Rating: 
Summary: Well written & practical guide
Review: Kevin Yank has done an excellent job in putting together a step by step guide to building a database driven web site. He starts by providing advice on how to get started in both MySQL and PHP; he goes on to outline the design of relational databases and then provides clear instructions on how to build a content management system.The book is well presented, well written and full of useful examples. His explanations are straightforward and he includes lots of ready to use code samples. In fact the only thing that Kevin doesn't seem to provide is the finished database driven web site! I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an introductory tutorial for PHP and MySQL.
Rating: 
Summary: It's so drousy......zzzzzzzzzz..
Review: Most often when I begin with a book teaching computer language I'm very excited and eager, and usually I am rewarded with a good experience. But after reading Kevin Yanks Book I'm sorry to say that the adjectives that pops up in my mind is: insufficient and boring. Insufficient because the text do not explane the PHP language in the examples given and because one need some actual (allready made) tables for the examples. It is boring because of the way it is written, the typograhy and the lack of "candy for the eyes" in the resulting pages of the examples. Allthough I've read the second edition (which just arrived I believe!) I must say that this book needs another rewriting! Find some more exiting database-examples, make the typograhy more clear, make the resulting HTML-pages more interesting and last but not least: be sure to explain what you do in the given examples.
Rating: 
Summary: Best practical intro guide to php & mysql
Review: My story could be interesting to those who need a head start on web script and database programming, specially in the php & mysql environment. Abouy six months ago I was stuck with my first real project regarding database manipulation in the web: I had lot of doubts where I should start looking for references, because the possibilities are inmense nowadays. I was crawling websites, reviews, forums, bookstores (even this one) for days in search for some help. I had no special bias for php or any other programming language, I just wanted to do some content management in the web.
At one time I stumbled with sitepoint.com website and I felt curious about the praise devoted to this book. I, convicted reluctantly, ordered the book and when it arrived at my door, my first impressions were: what size of book is this? this paperback is not even worth half the price! These days we're wrongly too much used to spend big bucks in thick computer bibles... then I felt so uninterested, I left ten days pass before I started to browse it. Meanwhile I kept on CGI programming, looking for some other solutions to my problems and sufferig them... but finally I decided to start reading this small treasure. Me being naive not only to php and mysql but also to the Open Source community in general, but with a long experience as a programmer... I found this book simply illuminating.
While practising it I felt like I had an experienced chap by my side teaching how to get introduced in this fantastic (and apparently disorganized) world of php programming and content management in the fastest and most interesting way. The "plot" is really smart, the scripts take you through a simplified but real scenario, and now I realize the whole idea is simply brilliant . If the author had chosen any other example everything would have been very much complex and the learning curve would have been really steepy. The number of concepts you're introduced in nearly every page are more than enough. Don't be cheated, this book is not for fast reading, although you'll enjoy every page. You have to digest all the very well crammed knowledge.
In thicker books you have to wait at least a hundred pages to start programming something useful. In Kevin's book, YOU learn at the fastest possible rate, not a single line is simplistic and before the end of the book you have enough knowledge to start flying on your own. In such small space you're introduced to quite powerful concepts like content management, relational databases, regular expresions, sessions, mySQL admin, and much more... of course this will not convert you in a top programmer in two weeks, but it will provide you the basic gear to start moving securely in php. Certainly is not a complete manual or formal approach to Programming, but if you're a newbee or even a somehow disoriented intermediate programmer looking for a practical hands on guide, you'll be grateful for the approach. After the sheer knowledge you gain in such a sort time, you'll find yourself learning and digging, programming solo, finding the right help and support in the Internet and in the Open Source communities. After this reflection I consider this book not expensive at all. One of the few things I missed was an index and as it has been included in the second edition, I think this is a great acquisition.
By they way I switched my project to php and, certainly, with a lot of further research and work, I was able to complete it and get paid.
Rating:
Summary: Best practical intro guide to php & mysql
Review: My story could be interesting to those who need a head start on web script and database programming, specially in the php & mysql environment. Abouy six months ago I was stuck with my first real project regarding database manipulation in the web: I had lot of doubts where I should start looking for references, because the possibilities are inmense nowadays. I was crawling websites, reviews, forums, bookstores (even this one) for days in search for some help. I had no special bias for php or any other programming language, I just wanted to do some content management in the web.
At one time I stumbled with sitepoint.com website and I felt curious about the praise devoted to this book. I, convicted reluctantly, ordered the book and when it arrived at my door, my first impressions were: what size of book is this? this paperback is not even worth half the price! These days we're wrongly too much used to spend big bucks in thick computer bibles... then I felt so uninterested, I left ten days pass before I started to browse it. Meanwhile I kept on CGI programming, looking for some other solutions to my problems and sufferig them... but finally I decided to start reading this small treasure. Me being naive not only to php and mysql but also to the Open Source community in general, but with a long experience as a programmer... I found this book simply illuminating.
While practising it I felt like I had an experienced chap by my side teaching how to get introduced in this fantastic (and apparently disorganized) world of php programming and content management in the fastest and most interesting way. The "plot" is really smart, the scripts take you through a simplified but real scenario, and now I realize the whole idea is simply brilliant . If the author had chosen any other example everything would have been very much complex and the learning curve would have been really steepy. The number of concepts you're introduced in nearly every page are more than enough. Don't be cheated, this book is not for fast reading, although you'll enjoy every page. You have to digest all the very well crammed knowledge.
In thicker books you have to wait at least a hundred pages to start programming something useful. In Kevin's book, YOU learn at the fastest possible rate, not a single line is simplistic and before the end of the book you have enough knowledge to start flying on your own. In such small space you're introduced to quite powerful concepts like content management, relational databases, regular expresions, sessions, mySQL admin, and much more... of course this will not convert you in a top programmer in two weeks, but it will provide you the basic gear to start moving securely in php. Certainly is not a complete manual or formal approach to Programming, but if you're a newbee or even a somehow disoriented intermediate programmer looking for a practical hands on guide, you'll be grateful for the approach. After the sheer knowledge you gain in such a sort time, you'll find yourself learning and digging, programming solo, finding the right help and support in the Internet and in the Open Source communities. After this reflection I consider this book not expensive at all. One of the few things I missed was an index and as it has been included in the second edition, I think this is a great acquisition.
By they way I switched my project to php and, certainly, with a lot of further research and work, I was able to complete it and get paid.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of great information in a tiny package
Review: Pros: This book packs A LOT of information into a tiny package. The subject coverage is very broad, but you're given enough detail in each case so that you have a firm grasp of what's going on. You're also directed to other sources for more detailed information rather than dwelling on topics to death like other books I've read. What I liked most about this book is that it ties together a lot of concepts I've picked up over the years from "playing around" into one cohesive project. This really helps provide with a comprehensive view of the entire creation process of a fairly large web application. I also liked the bits of humour the author threw in; it helped break up some otherwise pretty mundane material into something a bit more "fun". The author also gave several examples like, "This is what you might think to do... and now here's a better way". It really helped gain perspective on different ways to attack various problems. And lastly, I liked the size of the book; it's perfect to carry around with you when you need a quick reminder on how to do something, rather than leafing through a tome about the size of a microwave. ;) Cons: I thought the same subject matter could've been addressed with a more practical example, such as a news posting script, that a reader could actually implement afterward into their own web site. The "Joke Database" got all the concepts across, but very few sites would actually *use* something like that. Another area I feel is a HUGE strength of PHP that was only brushed over is reusability of code. This both refers to "include" files that reuse common script elements (such as the header/footer of a page) as well as functions for code reuse (for example, creating a single function that will update the various tables depending on the arguments given). As the script stands at the end of chapter 10, if you happen to ever change your MySQL password, you need to alter code in about 10 different places. You would have to alter the script a similar number of times to do things like add your site's logo at the top, or put your e-mail address at the bottom, etc. The flexibility to change these things *once* is very important, especially in a content management system. It is for this reason I give this book 4 out of 5 stars instead of 5. Overall, though, I really did enjoy this book and would highly recommend it both to newcomers to PHP and MySQL and to those who are a bit more seasoned and looking for something to tie together all the bits and pieces they've learned.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely essential book for PHP and mySQL beginners!
Review: Sometimes you buy and read through two-three books that should teach you how to do something, but you read and read and do not understand what those guys are talking about. This books actually explains why and how things work in mySQL and PHP, explains mySQL interface and tells you how to stick thing together. As complete novice to mySQL and PHP, I was looking for some help and there it was - a book, that takes you step-by-step of setting your system, database, PHP and tells you how to build a db-driven site from scratch in no time (O.K. you'd need to read the book first), gives an advice and shares some developer's secrets. If you wonder how things are working behind the scenes of back-end programming this book is for you. I am not sure if PHP-mySQL Wiz would need the book but I found it absolutely essential.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Step-by-step with very clear explanations. I wish this guy would write more programming books.
Rating: 
Summary: Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL
Review: Thank god the 1st 4 chapters of this book are free. As I need to build a website using mysql & php, I thought this book would be exactly what I needed. I already know sql & html and only needed to know php and how to connect the three. Unfortunately none of the code in the book actually works. Having programmed before I know you cannot call variables without declaring them first (quite a stupid mistake for someone who calls hiself a glorious leader). changing a method from get to post can't really be done that way either!!!
I would have expected Kevin to have at least checked his code before publising. All in all quite a useless book, specially for a beginner. Not worth 1 star but Amazon doesn't allw 0 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL
Review: Thank god the 1st 4 chapters of this book are free. As I need to build a website using mysql & php, I thought this book would be exactly what I needed. I already know sql & html and only needed to know php and how to connect the three. Unfortunately none of the code in the book actually works. Having programmed before I know you cannot call variables without declaring them first (quite a stupid mistake for someone who calls hiself a glorious leader). changing a method from get to post can't really be done that way either!!!
I would have expected Kevin to have at least checked his code before publising. All in all quite a useless book, specially for a beginner. Not worth 1 star but Amazon doesn't allw 0 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a beginner php and mysql user
Review: This book has opened my eyes to database driven websites! It is a simple step, by step introduction into php and mysql. Coupling this source with more advanced studies you can develop a real working knowledge of how to build a php driven site from the ground up. Here's my 5 stars!
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