Beginning PHP5 (Programmer to Programmer)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 888 pages
• Published by: Wrox July 16, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764557831
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764557835
• Book Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.4 x 1.9 inches
• Weighs: 2.9 pounds

Product Description
What is this book about?

Beginning PHP5 is a complete tutorial in PHP5's language features and functionality, beginning with the basics and building up to the design and construction of complex data-driven Web sites. Fully functioning applications are developed through the course of the book. Other features of the book include installation guide and troubleshooting tips, introduction to relational databases, practical working examples and applications, and a detailed language reference.

Here are the new topics in this edition:

• OOP
• PEAR
• GTK
• MSI
• CLI
• SQLite
• Error handling with try/catch

Back Cover Copy
PHP5 is the newest version of the preferred language for rapidly creating dynamic Web page content. While its main use is as a cross-platform, HTML-embedded, server-side Web scripting language, it now works equally well when creating multi-tiered applications or XML-based applications as well as Web applications. This book teaches you the features and functionality of PHP5, from installing and configuring it to designing and constructing complex data-driven Web sites.

As you proceed, you will build a number of fully functional applications. You’ll be introduced to basic programming logic, relational databases, OOP, PEAR, GTK, MSI, CLI, SQLite, and more. When you’re finished, you will understand how to create, test, debug, and put your applications to work in the real world.

What you will learn from this book

• The basics of object-oriented programming in PHP5
• How to write PHP5 applications that run on Windows®, Linux®, Mac OS® X, and other operating systems
• Why PHP5 works effectively in small to enterprise-level applications
• Error handling with try/catch
• Data manipulation in MySQL® using PHP
• How to build practical applications such as an online text editor, a Web-based e-mail application, and an object-oriented contact manager application
• Command-line scripting and GUI application development
• Effective methods of maintaining and organizing your code, and more

Who this book is for
This book is for beginning programmers as well as experienced developers who want to learn what is possible with the latest version of PHP.

Reader Reviews
The best parts of this book are the first chapters that provide a very methodical introduction to the core functional aspects of the language. Not only do they provide good syntax instruction, they also teach you about writing good PHP code. The trouble comes in the SQL database access chapter, in it's use of string concatenation to build SQL insert, update and delete statements. That strategy is prone to SQL injection attacks, and just basic buggy behavior. What's worse is that the section on PEAR, where you would expect to see SQL done well, doesn't reference the PEAR SQL wrapper. In addition the book only has two chapters on the Object Oriented properties of the language. Where the first is just an overview of basic OO methodology.