Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Charles River Media Internet & Web Design) [Paperback]

Jeanine Meyer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1584502649 | ISBN-13: 978-1584502647 | Publication Date: June 30, 2003 | Edition: 1

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeanine Meyer (Mt. Kisco, NY) has a Ph.D. in computer science from New York University, and is currently an Associate Professor at Purchase College, Suny where she teaches programming, systems development, multimedia, Web design, and marketing. Prior to moving into academia, she worked in robotics and manufacturing research at IBM. She has participated in panel reviews for the National Science Foundation and for the Department of Education, and is a frequent reviewer for the ACM Computing Reviews. Additionally, she is the co-author author of two books; Multimedia in the Classroom and Programming Games using Visual Basic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 409 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (June 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584502649
• ISBN-13: 978-1584502647
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but a perfect mix!, February 15, 2004

By 

"chris_at_databoy_dot_biz" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Charles River Media Internet & Web Design) (Paperback)

I'm a seasoned (some would say salty) web developer, and I have been teaching web applications for two years both online and "on the ground." I've looked in vain for the right mixture of theory, practical application and humor (a needed ingredient for this type of instruction). I use this book for intermediate web developer students who have a solid grounding in HTML, CSS and Javascript, and some basic knowledge of either PHP or ASP (or other programming logic). I used to use Wrox's Beginning ASP, but at more than 1000 pages, and more errata than I could cover in a single class, I continued looking. With this book, I think I've found the right text for some of the classes I teach!

Dr. Meyer's work starts with a review of HTML and Javascript, with an emphasis on how to use the DOM in an application setting. Regarding databases, there are chapters explaining application concepts and E-R diagrams, as well as how to use the CLI client for MySQL. The CD-ROM even has SQL instructions for importing the material from the text; and for Access users, db files that mirror the work in the text.

But the real heart of the matter is the instruction in coding practices, from reading and writing to databases (using MySQL and DSN-less Access connections), to using cookies and session variables for data persistance. And this is where this book has no equal: it supports both the hugely popular open-source PHP/MySQL as equally as it shows ASP and Access. I've never seen such a universal attempt pulled off quite as well.

I recommend the book, but no work is perfect. I don't think that a book can equal the combination of education and experience (but as an instructor, I may be biased). The PHP code supplied in the accompanying CD-ROM utilizes global variables (which may be turned off in some production environments for security purposes)--but that underscores the use of the text as a textbook, and not a coding "cookbook" with samples that are "ready-to-eat." Also, the ASP uses the less-common, but more palatable ASP JavaScript (or JScript) instead of the more commonly utilized ASP VBScript (but even third-party ASP interpreters like that used in the SunOne Server handled the code).

I found that students should adapt and improve the code from the CD-ROM as part of their studies, so that they could fix some typos, and learn how code integration works. Also, they needed to create interfaces for the samples so we could stop staring at web forms and add some color to the examples! Students have created portfolio pieces using the concepts in this text like psychological profile tests, e-commerce sites, calendar applications and marketing surveys.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, concise book on learning atabase Web applications, February 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Charles River Media Internet & Web Design) (Paperback)

I am very new to computing, having just learned the basics of HTML. I found this book very helpful. First of all, it does start out with basic HTML which was reassuring for me. It then adds JavaScript. It builds up gradually, with many examples in the text. There is also a complete set of code on the CD. The PHP with MySql and the ASP with Access are always compared with general previews. The book has many screen shots.

The book also has some examples of what the screen would look like if you did something wrong which beginners tend to do. I have not seen this pedagogical technique in other texts. I found it very helpful. The chapters on database design and SQL were also very good. I strongly recommend this book. It is an excellent book for anyone new to Web applications or someone with some experience, who wants to know more. In particular, if someone knows one of the technologies featured (PHP, ASP, MySql, Access, SQL) and wants to know how this one technology relates to others, this is a good source. The examples of the book are well-chosen, without any extraneous material, and are explained in a table, with code in one column and explanation in another. I liked the fact that that it is clear and concise since I like most people don't have a lot of time to expend on a lot of unnecessary verbiage.

2.0 out of 5 stars not as good as Larry Ullman, February 9, 2008

By 

twets (switzerland) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP (Charles River Media Internet & Web Design) (Paperback)

While this book covers both ASP and PHP coding and the use of MySQL and ACCESS, the author does little to explain the 'why' behind much of the coding. This means that using the coding is not as straightforward as she would like it to be.

To start a book with the basics of HTML and then take a user through to complex database design would require more explanation and peripheral information.

I find that Larry Ullman's books provide far better explanations of the coding and help the user to understand how the coding fits in with a) the rest of the coding on the page and b) the coding that relates to subsequent pages.


I used this book as a textbook in a class, and most students encountered similar problems. If someone were to purchase this book, I strongly recommend another more hands-on book in tandem with it.