Professional PHP5 (Programmer to Programmer)

Rating:
Summary: Aptly named outstanding work
Review: For years I have relied on the reviews on Amazon to help me select the technical books I would purchase, this is only the 3rd time I've been moved to actually write a review and the first 5-star rating I've given. I bought this book because it seemed to have a lot more depth on oop in php5 than other titles available. What I got was that, plus a whole lot more.

If you are a garage php programmer, a hobbyist or a novice... if you don't make your living programming (or aspire to) - then this book is not for you.

On the other hand, if you are a professional, you will find that this book is written by professionals with you in mind. All of the excellent PHP5 related instruction and reference is discussed in the context of serious development methodologies and practices. It gives you insight as to how a serious development team can (and does) approach large-scale development projects in PHP. Any by the way, it ends forever any doubts you may have that PHP could or should be used for such projects.

Nice job guys! I only regret that I have but 5 stars to give.

Rating:
Summary: A biased point of view - but please, read on...
Review: OK, first off, I'll be totally honest - I am the lead author of this book. So, of course, I'm going to give it five stars.

But, I really do have to rebut the review of the above reader.

He's right - there's very little PHP 5 'specific' information on this book. This is a book for people with a solid grounding in PHP already. I can't stress that enough. If you don't know PHP inside and out, this book is not for you. If all you want to know is the differences between PHP 4 and 5, this book is not for you (to be honest, there's a web page on zend.com that tells you the differences in just a few pages).

If, however, you want to see how you can take your PHP development to a far higher tier than your peers, then this is the book for you. No other book treats PHP like a professional development language. Every other title insists on propagating appalling development practices, practices which are in part responsible for the majority of PHP on the web today looking like it was penned by a 13-year old in his bedroom.

Not this book. This is a book for professionals - either existing professionals seasoned in Java/JSP, C++ or some other 'traditional' programming language who is looking for how they can apply the 'best practice' techniques they've already learnt to PHP - or, for aspiring PHP professionals who have a solid grounding in and understanding of PHP 4 or 5 already.

Put it like this - I run a web agency. I am interviewing PHP people right now. Their code is truly appalling, universally, but I'm going to hire one of them. The one condition of their employment? That they read this book cover to cover before they start with us.

Hopefully this gives you a bit of an insight into what this book is about. If you're looking for a gentler introduction to PHP 5, take a look at Beginning PHP 5, also by Wrox (to which I also contributed). If you're ready to become a respected industry professional, take a look at this book.

Rating:
Summary: I should have read the description better
Review: There is very little php 5 specific information in this book.

If you don't already own bokks on code organisation, design patterns, project management practices, agile methods etc. this gives a competent introduction (although I disagree with some of the things they preach) but if you want an in depth exposition on how the improvements in php 5 change what can be done and how things should be done.

I would have given 4 stars because the description of the book actually should have given me the hint of what it was and it is my fault for expecting the wrong stuff. Except that a lot of the content feels recycled - possibly rushed to be one of the first books?