Rating: 
Summary: Comprehensive PHP book with good examples
Review: I have several PHP books and if I had to choose one..this would be it.
Every PHP book is going to assume a certain amount of prior knowledge from its reader. If it assumes the reader is completely new then it probably won't be as deep.
Gilmore's book does assume some knowledge, but not a huge amount, and still takes you into the more extensive features of PHP. Most people new to PHP will often receive the advice to go to PHP.net. While that's not bad advice, new PHP programmers usually find it more help as a reference guide instead of a learning tool. I personally find it assumes more knowledge than this book.
Specifically, Gilmore's book has a good emphasis on secure PHP programming throughout (and a chapter specifically about it). When exposing the workings of a function or code snippet, he'll often show how the code could be misused and what the remedy is. Many times it is downright frightening what a nefarious individual can do if secure programming techniques aren't employed. This book opened my eyes to potential problems and, better yet, their solutions.
The writing style and organization are excellent. It's what you'd expect from a programmer and he doesn't let you down. For example, in the Arrays chapter there will be subheadings that sort the array functions by use -- such as "Sorting Arrays", "Determining Array Size and Uniqueness", "Transversing Arrays", etc. The examples are practical and useful. They don't introduce techniques or functions that he hasn't shown yet.
The book also has a very nice coding style. It's understandable, clean and concise. It doesn't rely on outside classes or libraries. I have another PHP book that unfortunately relies on using PEAR in a lot of examples-which detracts from its quality.
There is also a helpful section on PHP's configuration directives. It lists in an orderly fashion the configuration options, what they mean, the default values and the scope (how they can be changed). Whether you're programming on a local or remote server, it's helpful to know what these options are, their default and how they can be changed.
There is also an excellent exposition of PHP's new object model. There are two chapters on OOP and it seems quite comprehensive (haven't quite finished them yet).
The support from the author is fantastic. I had a question on one section and the author quickly (within a couple hours)and cheerfully answered my question. He also encouraged me to send him any other questions I have.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in PHP programming. If you're a complete beginner I'd also recommend "PHP-your visual blueprint for creating open source, server-side content" in ADDITION (not instead of) Gilmore's book. The PHP visual blueprint book is a little out of date on a few sections (there will be a new version pretty soon) and nowhere near as deep but it could be helpful for someone having problems on the basics. Good luck everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Really enjoyed Gilmore's exposition of PHP 5
Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Jason's book. His extensive knowledge of PHP shines throughout.
Chapter 2 is really nice for those who want a complete discussion on installation and configuration of PHP 5.
He then spends a lot of time covering the basics of the language that provides a good grounding for a beginner to PHP.
Next, he walks one through the new object-oriented functionality of PHP 5. He discusses the important concepts of OOP (object oriented programming) and shows what PHP 5 supports and how it does as well as what it does not support.
His chapter on regular expressions is great! I, as a Perl programmer, enjoyed its exposition. His method is to discuss the different functions and then provide a nice example.
The traditional chapter on PHP and web forms is easy to follow. After this he has chapters on authentication and file uploads, chock full of ideas. He discusses session handling functions and then has some very interesting real-world examples.
Templating using Smarty was done well. The chapter started explaining what templating was and then moved on to where to obtain it and its installation. He gave a sufficient number of examples of presentational logic using Smarty.
He spends about 180 pages discussing the MySQL database. First he discusses its installation and configuration. He has a nice discussion on the different table structures. It is nice to see a good discussion on MySQL's privileges. I found his chapter on PHP and MySQL useful with examples of selection and data manipulation. For those not very familiar with databases, the chapters on indexes and transactions are well worth exploring.
I was thrilled to see a chapter of web services. PHP 5's SOAP extension is nicely explained. He has a good example of a soap server, client and the corresponding WSDL file. He also delves into NuSOAP, which has to be downloaded. He explains how easy NuSOAP makes it to work with SOAP. For example, the WSDL document is generated automatically.
Gilmore's use of examples throughout the book is excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone who want to both learn PHP and discover all the additions with version 5.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect PHP and MySQL Book.
Review: I just got done putting all of my other PHP developer books on the shelf. The author does an excellent job of providing rich explanations, relevant coding examples, and insight to a broad range of topics that all PHP5 developers will use. Don't get me wrong, there is no fluff in this book, its all PHP and MySQL muscle.I'm constantly drawn back to advanced topics such as XML, LDAP, web services, SOAP, OOP in PHP5, advanced MySQL, and secure programming in PHP. Key concepts are amazingly well presented and easy to understand. This resource has already made a positive impact on how my applications are developed. Not to take away from the beginning developer, there are chapters for warming up to PHP and MySQL. Within no time you'll be writing PHP code and have at your fingertips an excellent resource for building advanced PHP and MySQL web applications. A+++++++ for the author.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and Friendly
Review: I recently finished reading this book, and have found it to be a comprehensive yet also user-friendly reference. It is rare to find this combination in a programming book, because the two are usually mutually exclusive. Based on my past experiences, how-to books are either very informative but too complicated for a beginner, or easy to understand but lacking in depth. Too often, those who are knowledgeable speak about a topic at a level too difficult for the layman to grasp.
This is not so with W.J. Gilmore. He is clearly an experienced programmer, in his thorough explanations of the intricacies of the language. What sets him and this book apart however, is the way he welcomes the beginner in his straightforward approach to the various topics. He covers the full spectrum of PHP5 / MySQL capabilities, and also elaborates on other closely related areas such as Apache, RSS, Smarty, and SQLite to name a few.
This book could very well be titled PHP / MySQL: And Everything Else Under the Sun. I bought both this and the companion text Essential PHP Tools, by David Sklar. Not to fault Sklar, but much of what is in his book is already covered in Gilmore's. Such topics include the Smarty templating engine, SOAP, and XML parsing.
I am a big adherent to the "So What" adage / principle. So, what does this mean for you, the end user, my fellow consumer and aspiring PHP5 programmer? It means that if you are looking for a volume which not only informs but also teaches, look no further. There are plenty of books out there that act as encyclopedias, but this one serves as both reference and guide.
If you are considering Gilmore's book amongst other options, purchase this one first and give it a read-through. If you still aren't satisfied, then look to other books to enhance your knowledge. My hunch is that as you progress in your understanding, you will find this book to be not only informative but also foundational to your programming skills.
Rating:
Summary: Great introductory text
Review: I spent several hours in my local bookstore and selected this as the most readable and comprehensive of the selections on these subjects available.
I encountered a problem with the testing of the enviornment after having installed Apache and PHP. On a Sunday evening I sent off an e-mail to the author and had a response before I went to bed. I was amazed.
I am experienced mainframe person with little WEB development experience. This book is serving as a valuable tool to get me moving into the web environment.
I would like more examples but the book is quite lengthy as it is. Perhaps a book on developing a sample application in this envrionment would be useful to those of us trying to get started.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Review From A Picky Reader
Review: I'm very picky about what books I will read to learn a new language, and even more so about writing a review. This book was a pleasant surprise.
The book is a good read. Gilmore has a quick style that gets to the points he makes without burdening the reader with a lot of nonsense. His wit and sense of humor shows through the text on occasions which lightens-up the material.
The book is well structured and has plenty of good examples that experienced programmers will understand immediately and novices will find as good stepping stones on the path of learning.
Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Best PHP Book
Review: I've been programming with dozens of languages since 1974, but I was new to PHP. This book was exactly what I was looking for! I read the book cover-to-cover. Jason has the unique ability to introduce the subject completely without boring you to tears. He knows when to provide examples, and when to leave the reader to figure out the rest. This is an excellent book for programmers that have seen the patterns before and have experience with other languages. You will immediately "get" how to do things with PHP... and once you do, you may never go back to your "old" programming language.
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Summary: a thorough picture of two great languages
Review: In terms of explanation of the combination of PHP and MySQL, this book is definitely the best of what I could have my hand on so far. It is instrumental to all levels of readers, even to those who have faintest idea of what is computer programming, like me.
I sincerely urge Jason to continue his work in this area, but this time, I would hope that he would target more on practical applications and provide more visual assistance. I bet his next one will be a bestseller if he would!
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Summary: First Review on the book! What to Say??
Review: PHP 5 and MySQL is a GREAT book and with out a doubt a new book that is definitely going to be a keeper. This one will not spend much time on the shelf and I am retiring my PHP4 Developers book. I have already folded a hundred corners for reference and I am also picking up on some stuff that I hadn't picked up on before. Using C# Client with a PHP Web Service
This is a classic example of the diversity of the PHP language and it's ability to fit into even the most proprietary environments. C# is a good language but I learned something totally new here in this example.
I am recommending this book to all the people in the shop, beginner to expert, it works for all. EXCELLENT BOOK Jason!
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Summary: Jason Gilmore Truly Takes the PHP Novice to Professional
Review: Prior to acquiring Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL From Novice to Professional I had acquired a half dozen books on these subjects. I have found some to be excellent in areas, but typically they tend to make significant assumptions about the learner. I was surprised to find Jason Gilmore's recent contribution to the literature to be an exception. The goal of taking the learner from novice to professional is addressed well in this book. I found the chapters on the basics of PHP and MySQL to be an excellent review for me, but it was in his transition to more advanced subjects that Gilmore demonstrates his art. I particularly enjoyed his discussion of arrays. It is thorough, well organized and interesting. Likewise, the subjects of Error and Exception Handling, and Strings and Regular Expressions are managed well.
The chapters dedicated to object-oriented programming capabilities, including the new capabilities in PHP 5 will not disappoint the reader. I found that his explanations clarified concepts that had remained a little fuzzy after reading other books on PHP.
Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL is not just a book for beginners, although beginners will feel comfortable with it. Jason Gilmore's goal is clearly to take the novice quickly to a point at which the new programmer can build professional applications. Subjects such as PHP and LDAP, Templating with Smarty, and Web Services allow the PHP novice to make that transition while enjoying the consistency of a single author/tutor. That is important because this is an author/tutor who has a special feel for the needs of the learner.
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