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Summary: First book You should buy for php/mysql, hands down
Review: After programming for a year in PHP I still use it to give me ideas or find some 'neat rrick' I either forgot about or did not know.
When I first started programming it was not easy. Then I found this book.
You can use the examples to amke your first login/user page for your site...simple.
Advanced techniques and a good feel for mysql is an added bonus.
I would say this is the first book you should get for PHP.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Due to time constraints, I have to learn PHP in a big hurry, with this book, it's all coming together in my head and from there to the web where I can see the fruits of my labor come to life!
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting (or needing) to learn PHP and MySQL. It's written in a straight forward easy to grasp language and the visuals are superb. This is a must for any web developers library.
Thanks Larry, another GREAT book!
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Summary: Fantastic book
Review: Fantastic bookI would rate myself as having intermediate programming skills, but I was new to PHP. This book was great, it's good for an intermediate level and it's a no nonsense kind of book. Everything you learn how to do in this book is a practical application that if you are a web designer/developer you will most likely need to know at some point in time. The intro is short and sweet, and the author never goes on to long about one topic. Once a topic is learned it is used throughout the book. I have had the book for about 2 weeks now and I am almost done reading it and getting ready to apply some knowledge to my next project. The two chapters on SQL were also great, its like getting two books in one. I can't recommend this book enough; it was so nice to get a book that actually teaches practical things at a fast pace. The layout shows a lot of repetitive code, but in some ways this is good since it only takes you a moment to glance at the code and recognize where the new code is, and how it applies to what you have already learned, as it is in red and the old code you have learned in early chapters is black. I like this because when books only show the new code you need to be in front of a computer to see how it all fits together, with this book you can just site on the couch and analyze the code as a whole. Really good book, now I want to pick up his advanced PHP book by Larry Ullman.
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Summary: PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites
Review: Great book. Well written and organized. Presents useful concepts with a step-by-step procedure on how to do it. Out of 10 books that I have on PHP, this one is getting tattered from all of the use it gets. I constantly go back to it for referencing items.
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Summary: Incredible book! Must buy for anyone learning PHP/MySQL!
Review: I bought this book and since I started reading it, it's done nothing short of amaze me with how clearly and efficiently it teaches the important basics of PHP and MySQL web development. Most books tend to get bogged down on details such as escape sequences; this book mentions these asides when they should be mentioned, explains how to work with them, and moves on without boring the reader.
I'm a programmer in college with more of a C/C++ background. I picked up this book on Tuesday night having coded exactly two PHP scripts in my lifetime, and with no experience with MySQL. By midday Saturday (today) I launched a website for my dorm, coded from scratch.
As I said, this is simply an amazing book. A must-have for any budding web developer!
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Summary: The Most Used and Beat Up Book I Own Right Here
Review: I bought this book when I first wanted to learn PHP. That was 4 months ago. I am now developing commercial applications in PHP.
Not kidding.
This book does start you off at square 1, but is still a great book for the more advanced programmers. It doesn't cover everything. Nothing can. But it is by far the most referenced book I have. Today it looks so beat up from use that it appears to have been dragged through the kitchen (I literally ate dinner while reading this many times) and looks like I have been sleeping with it for some kind of teddy bear. (Ok, maybe I have.)
The point I am trying to drive home: Buy This Book.
If you want to learn PHP, buy this book. If you want a good reference on how to do XYZ in PHP or MYSQL, buy this book. If you are developing web sites based on PHP, buy this book.
That being said, also buy a MYSQL book while you are at it so you can have access to a reference to expand you query possibilities. The book covers a lot of common SQL queries, but like I said, the book doesn't cover everything. (Any claim to such would be unrealistic.)
Final note: The books says it covers PHP 3 and 4, but don't let that stop you. Everything covered here works in PHP 5 as well. Until Larry here revises this book to include PHP 5, that's right, buy this book.
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Summary: Nice Refresher
Review: I coded a bit in PHP briefly quite awhile ago. I grabbed this book and really enjoy the layout and tone. The author clearly tells how to accomplish tasks and the code follows closely as well. Well done book.
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Summary: Great Way to Learn PHP and MySQL
Review: I didn't know much about web development beyond html, and this book turned out to be exactly what I needed to get my start in dynamic website development. I like the format of the book, which does a good job of visually showing step-by-step, one concept at a time. There are a few errors (which are corrected if you check the website), and this is my only criticism of the book. It is very thorough.
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Summary: With this book you will REALLY learn PHP.
Review: I have a read a few books on PHP prior to purchasing this one. Although I have used them to successfully cut and paste my way to a dynamic website, they didn't actually teach me PHP. They were more of a "write this to do this" type of book. However, after reading this book I now feel that I have a true understanding of PHP & mySQL. When I began reading this book I was relatively new to programming. I was enrolled in a JavaScript class so I had some experience under my belt but you could very easily learn from this book with no experience at all (except knowledge of HTML/XHTML is needed). The lessons are written well and I never felt lost or overwhelmed with information. I have a few of the Visual Quickstart series books (HTML by E. Castro, Photoshop 7, CSS and DHTML) and I find them all very well written and an easy way to learn. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn PHP. A Great Book! An incredible value!
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Summary: Excellent investment
Review: I have been out from the html league for quite some time and I needed to catch up with the new kids on the block. PHP, I didn't know a thing about it or how to implement with html. A friend of mine, as a hobby he started to use php and he told me it was easy to use. I wasn't sure to how to use it until I bought this excellent book. It explains it like if you were on class. Easy examples that every programmer should do as practice and change a few things to get the full experience. Every exercise will be a prerequisite to do the next one. I have fun and learn. As an extra, you can learn mySQL and essential tool to put php together.
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