Customer Reviews

PHP & MySQL For Dummies 3rd edition (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just finished PHP and MySQL for Dummies last night. I took C++ about 7 years ago in highschool and I think that helped with following the PHP part. Here are the pros and cons I found.
Cons
1.Not enough info on PHP and Mysql setup. One of the reasons I picked up this book was for help in getting everything configured. I had tried numerous how-tos on the web that weren't working, this did not offer much help either, although you can email the author for additional support. Solution: save the headache and download WAMP5, everything is configured for u with php, mysql, and apache server.
2. I found it annoying that the author would throw in lots of functions that were not included in the chapter into her example programs. Sure, they're there (some of them) in the last chapter, but they are not referenced so some of the examples are hard to proof unless you change them or read ahead.
3. Read the chapter "PHP Gotchas" at the beginning of the php chapters intead of at the end. If you follow along in order you will already know everything in that chapter, with much frustration, by the time u get there.
Pros:
I now know how to design a fully functional web program and have already figured out in my head how to do 2 others, plus modifications to the sample programs.
This is not the last PHP/MySQL book you will buy but it's good to get your feet wet.

I've read many Dummies books, and like the "Monkey read, Monkey see, Monkey do" approach. This monkey learns better when all the steps are clearly shown and executed in the text. Unfortunately, this book is more like "Monkey read, Monkey lost". For example, Chapter 4, "Building a Database". The author describes 2 sample databases then discusses the various operations (queries) that can be performed on the databases without detailed, step by step instructions along the way. With some trial and error, the steps can be deduced, but this can be very frustrating and may not always work.

p.s.: Janet Valade has written several beginner books on PHP/MySQL. Maybe, eventually, she will get it right. She is so close...

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.

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.

I think this is a very good book to get if you want to learn how to make your website work with databases, (eg: make your website have a password system on it, or a cataloge of products.) Also I think PHP and MYSQL are the best ones to learn.
This book tells you exactly how to set up Apache, Mysql and PHP environment. It uses all the latest up to date PHP. I would say this is the book to get if you want to be able to create Web Database Applications and be a Web Developer.

If you're looking to learn the basics of PHP and how it connects the web with databases, this is a very good starting point. The author takes the time to teach all of the basics of MySQL and PHP (even referencing differences between versions) and provides clear examples of two common uses of PHP - online catalogs and member-only sites.

One note though - you most definitely want to have a decent grasp of HTML and at least the basics of SQL before you start into this.

Overall it was well worth reading.

This book really got me on my feet. I had never programmed with server side languages before and this book taught me everything I needed to know. Now, I'm a professional web developer and I make pretty good money.

The title of this review says it all. I bought my first copy of this book in 2001 and when I lent it to a friend, I couldn't wait to get it back so I bought another copy. Although not for the novice (despite the name) this is a good resource for people who are not professional programmers. To get the maximum benefit from this book, you need a basic knowledge of programming in general, but with that capability you can follow the text to get where you want to go.

There are some good examples of how to use the concepts covered in the book, and the information can be used in order, or by need (the author even tells you that the book is designed this way).

From this text, I was able to build my first web application, just the way I wanted it and this is just a hobby for me. Highly recommended.

I liked this book and it's great for starters. The book had minimal errors. You learn how to program complete projects. When you're done with the projects, you are off to the races coding your own projects. I e-mailed the author and recieved a reply! The author cares about her work and it shows in this book. Happy coding and welcome to the PHP world never to look back...

I brought this book for my girlfriend to help her with her web designing. She found it to be very helpful and easy to understand what it was trying to teach you.