- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
If you're ready to create web pages more complex than those you can build with HTML and CSS, Head First PHP & MySQL is the ultimate learning guide to building dynamic, database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL. Packed with real-world examples, this book teaches you all the essentials of server-side programming, from the fundamentals of PHP and MySQL coding to advanced topics such as form validation, session IDs, cookies, database queries and joins, file I/O operations, content management, and more.
Head First PHP & MySQL offers the same visually rich format that's turned every title in the Head First series into a bestseller, with plenty of exercises, quizzes, puzzles, and other interactive features to help you retain what you've learned.
1 It's Alive: Add Life to Your Static Pages 1
2 How It Fits Together: Connecting to MySQL 59
3 Creating Your Own Data: Create and Populate a Database 103
4 Your Application on the Web: Realistic and Practical Applications 159
5 When a Database Just Isn't Enough: Working With Data Stored in Files 223
6 Assume They're All Out to Get You: Securing Your Application 295
7 Remember Me?: Building Personalized Web Apps 345
7 1/2 Sharing is Caring: Eliminate Duplicate Code 417
8 Harvesting Data: Control Your Data, Control Your World 427
9 Better Living Through Functions: String and Custom Functions 501
10 Rules for Replacement: Regular Expressions 561
11 Drawing Dynamic Graphics: Visualizing Your Data... and More! 605
12 Interfacing to the World: Syndication and Web Services 657
i The Top Ten Topics (We Didn't Cover): Leftovers 713
ii A Place to Play: Set Up a Development Environment 731
iii Get Even More: Extend Your PHP 749
Alupka
Posted Wed Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 2010
This may be a great book for students or complete beginners or people who don't know how to read, but if you're a technical minded person or have any previous knowledge of HTML or scripting, this book is too unorganized to be useful. I understand the authors' intent, but this book focuses too much on entertaining the reader with clip art and anecdotes instead of providing clear and substantive coverage of PHP.
Every time I try to jump in and find the answer to a specific question, I find myself completely lost in a maze of humorous pop-ups and doodles. I have only been able to extract a few sentences of actual useful information per page. The rest is fluff or filler...or (according to the authors) reinforcing the concept.
For myself, the chaotic and visual nature of the book takes much longer to weed through and learn compared to traditional books. If, on the other hand, you're a very visual person struggling with the basic concepts of programming, this book may be worth the purchase price.
In fairness to the authors, I already know HTML, asp, etc. and was just looking for a quick sort of *Learn PHP in 24 Hours* type of book to bring me up to speed quickly. So I write this knowing that I may not be the authors' intended audience.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ron_H
Posted Sat Aug 22 00:00:00 EDT 2009
I Also Recommend:
Using a sense of humor, incredible depth of knowledge, and a teaching method that virtually ensures absorption of the material no matter what your learning style, Head First PHP & MySQL takes the reader from initial steps to proficiency in this powerful and widely used technology.
Build a mail-order website for Elvis Impersonators using PHP Forms. Build a secure application for Rock Wars gamers to track (and verify) highest scores. Submit and review resumes for Risky Jobs. These tongue-in-cheek sample applications provide a playground to learn all of the PHP/MySQL basics in a fun and engaging way.
Code downloads, and very useful appendices complete the package. I was able to build solid production applications almost immediately as I stepped through the book.
Easily Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a page full of Smiley Faces for this book.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2011
I have been developing websites since the beginning of what we all know as the internet. Up until recently I have paid to have all of the coding done. Nothing that I ever read about Php or Mysql could never stick with me. I would read things and dabble a little bit. But actually retaining any of it was impossible for me.This was up until I purchased this great Head First: Php & Mysql book. Not only is it easy reading, I have retained every bit of it. I am nowhere finished with the book and I think its safe to say that this book will stay on my shelf forever. If anyone asks me how I learned PHP, I will simply point at the book.1 week after I started reading the book I wrote my first script, on my own, without copy and pasting someone else code. It was a simple script, just writing a form and a php script to parse it and store in MySql. Regardless, 1 week and I wrote that. Its with me forever now.If you are thinking of learning php, or if you have struggled to remember things like functions and syntax then you MUST buy this book. I am just your average Joe and this is hands down the best book I have put on my shelf in a very long time. Truth is, that its not even on my shelf and I think I will keep it along side me until I can have it all in head.You will jump in to writing some simple php and you advance pretty fast, but the best part is the way that they present the information. I honestly think my 12 year old son could work his way through this. The book even gives you problems to figure out in writing, or homework if you will. GREAT Job to the authors of this book. If there is more Head First books I will buy them next time
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.K2JXW
Posted Sat Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2010
Good text for a know-nothing like me
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This book should be good, but it is quite frustrating. I am nearly half way through and tempted to buy something else to learn more about PHP and MySQL. The explanations are fairly good, but the example code is difficult to read at best. The author gives you partial code, then a bunch of "magnets" to "stick" in the right places. When the "solution" is printed, it has the same "magnets" that make it very difficult to read, and even more difficult to tell what the proper spacing is between characters. The examples also seem to have errors, and the error log page on the O'Reilly site doesn't seem to catch them all. The concept is interesting, but they should have had real people test the code before releasing this to the world.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Dec 25 00:00:00 EST 2012
I like how the book gives you real word applications that you can easily copy and manipulate but sometimes they are out of date
but its still good for beginners. The book also has alot of story lines and pictures so sometimes it can be a good thing and a bad thing
because it gets distracting after a while when you just want to see code and not read a story line or a full on explanation about one small
code. The other thing that now gets me when I look back is when you try to review something you already passed its kind of hard to find it
on the table of contents because it sometimes doesn't specify what section. When you go back trying to find something by page it is hard
because there are alot of pictures and you can't find that small code your looking for. If someone is at least familiar with coding syntax I would
recommend a different book because the pictures could get quite distractive.
Anonymous
Posted Sun Dec 12 00:00:00 EST 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Sun Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Nov 24 00:00:00 EST 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Sat Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Mon May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Wed Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Fri Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Wed Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
If you're ready to create web pages more complex than those you can build with HTML and CSS, Head First PHP & MySQL is the ultimate learning guide to building dynamic, database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL. Packed with real-world examples, this book teaches you all the essentials of server-side programming, from the fundamentals of PHP and MySQL coding to advanced topics such as form validation, session IDs, cookies, database queries...