PHP Essentials (Prima Tech Linux Series) (Paperback)

by Julie Meloni (Author) "So, what's all the hoopla about "fip"?..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
PHP is getting lots of attention as an open-source alternative to Microsoft Active Server Pages, not least because it runs on Linux and other Unix-like systems as well as on Windows. It is a server-side parsing engine that lets you put dynamic content such as online databases on your Web site. The beauty of server-side processing is that any browser can view the results, provided of course that you are careful with your Web-page authoring.

Few books on PHP are available, so PHP Essentials is particularly welcome. The author is a PHP enthusiast and also uses it professionally. Her aim is to provide a hands-on guide to installing and using PHP for those who have no previous knowledge of the product. The book's based on version 3 but covers new PHP 4 features too. Readers are expected to have a basic knowledge of HTML, though. Although databases such as SQL Server and Oracle are briefly discussed, there is a special focus on using PHP with MySQL, an excellent open-source database server. (This is a common partnership, so the focus is appropriate.)

After tackling installation and basic PHP scripts, the book gets straight to the business of linking with a database. The text includes a short introduction to SQL and a complete example of how to create and query a database table. Further chapters cover user authentication, session management with cookies, and Web-based database administration. Finally, a complete e-commerce example in included, with code both printed in the book and available from a supporting Web site. An appendix offers a PHP language reference.

This book teaches by example. It is manageable in size and has a friendly, real-world feel. It is not the last word on the subject, though, so it's best suited to PHP newcomers or those using rival technology who want an idea of what PHP can do. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Review
One of the best books that I have read and also enjoyed on this topic is PHP Essentials. -- Elizabeth Zinkann, Review Columnist for Sys Admin Magazine

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade; 1 edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076152729X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761527299
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,332,098 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not necessarily a beginners book, May 24, 2000

By	Colette Brown (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I disagree with the reviews that say this book is only for beginners. I am a PHP newbie, but code ASP for my day job, so I understand the basic concept. But since I am a visual learner, I find step-by-step examples much more helpful than a big paragraph going over the theory behind something. PHP Essentials is great for me in that respect. Yes, some of the html stuff is pretty basic, but it doesn't take up the bulk of the book! Besides, you can just skim those parts. The only reason I don't give the book five stars is that I have yet to find the be-all, end-all tech book that warrants it. It's very rare to find books that are timely, comprehensive, and useful day-to-day. But PHP Essentials isn't supposed to be the grand bible of PHP either.

I've also read some of the Wrox Professional books, but find them less useful because of the reason I stated before. Lots of text, few examples, so that I have to look elsewhere anyway just to find something specific. For me, it's usually a waste of [money].

The nice thing about PHP is that it's very well documented, which is to everyone's advantage. For [this purchase price] and a few hundred pages, PHP Essentials shows you just enough to get your feet wet. Most books, including some Wrox books, are one-thousand-page doorstops with information that becomes obsolete rather quickly.

If you're new to PHP but not new to the web, and you learn by example, PHP Essentials can be a very helpful intro. But if you prefer more text in your tech book, then by all means drop your money elsewhere. I think it's nice to have the choice.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly, an enjoyable programming book, April 16, 2000

By	PHP Convert (Columbia, MD) - See all my reviews

I recently bought this book as a quick primer for an office project and i must say it was a refreshing read. Having spent the last 8 months learning javascript from various confusing and muddled sources, the intro to PHP here made me feel as if I'd bumped my head and web development suddenly crytallized! The instructions were clear, concise and nearly too well meaning. The code examples helped me to quickly apply my c knowledge and reinvigorate the otherwise dead office project for which I had purchased the book. The helpful appendix of essential functions was pretty much a bonus "pocket"-type reference. Also, the book opened my eyes to the power of MySQl and the ease with which PHP connects to it. I just finished a 8-week MCSD prep course, yet I didnt feel comfortable with SQL. This book went a long way toward making me feel at ease creating and manipulating with SQL. Looks like I wont be bothering to spend (waste) any more time trying to get my SQL Server 7.0 to operate reliably on a daily basis!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Anyone With or Without Coding Experience, May 28, 2000

By A Customer

I have every possible book on PHP and MySQL in my library. I bought them as a newbie trying to learn PHP programming with no experience in programming other than HTML. They will ALL be sitting on the shelf for a while now that I found Php Essentials. It is clear and easy to understand. The author explains the why's as well as the how's so that a beginner can understand everything without trying to guess what is meant by ambiguous statements... which has been my biggest complaint about the rest of the books on this topic. I'll be pulling out Professional Php Programming from time to time and I'll be checking in with MySQL (OTHER NEW RIDERS) as I proceed but PHP Essentials is laying a good foundation to build on.