Foundation PHP for Dreamweaver 8

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 530 pages
• Published by: friends of ED
• Edition: 1st Edition December 19, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1590595696
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1590595695
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 1.9 pounds

Product Description
In this book, youll learn how to:

• Install, configure, and troubleshoot a testing environment with PHP/MySQL and Apache or IIS
• Learn the basics 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 8s 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 cant do everything. So instead of just giving you a series of instructions to click this and click that, this book helps you understand whats going on in the background. As a result, youre 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 8s vastly improved CSS rendering, and shows you how to build a site thats smart in both senses of the word. It looks good and is intelligent too. Youll learn how to change the entire look of the site, using PHP to serve up different stylesheets each month. Youll also build a contact form protected against email injection attacks. All of Dreamweavers PHP server behaviors are put through their paces, and youll 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, theres 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 worlds 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 PHPA 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

From the Author
Since my previous book on PHP in Dreamweaver MX 2004, I've spent a lot of time researching the problems people encounter getting PHP/MySQL to work with Dreamweaver. The result is a book that I'm convinced will have you up and running quickly and painlessly. 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, I help you understand what’s going on in the background. If you understand why you’re doing something, you’re more likely to remember it, and to get it right.

I’ve based the book round a case study that puts all of Dreamweaver’s PHP server behaviors through their paces, and uses techniques that can be applied to a wide range of sites, whether you’re designing for yourself or on behalf of clients. I also equip you with sufficient knowledge of basic PHP to have the confidence to dive into the code generated by Dreamweaver and tweak it to your own requirements. The emphasis is exclusively on PHP, so you don’t waste any time on information that’s not relevant to what you’re doing.

The final chapter takes an in-depth look at the exciting new addition to Dreamweaver 8’s server behaviors, XSL Transformation, which makes light work of incorporating a live news feed and other XML documents into your websites. I’ve had fun writing it. I hope you have fun using it.

Reader Reviews
I already had a basic understanding of Dreamweaver in creating some basic web pages, but I had a hard time finding a good PHP book. This book shows you how to combine the cool new features of Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 and the scripting power of PHP. I had done some scripting before with ASP but not with PHP. This book takes you from the beginning in setting up the work environment of a web server (APACHE or IIS) and database (MYSQL), to explaining web design concepts and then integrating it all together in some useful and "real-world" projects. It also explains the differences in setup of MAC and Windows OS. I've never found a book that puts it all together like this one. A must buy!