A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0 (Paperback)

~ W. Jason Gilmore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

<p>No matter what language you are familiar with, this book will benefit you. Beginning with a rapid introduction to PHP's syntax and basic functionality, you will swiftly understand PHP. The book then steers you toward advanced issues, like PHP's role in database manipulation, sessions, and user interactivity. </p> <p>Author W.J. Gilmore also examines how PHP can work with XML, JavaScript, and the Component Object Model (COM). He loads the book with practical examples and several projects that can be immediately incorporated on any website. The invaluable <i>A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0</i> shows you how to make the most of PHP's powerful capabilities, regardless of your current scope of PHP knowledge.</p>

About the Author

W. Jason Gilmore has been involved in PHP and MySQL Web application development for six years, and has developed hundreds of applications using the LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) platform. His writings on open source technologies have been featured within many of the computing industry’s leading publications, including Linux Magazine, O'Reillynet, Devshed, and Zend.com, and have been adapted for educational initiatives led by numerous organizations, including the Ford Foundation and the United Nations. Jason is Developer.com’s monthly PHP columnist, and a regular contributor to Linux Magazine. He spends his days (and many nights) running Apress' Open Source program, and loves every moment of it. Jason graduated from The Ohio State University in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1st edition (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893115852
• ISBN-13: 978-1893115859
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,695,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done - A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0, May 24, 2001

By	Eric Pedersen (St. George, Utah) - See all my reviews

This book is well done. It is easy to understand and the code and examples are great. Its starts off with a section on the fundamentals of using PHP in a web site. It has a great section on File I/O and the file system. The most useful part of the text for me was the section toward the end of the book on dynamic web sites (chapters covering forms and databases - specifically MySQL).

I have read and reviewed (for text adoption at the college I work at) a number of PHP/MySQL books in the past year and I found the Gilmore text (A Programmer's Introduciton to PHP 4.0) targeted to people who already understand HTML and static web development and some basic programming concepts. The text is full of solid code and clear explainations.

This text is geared for people who want to implement an open source PHP and MySQL or other database solution. Mr Gilmore gets right to the point quickly brings you up to speed. Many of my junior and senior level students also liked the book.

The curriculum I use in class (at the college) is well supported by this book. The following is a list of key elements I cover in my PHP/MySQL class (and is well supported by this book):

PHP Introduction - Server Environment (usernames/passwords) Server Side Includes, Redirects, Date Functions (1 week) Intermingling HTML and PHP, Variables, Form Processing, and E-mail Handling (1 week) Introduction to SQL and MySQL - working with tables and data (in and out) (3 weeks) Web-Based Registration Systems - forms to register, send data, get data, relational databases, etc. (2 weeks) PHP Fundamentals - More of Variables, Functions, Arrays, etc. (3 weeks) PHP File Management (1 week) PHP Searching and Sorting (1 week) PHP Security and .htaccess Security (1 week)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat misleading title, but the book is still great, July 9, 2002

By	Dave Dorsey (Abingdon, MD United States) - See all my reviews

A more appropriate title would have been 'An Introduction to PHP 4.0 for HTML Programmers'. The first five chapters cover basic programming concepts such as data types, conditional statements, functional programming, in arrays in very great detail. I found myself (a VB, C, and C++ programmer) skipping dozens of pages at a time. However, in addition to the basic theories, the book does do a good job explaining the various commands and functions PHP uses, although in a manner slightly more basic than I had expected.

Starting in chapter 6, however, Gilmore throws down new concepts fast and furiously. The quality of his explanations doesn't suffer, he simply covers more in a briefer period of time in a manner that a somewhat experienced programmer will easily understand.

On the whole, I was very impressed with this book. It does a fantastic job introducing PHP 4.0 and serves as a fantastic reference book as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those who hate to read 3" thick books, June 30, 2001

By A Customer

This is actually the only PHP book that I can finish reading. Those thick books from Sam's and Wrox are just too much for me. (They don't lay on my lap nicely while I'm typing either) Great book for programmers who don't want hello world examples, but real-world working examples. I enjoyed it from the beginning till the end, even for the first half intoducing the core syntax. The array and database sections even serve as a handy reference I look up everyday (filled with useful examples). Topics regarding ODBC, XML, COM, Templates & Javascript are good to introduce the topics, but not too long to bore you. I highly recommend this book!