Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Excellent primer for PHP MySQL September 3, 2008
This is an excellent starter for learning how to use PHP/ MySQL.
It goes along at a fair pace, and may be too fast if you don't have previous HTML and programming experience. The separate PHP for the World Wide Web: Visual Quickstart Guide (Visual QuickStart Guides)and MySQL: Visual Quickstart Guide (Visual QuickStart Guides)books in this series take this a bit more slowly, so if you're struggling they might be a good place to look.
Otherwise this will quickly introduce you to the concepts and use of both products. I'm still using this when I do some PHP programming, and other members of my team are also using it. It's excellent and the code is all available for download which avoids either losing/ scratching the CD or lots of typing.
The install Appendix A is worth the money alone, as I've used it to install both PHP and MySQL on Windows servers and my Mac at home. It points to easy installs on the web for the Mac.
My only gripe is that the layout is difficult to follow and it was hard to work out what the projects were actually doing, a little more explanation here might be useful.
Otherwise excellent, recommended particularly as PHP/ MySQL are free leaving you with some spare cash to buy this!
 excellent communicator August 29, 2008
I bought this book at the same time as 2 others on similar topics. I've hardly used the other 2. This book is well-written, with useful examples and the author has explained the sample code line-by-line... a real help when trying to amend one of his examples to produce something for your own purposes. As a teacher with some experience of HTML/ VB / ASP.NET I found this book really easy to follow.
There are a few very minor typos in the text (not surprising, given the number of pages), but if you visit the author's website there's a full list of corrections. It took me about 5 mins to go through and correct them, so it didn't really reduce the effectiveness of the book.
One feature I've really found useful... there are occasional little tables of other functions that do similar things. There isn't space in the book to describe them all in detail, but knowing the name of a fucntion makes it really easy to find out more using your favourite search engine.
Strongly recommended.
I also boughtHow to Do Everything with PHP and MySQL (How to Do Everything) (which is absolutely useless) and Mysql Crash Course (Sams Teach Yourself) (which is just about OK as a reference, but has awful page layout that makes it really hard to read). This book was far better than either of those.
Perfect starting point August 21, 2008
This books is a perfect starting point for people coming from HTML, CSS and Javascript.
It goes through all the necessary and most basic parts of PHP and MySQL, but doesn't go into any depth with anything. So if you want to become an expert at PHP, you WILL need to get other books as well.
The book is set up in a tutorial fashion, where you are taken through a step by step description of everything.
Having coded PHP for a few years, i still go back to this book to look up stuff i can't quite remember.
It's definitely worth buying if you want to learn PHP and MySQL.
A great foundation... August 15, 2008
I was keen to learn a server side langauage and if I'm honest was always leaning towards the PHP/Mysql combo.
I was constantly looking online for tutorials to grasp the basics of this language but for me, I'm old school and prefer an actual book I can hold and use as a reference.
I purchased this book purely because of the reviews. This book deserves all the praise it gets.
From someone who had little knowledge of PHP, I can easily look at the code, understand it and if a problem occurs apply debugging methods as taught in this book. The odd occassional semicolon here and there seems to slip in.
My skills in web desin consisted of XHTML and CSS so I felt I had to get skilled in a different area. I'm glad I chose PHP and even happier I purchased this book.
As mentioned in the title, I feel I have a great foundation in PHP/MySQL and I'm keen to learn more and create my own dynamic projects.
Decent addition to your library July 9, 2008
This book does exactly what it says on the tin. There's no mucking about, no extra direction, and no fun.
I have some prior experience with scripting, but this was my first foray into the server-side process. As one reviewer has previously mentioned, getting everything you need up and running can be a real headache, but with the help of the 2008 edition of this book, it is painless. I can highly recommend Xampp to manage your server, language and database if you're not lucky enough to start off with a remote host, as configuring everything individually yourself can go completely FUBAR, and turn you off completely.
I've only got through the first few pages (variables, test page etc) but I can see that as with other QuickPro Guides the subject matter is handled clearly and competently.
HOWEVER:
Having recently devoured Head First HTML - and been entertained whilst doing so - I was extremely disappointed to discover that this book is very, very dry. I hate to admit to being bored by a scripting guide, but this is boring. I can see that I'll have to force myself through this - but hopefully it'll all be worthwhile.
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