Programming PHP

This book does exactly what I believe it is intended to do; Teach a new PHP programmer the basic syntax of the language and give insight into PHP's more language specific features. Having used PHP before there were a two main things I was looking for in this book. The first of these was Readability. There are two very different ways to read this book. The first is to just go through it as if it were a novel. For someone who is completely new to the language, this would be the ideal method as it steps through the different parts of the language, gradually increasing in difficulty and complexity as you go. However, my main problem with this is found in the later chapters, where the topics turn from the language itself to very specific tasks and libraries. Of course it's nice to know that PHP has the capability to write PDF files, but I don't think that should be a part of this book. It isn't standard by any means and for someone like myself, if I wasn't already experienced in PHP I would still feel like it could be space better used in this otherwise great book. The other way to go through the book is to simply search what you are looking for. I read this book mainly to refresh myself on some of the concepts and syntax of the language, and was able to do just that in a timely fashion. If there is something you're specifically looking for, it can be found relatively quickly. Sometimes the progression of topics within a chapter can seem a little out of order, but the chapters are short and concise enough to where this isn't really a problem. The second important factor was the actual content of the book. As far as reading the descriptions of what the code does and how it all works, I thought it was well written and would be sufficient who has had experience in another language. Based on a few of the other reviews I looked at of this book, I will have to agree that some of the code does not perhaps use the best standards. However, that's not the purpose of this book. Sometimes the most complex and efficient solution is not the best for teaching and explaining. I'd much rather see some basic code structure repeated five times in a block than have to decipher some complex for loop to achieve a menial task. Aside from the style of the code though, my only real concern is with the code relating to the specific extensions, which I really don't feel belong. Other than this though, each section of code is clearly explained by the text preceding and is written in a manner clear enough for a novice in the field and language to understand. Programming PHP, 2nd Edition, is the authoritative guide to PHP 5 and is filled with the unique knowledge of the creator of PHP (Rasmus Lerdorf) and other PHP experts. When it comes to creating websites, the PHP scripting language is truly a red-hot property. In fact, PHP is currently used on more than 19 million websites, surpassing Microsoft's ASP .NET technology in popularity. Programmers love its flexibility and speed; designers love its accessibility and convenience. As the industry standard book on PHP, all of the essentials are covered in a clear and concise manner. Language syntax and programming techniques are coupled with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. With style tips and practical programming advice, this book will help you become not just a PHP programmer, but a good PHP programmer. Programming PHP, Second Edition covers everything you need to know to create effective web applications with PHP. Contents include: Detailed information on the basics of the PHP language, including data types, variables, operators, and flow control statements Chapters outlining the basics of functions, strings, arrays, and objects Coverage of common PHP web application techniques, such as form processing and validation, session tracking, and cookies Material on interacting with relational databases, such as MySQL and Oracle, using the database-independent PEAR DB library and the new PDO Library Chapters that show you how to generate dynamic images, create PDF files, and parse XML files with PHP Advanced topics, such as creating secure scripts, error handling, performance tuning, and writing your own C language extensions to PHP A handy quick reference to all the core functions in PHP and all the standard extensions that ship with PHP Praise for the first edition: "If you are just getting into the dynamic Web development world or you are considering migrating from another dynamic web product to PHP, Programming PHP is the book of choice to get you up, running, and productive in a short time."--Peter MacIntrye, eWeek "I think this is a great book for programmers who want to start developing dynamic websites with PHP. It gives a detailed overview of PHP, lots of valuable tips, and a good sense of PHP's strengths."--David Dooling, Slashdot.org Programming PHP, 2nd Edition, is the authoritative guide to PHP 5 and is filled with the unique knowledge of the creator of PHP (Rasmus Lerdorf) and other PHP experts. When it comes to creating websites, the PHP scripting language is truly a red-hot property. In fact, PHP is currently used on more than 19 million websites, surpassing Microsoft's ASP .NET technology in popularity. Programmers love its flexibility and speed; designers love its accessibility and convenience. As the industry standard book on PHP, all of the essentials are covered in a clear and concise manner. Language syntax and programming techniques are coupled with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. With style tips and practical programming advice, this book will help you become not just a PHP programmer, but a good PHP programmer. Programming PHP, Second Edition covers everything you need to know to create effective web applications with PHP. Contents include: Detailed information on the basics of the PHP language, including data types, variables, operators, and flow control statementsChapters outlining the basics of functions, strings, arrays, and objectsCoverage of common PHP web application techniques, such as form processing and validation, session tracking, and cookiesMaterial on interacting with relational databases, such as MySQL and Oracle, using the database-independent PEAR DB library and the new PDO LibraryChapters that show you how to generate dynamic images, create PDF files, and parse XML files with PHPAdvanced topics, such as creating secure scripts, error handling, performance tuning, and writing your own C language extensions to PHPA handy quick reference to all the core functions in PHP and all the standard extensions that ship with PHPPraise for the first edition: 'If you are just getting into the dynamic Web development world or youare considering migrating from another dynamic web product to PHP, Programming PHP is the book of choice to get you up, running, and productive in a short time.' --Peter MacIntrye, eWeek 'I think this is a great book for programmers who want to start developing dynamic websites with PHP. It gives a detailed overview of PHP, lots of valuable tips, and a good sense of PHP's strengths.' --David Dooling, Slashdot.org Книжка, по заявленному в названии предмету, как мне кажется, очень неплохая. В авторах, если мне не изменяет память, автор языка PHP. По сравнению с бумажным вариантом, имеет преимущество в удобстве копирования и вставки кусков кода. Увы, на английском, но вполне возможно, что русскоязычного варианта ещё нет в наличии. Так что весьма рекомендую ознакомиться всем заинтересованным лицам Product Details * Paperback: 521 pages * Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 2 edition (April 1, 2006) * Language: English * ISBN: 0596006810 * Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.0 x 1.0 inches * Shipping Weight: 1.66 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) * Average Customer Review: based on 39 reviews. (Write a review.) * Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,539 in Books метка темы: Программирование: PHP In 'Programming PHP', Rasmus Lerdorf provides a comprehensive guide to this scripting language. Topics covered include forms, objects, processing, sessions, databases, graphics, standard extensions, and a detailed reference to built-in functions Foreword Preface Introduction to PHP Language Basics Functions Strings Arrays Objects Web Techniques Databases Graphics PDF XML Security Application Techniques Extending PHP PHP on Windows Function Reference Extension Overview Index Explains how to use the open source scripting language to process and validate forms, track sessions, generate dynamic images, create PDF files, parse XML files, create secure scripts, and write C language extensions.