Rating: 
Summary: Not Enough apache
Review: If you are new to webservers and are trying to set yourself a windows Apache server, do not - I mean do not buy this book. It skims through the APACHE examples and gives very little assistance. It does not separate Windows from Linux so you can clearly follow what it is that you are supposed to do. It is out of date on downloading from the Apache website and leaves you with no idea if you have downloaded the correct version or not. I installed/uninstalled Apache and read the chapter many times in the hopes that had missed something. I never got it to work. I will be trying to return it although I opened the CD as a last resort and still did not find the assistance that I seeked. I am very disappointed with SAMS for allowing this book to be published. More resources should go into getting APACHE up and running. The troubleshooting is a joke - it assumes many things for a beginner.
Rating: 
Summary: A decent beginner's book
Review: Ms. Meloni does a good job in getting you started, including the installation of Apache, MySQL, PHP (AMP). The writing style is to the point and easy to follow, without unnecessary fluff. Pretty much covers all the fundamentals, including SSL. PHP coverage is based on version 4.2.3, not version 4.3 (which includes the gd library for generating dynamic graphics). The 34-page index is quite helpful for finding references.Note that this is a beginner's book and the author did so state. Her other book, "PHP fast & easy web development" (2nd ed.) is also good for beginners although the structure of that book is more task-oriented. If you're looking for something that provides more in-depth coverage of PHP and MySQL, you may want to consider "PHP and MySQL Web Development" (2nd ed.) by Welling & Thomson.
Rating: 
Summary: Measure twice, cut once
Review: Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache in 24 Hours is the kind of book I wish I had had when I started developing enterprise-level web applications for zdev Corporation back in the 90s. Back then, it was all about scouring USENET, Listservs, How-Tos, and FAQs while incessantly scratching your head. Although this book is very introductory, there are some good habits and excellent insights that even the more tried and true code-hacker might consider useful even after years of PHP/MySQL development (such as authentication schemes and some inner working of MySQL). It is astounding how simple the tools, techniques, and technology is seen through the eyes of Julie Meloni. Much simpler than I had believed since I really had to be baptised by fire, and the simplicity and easy-of-use of the package -- MySQL, PHP, and Apache -- is indisputable. Postnuke, PHP-Nuke, and the other Open Source CMSs are true killer apps today, and there are a million more open source applications your can easily download, install, and start using within a week if you first still your mind and enthusiasm long enough to work through the easy-to-grok lessons as they are laid out in Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache in 24 Hours. No doubt. You won't be sorry you took the time to measure twice before you cut once.
Rating:
Summary: i don't understand people's problems with this book!
Review: The author has posted errata, and there are only like 5 things, only 1 of which is an actual error. And that error doesn't even cause a "parse" error, just something you have to look hard to find. I gave this book to some of our junior level admins to get them up to speed on our development environment and they flew right through it and know a lot more than they did when they started. the author says over and over where to get help if there is a problem with installation, and how to determine where your errors are if something in your script is not working. but to say this is a bad or confusing book just makes no sense. I'm an IT manager and this book does a very good job of pulling from the three books to give you just what you need to get started. you're not supposed to get this book if you've been using these things for any great amount of time -- it's a beginner's book, it says that, and it is that. and it is a good one!
Rating:
Summary: verbose and inadequate
Review: This book was exasperating to use. It described easy topics at length while leaving important details murky or omitted altogether. Many commmands and structures are described out of context, leaving you with little idea of *why* a person might use a particular form. It doesn't try to put the ideas together into a unified application until the end.
Much better is _PHP and MySQL Web Development_ by Welling and Thomson, which introduces concepts in the context of building an e-commerce site. Even though it is longer than the SAMS book, the writing is tighter, more concise, better organized, and generally much easier to understand.
| 
