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PHP @ Web Programming
Programming Shed : Programmer Store & Resources |
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PHP Index - PHP Book :
PHP for the World Wide Web Visual Quickstart Guide
by Larry Ullman Paperback: 278 pages Dimensions (in inches): 0.58 x 8.98 x 7.00 Publisher: Peachpit Press ISBN: 0201727870; 1st edition (March 27, 2001) Designed for developers, this guide and reference covers the key concepts of PHP and explains the features of PHP version 4.04. Beginning with a basic overview, it moves on to cover syntax, testing scripts, working with variables, and creating Web applications. Along the way, sample scripts and projects illustrate major points. Ullman is a PHP programmer and Web designer. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR Book Description: Need to learn PHP fast? Try a Visual QuickStart! • Takes an easy, visual approach to teaching PHP scripting, using pictures to guide you through the language and show you what to do. • Works like a reference book--you look up what you need and then get straight to work. • No long-winded passes--concise, straightforward commentary explains what you need to know. • Companion Web site contains complete source code for examples in the book, online resources, updates, and more. • Affordable--perhaps the least expensive PHP book you'll find! PHP: VQS Companion Web Site Chapter 1: Getting Started With PHP Basic Syntax Sending Data to the Browser Testing Your Script Sending Text to the Browser Sending HTML to the Browser Using White Space in PHP (and HTML) Adding Comments to Your Scripts Chapter 2: Variables What are Variables? Variable Syntax Types of Variables Assigning Values to Variables Predefined Variables Chapter 3: HTML Forms and PHP Creating a Simple Form Using Get or Post Receiving Data from a Form in PHP Inputting Data Manually Chapter 4: Using Numbers Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing Formatting Numbers Incrementing and Decrementing a Number Using Multiple Operators Using Built-in Mathematical Functions Chapter 5: Using Strings Trimming Strings Connecting Strings (Concatenation) Encoding and Decoding Strings Encrypting and Decrypting Strings Pulling Out Parts from a String Chapter 6: Control Structures The If Conditional More Operators Using Else Using Elseif The Switch Conditional The While Loop The For Loop Chapter 7: Using Arrays Creating an Array Adding Items to an Array Accessing Array Elements Sorting Arrays Transforming Between Strings and Arrays Creating an Array from a Form Creating Multidimensional Arrays Chapter 8: Regular Expressions What are Regular Expressions? Defining a Simple Pattern Matching Patterns Defining More Complicated Patterns Matching and Replacing Patterns Chapter 9: Creating Functions Creating and Using Simple Functions Creating and Calling Functions that Take Arguments Creating and Using Functions that Return a Value Variables and Functions Chapter 10: Files and Directories File Permissions Writing to Files Reading from Files Directories Handling File Uploads Renaming and Deleting Files and Directories Chapter 11: Databases Connecting to and Creating a Database. Creating a Table Sending Data to a Database Retrieving Data from a Database Chapter 12: Cookies Creating and Reading from Cookies Adding Parameters to a Cookie Deleting a Cookie Chapter 13: Creating Web Applications Using include and require Determining the Date and Time Using http Headers Sending Email Chapter 14: Debugging Common Errors Error Reporting and Logging Debugging Detective Work Using the Die Statement Appendix A: Installation and Configuration Installing on a Linux Server Installing on a Windows 2000 Server Configuration Appendix B: Security Cryptography and SSL Writing Secure PHP Security Resources Appendix C: PHP Resources The PHP Manual Web Sites and Newsgroups Database Resources Advanced Topics Tables Book Info: Beginner to intermediate level self-study guide on PHP for the World Wide Web. Takes a visual approach, offering readers step-by-step instructions with illustrations and screen shots to clarify procedures. Includes a companion Web site which features the code for the text, updates, and online resources. Covers PHP versions 3 and 4. From the Author: This book is intended for the beginner PHP programmer--those with little or no programming experience but basic Web development know-how. It teaches the aspects of PHP you'll need to understand today in order to have your dynamic Web application up and running tomorrow. All the examples in the book are real-world scripts which you can incorporate into your Web sites (no demonstrations of things you'll never need or long-winded explanations for techniques you may or may not ever use). The book covers the very fundamentals of PHP programming, including: regular expressions, connecting to a database, sending e-mails, and more. Certain topics (such as Object Oriented Programming and sessions) aren't covered but references will take you to where you can learn more, should you feel that's necessary. The text is well supported by its accompanying Web site where you'll find: all the scripts up-to-date and downloadable; a listing of any corrections; over 100 links to different PHP-related topics; latest news; and more! The author currently answers every email he receives and attempts to support the readers as much as possible. PHP for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart guide aims to be the best beginner's guide to PHP in terms of practical knowledge, clear demonstrations, author support, and price! About the Author: Larry Ullman is the Director of Digital Media Technologis at DMC Insights, Inc. and serves as the Lead PHP Programmer. He specializes in developing dynamic Web sites and Web applications. Larry is a frequent contributor to the alt.PHP newsgroup, has prepared a PHP class to be taught through the University of California at Berkeley, and is about to begin writing an advanced PHP text. Customer Reviews Reviewer: Dr Daniel E Kelley from Halifax, NS Canada Recently I decided to try PHP for a little task, involving forms, file scanning with regexp, and other basic things. Although I've scanned numerous online PHP guides before, I wasn't sure how to do this, so I went to the local computer store and scanned the PHP titles. Many books filled those shelves, and I had little time to scan them. But then I spied a peachpit book on the topic, and since I've found them helpful (and inexpensive) before, I picked it up without even scanning it. This was Larry Ullman's book. Within minutes I had a basic idea how to do what I wanted, and within an hour I had code working. Now, some of this is just that php is a good language -- and a familiar one, to Perl users like myself -- but part of it is that Ullman has crafted a fine little book, easy to navigate and easy to digest. Like all Peachpit books, this is aimed at beginners. And, like most computer books, the details matter less than the framework. I gather, from other reviews I've seen on Amazon, that this book suffers some errors, e.g. in a discussion of prime numbers. I'm not sure I care, or that others should care. This is because I can't imagine reading this book (or any computer guide) from cover to cover, studying the details. Rather, readers do what I did. I needed to know how to open and read a file, so I looked in the table of contents and flipped to a page stating clearly how to do that. Ten seconds of scanning, plus a minute of study, and I was back to my text editor, typing in code. Ditto on the use of regular expressions (which is done in an odd non-perlish way in PHP). Did I read all the details of regular expressions? Lord, no. I just found the name of the subroutine, checked whether the search string or the pattern goes first, and I was back to my coding. This is the essence of computer books of this ilk. The _defining_ textbook should be very clear, very detailed, and very accurate. (Think of Kernighan and Ritchie for the C language.) But a quick-start guide is not meant to be studied labouriously. It is meant to be flipped through one evening, and then put beside the terminal the next day. Finding information should be quick, and digesting it should require scanning only a page or so. In these regards, Ullman's book shines. Another factor is cost. This book was about 1/3 of the competitors in my local store. One should admit that these books are really throwaway items anyway, since once you get familiar you'll go to online resources of the latest developments. This might argue that cost is significant, and that the best scheme is to buy a cheap and digestable guide to get started, switching to online resources once you've reached your stride. In a nutshell, this is what I like about Peachpit books, Ullman's being no exception. The bottom line is that it got me coding in a few minutes, really, within the time it took me to write these words! Reviewer: badhacker from Brussels, Belgium The book covers elementary knowledge about PHP and a bit of intermediate level. It doesn't assume you to know anything about Web programming although you must understand a bit about HTML. It's a good book if you want to learn PHP from the very basic. It's not a book for you if you want to learn how to make an electronic application using PHP, though. The lessons are described in details with pictures accompanying them. Reviewer: ClaudiaGonson from Chicago, IL United States As much as I'd like to give credit to the author, you have to recognize the beauty and simplicity of PHP, without which such an excellent book could not be written. As another reviewer noted, don't compare this book to the VQS JavaScript book. Just keep in mind that JavaScript is confusing and extremely difficult to learn. I can't, however, imagine someone having a problem with how the VQS books are laid out. Also unlike the JavaScript book, you actually *learn* PHP with this book. This book will teach you how to create forms and handle user input in a variety of ways with simple files as well as mySQL databases and, use cookies, and to a limited extent, encrypt data. Like every other "programming" book, it touches on control structures (loops, conditionals, etc.). What it doesn't cover, it gives a brief explanation of with a list of valuable resources. With half a brain and a basic knowledge of HTML, you will without a doubt be able to create a web site with a password protected login, personalized settings and a searchable database. While this is currently the first PHP book I've read, it's the *only* book I've ever read that truly got me up and running in a few days. If you have any interest whatsoever in PHP, BUY THIS BOOK FIRST. I just ordered the Advanced book and I can't wait to get it! Reviewer: christopher_charles from Bangor, PA United States This book was written to the developer new to scripting and it adheres to that premise to the end. Larry Ullman gives a great exposition of each of the programming examples he uses, so the reader not only understands the syntax of the recipe, but the processes taking place as well. A little thin, weighing in at 278 pages, but I feel that makes it undaunting to the new scripter. |
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