Customer Reviews

PHP & MySQL For Dummies, 4th Edition

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I found PHP & MySQL for DUMMIES by Janet Valade to be an extremely useful starting place for practicing those tools, and if your circumstances and needs are similar to mine, then you may find it helpful as well. I have a database that I want to serve on the web. I have some experience with relatively simple programming, including C, but I am not a programmer per se. At my work, I have access to a web-server running both MySQL and PHP and an administrator to make sure that they are working. I am also someone who likes to do things themselves so that the result matches precisely what is in my head. All that this dummy needed was an introductory lesson on the syntax and structure of these two "languages" and Valade provided it.

MySQL & PHP for DUMMIES uses the example of setting up an online catalog for a pet store, demonstrating how to build a multi-table database in MySQL that employs the various necessary components, e.g. user login, querying and formatting the output. The computer operations covered are simple enough to just read on the train (i.e., I didn't need to be seated at my computer running the exercises to understand them) and provide a good primer for the kinds of that I could do... that YOU could do too.

Having praised the book for what it is, I want to make clear what it is not. The index is almost useless and the functions of both MySQL and PHP are covered in only the most superficial way, so this For DUMMIES book is a poor reference for projects beyond the advanced beginner; it does not necessarily replace more comprehensive texts. For my own rudimentary dabblings in web databases, I now rely more upon the PHP and MySQL code I have already written based on what this book taught me than the book itself. But, MySQL and PHP for DUMMIES provided the framework for me to take the first baby steps towards a really flexible web-based database.

Prior to reading this book, I had no experience with an algorithmic programming language. All I knew was HTML. After sitting down with this book for a day or two, I was already programming in PHP. This book covers EVERYTHING you need to know to get started, and after programming in PHP for three years now, I still look back to this book as a very helpful reference.

I am disappointed to see dismal reviews of this book when it has been so helpful to me. Most of such reviews are written by people who are simply using the book to the wrong ends. Before buying this book, you'll want to make note of a few things:

-This book is perfect for people who only know HTML and want to expand their endeavors on the web. If you know another algorithmic programming language, chances are the bulk of this book will be filled with too much information you already know. For everyone else, the explanations are in depth enough to actually understand what the different aspects of PHP do.
-This book does not provide step-by-step tutorials. It gives you the information you need to create YOUR OWN programs. It provides examples of how a PHP program might be set up, but if you're attempting to make use of the examples line by line, you will be disappointed with the end result (and you will be cheating yourself, because you're just copying someone else's code, not learning the language).
-As I said, I use this book as a basic reference, one that is far easier to understand than the complex explanations in the PHP manual found on the Internet. A good half of this book acts as a layman's reference guide that's organized to help you learn PHP and MySQL.
-This book just jumpstarts you for using PHP and MySQL, and yes, eventually you will outgrow it, but that's not a shortcoming of the book. You'll learn everything the book has to teach you and then you'll want more. Once you're ready to take that next step, and it won't be long after you've exhausted this book, I suggest you pick up PHP Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for PHP Programmers to further your skills.
-Even after you seem to have learned everything you can from this book, you'll still want to keep it nearby. Every once in a while, I still reach for it to make sure I'm using the right syntax.

Without a doubt, this book will teach you what you've always wanted to learn about the most important language for the web right now.

This is a great book for someone learning to use PHP and MySQL. It assumes the reader already knows basic HTML. The book is easy to read and understand. The topics it covers gives the reader a good grounding of the basics, enough to create a reasonably sophisticated web application. The stuff it leaves out is not essential to know, and can be left for when the reader steps up to more complicated applications.

Information is well organised and easy to navigate. The two web application examples towards the back of the book are also excellent to learn from. They're very good at demonstrating techniques described in earlier chapters.

One potential difficulty someone might have is with the explanation of relational database design. Someone without any past knowledge of relational databases might find the book's explanation a bit light. Designing relational databases isn't terribly complicated, but has its tricky bits.

Another thing I liked about this book is how it helped me set up the appropriate software on my computer so it all worked cleanly together.

When I bought this book I was looking to create dynamic web pages, and had begun using Perl/CGI. I happened to come across the PHP manual on the net, and was amazed. I did not know much about PHP, and had never used mySQL so I wanted an entry-level book, and was lucky enough to purchase this one.
The authors did a wonderful job introducing me to both PHP and mySQL. The book takes you through building a members only site, and an e-commerce site. Unlike many books I have read all code is well commented, and uses only topics already introduced and explained, so it is never hard to follow.
I recommend reading the PHP chapter before the mySQL chapter, even though it comes after, then going back to the database chapter. Anyway you read it though it is a perfect starting point for learning the two. After reading this you will probably want to read a more advanced book on PHP, and maybe one on mySQL, as many of he less common features of both are left out. But thanks to this book you will feel after 1 week like you could build your own amazon.com.

Had I written this review whilst reading the first chapters of the book I would have given it 5 stars. The steps how to install MySQL and the PHP installation went very smoothly following the book. I even found setup tips for MySQL that I had previously search for on the web/forums without results. I found I was leaning PHP & MySQL very quickly.
The middle of the book has more general info using various examples, but nothing really useful to tryout. The book gets up to speed in chapter 11. I felt I was leaning something again. Learn you must, you need to know what you're doing so you can correct the mistakes in code. Chapter 12, even more mistakes. This time I took the lazy way and downloaded the corrected code from the author's site only to find it was still incorrect. Maybe the mistakes in the code have actually helped, whilst solving the errors I have found lots of useful info for PHP & MySQL.
My roundup:
The start of the book is good for a PHP beginner, with useful setup info. It's weak in the middle. The last part, the main reason to buy the book tends to go too quickly not explaining details that would help a beginner.
It's a shame the book's wasn't checked a little better.

Good points:

1. Trained me into some of the mindset required.
2. Gave me actual instruction on the many basic database input/output tasks. Full marks. I was reading and writing to a database after reading chapter 8, dedicated to this very interest.
3. For the complex subject that PHP is, the author did fairly well at the task of simplifying it but could not fully succeed. I still don't understand some of the foundation PHP understandings.

Bad points:

1. Insufficient explanation of the sample scripts. parts of many scripts were left unexplained. I looked at the scripts in detail. Not everything I saw was explained. But can they be??

2. For slow learners, the book moves too quickly.
3. Doesn't ease me into the state of being (that I perceive) I need to be in for any development challenge - but is that what this book is for?? Once I knew what database site I wanted to make, I continually found myself getting stuck.

In summary, I am pleased I got the book and it has helped me in the task of finding my feet with PHP. However, I now need a more advanced book.

This book was perfect for me. I thought the organization was great. I started at the beginning and worked through to the end. The information was there when I needed it. I didn't need to search around for anything and didn't feel that any information was missing. Everything worked just as the book said it would. I downloaded the programs, so I didn't even have to deal with my own typos.

This book is an introduction to PHP and MySQL for people who don't know anything about programming or databases. It's great for beginners. It might be a little too simple for people who already know how to program and use databases. The writing is easy to understand with lots of examples. In addition, there are two running examples that are used throughout the book, an online catalog and a user login. The last two chapters put everything together for the two examples.

I am talking about the second edition of this book. I didn't find ANY mistakes in this book, maybe because it's the second edition. Maybe the first edition had some mistakes. Amazon doesn't even sell the first edition any more.

This book was simple enough to understand that I've been able to create a database for my company with over 500 products in an easily viewable format. I saw a bigger, fatter book for PHP4 but they really lose you fast. Plus, I didn't have that much time to read. These dummies books are always my solution.

Ms. Valade's book is a solid intro to the dynamic duo of PHP & MySQL, with an excellent running example throughout the book to bring it all together. Although it's difficult to write a book that's both readable cover-to-cover AND accessible for quick-lookup references when you need them, this one does well at both. After reading the book, I converted one of my web sites from static HTML to PHP and MySQL, and collapsed the number of pages from around 450 to under 50 ( http://www.historicelizabethcity.org ).

I've read the other reviews of this book, and it's unfair to beat up on the book for Amazon's quirks. Make sure you order the current edition (the 2002 edition is, as you'd expect, woefully out of date, but Amazon will gladly sell it to you if you let them). And it's not Ms. Valade's fault if download of the e-book doesn't work.

It's been my experience that Ms. Valade is responsive to e-mails, so if you have a beef with Amazon, complain to Amazon. If you have questions about the book, Ms. Valade has a good track record for helpful responses.

This is an excellent first step in learning PHP and MySql. Like any type of learning, you must be committed to obtain the best results. Your commitment and this book is an excellent beginning to knowing and understanding PHP and MySql.