Reviews
The dot.com bubble is long gone from the general public's perception, but one thing is for certain - experienced Flash web designers are one of the most overworked set of people at the moment. Since the last two quarters of 2004, my Flash design consulting work has gone through the roof (and this all the more noticeable because 2003 was *very* quiet for Flash web design). From talking to other web designers, it is apparent that their phones are also red hot at the moment (summer 2005). There is a problem though. These new clients don't just want a clever user interface, or some multimedia content. They invariably want Flash to be the front end of a web application. In such projects, Flash is the cool and friendly front end of a server driven system rather than a standalone web interface Theres a lot of demand out there for flash developers that know about XML, PHP and mySQL, because these are the three technologies most commonly used. Knowing these technologies *and* Flash is also a sure way to double your customer base (and usually also increase your hourly rate...). The good news is that unlike all competing proprietary systems, XML, PHP and mySQL are all free. They are open source systems. All you have to do is get them installed on your computer, set up a local and web host, and you have everything you need to start developing or learning. Um... that's the first of three problems though... PHP and mySQL are created for the open source community, and that means they don't come in a nice box with a hologram, read-me and an installer that only needs to know which directory you want to install to. You also need something like Apache installed and running, and theres one or two other apps that make life easier (such as phpMyAdmin). Many designers have been put off by this... you need to install several pieces of software in exactly the right order, and all of them have to work *at the same time* for you to get anywhere. The first problem solved by this book is that it assumes only knowledge of Flash and basic web design skills, so it leads you by the hand in getting a fully integrated dev system installed and running. I can't tell you how useful this is - open source software is free, but the downside is that it assumes that you know what you are doing! The second problem is that there's just so much information to take in. Previously, I went out and got several books on PHP, SQL and Apache (plus a few other technologies that I later found were not even needed or were rarely used options), and just didn't know where to start on getting it all up and running with Flash. It took me a good few months to get anywhere. What was missing for me was a book that took Flash as the starting point rather than expect me to figure out where Flash fits in with all these confusing new technologies. This book goes through the required technologies with a Flash-facing sensibility - `you know Flash already, so I'll start from there and introduce you slowly to the other stuff'. There's only one other book that tackles this route efficiently - and its (a) out of print and (b) sells for extortionate amounts in the second hand market - so foundation PHP5 for flash is currently your best bet in extending Flash skills to server applications. Finally, there is the problem of knowing what the technology can and cannot do, and how it tends to be set up in practical terms. Even if you know about the link between Flash