Learn PHP – The Backbone of Your Website!

Often, if you want to integrate applications into your website like blogs, forums, shopping carts, quizzes and polls, contact forms, and photo galleries, you can download tons of free open source solutions. Many of these applications come with your hosting account.

A vast majority of them are written in PHP with the data stored in a MyQSL database. The database management tool that comes with your hosting account is called PHPmyAdmin. That’s no coincidence. PHP and MySQL are two of the four pillars of the LAMP hosting platform (Linux operating system, Apache HTTP server, MySQL database, PHP/Perl/Python).

What can you do with PHP and MySQL? For starters, PHP is already used for blogs (WordPress, b2Evolution), forums (PHPbb, XMB), Surveys (LimeSurvey) and many more popular single-click-install scripts that come with most good hosting accounts. This means any tweaks you want to make to, say, your WordPress blog’s functionality, will be done in PHP.

The best way to understand how to integrate scripts into your websites or tweak them if necessary (and believe me, you will eventually find it necessary) is to use the help files and expert forums that are provided by the script authors. However, to fully understand their instructions, a little programming knowledge can go a long way. Whether you are a beginner, professional, or even have a non-technical job (e.g. Internet marketing, blog writer, etc.), you can find what you need to know about PHP programming and MySQL databases in the following books. Having a couple well-written reference books at your side can save you hours of frustration when managing your blog or PHP & MySQL driven websites. Below are the best PHP books and MySQL books we have found.

The Best Learn PHP Books

PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that is designed for web developers to easily produce dynamic web pages. PHP is available as a processor for most modern web servers and as a standalone interpreter on almost every operating system and computing platform. PHP can also be used with many relational database management systems, such as MySQL. PHP is open-source and available free of charge. The PHP Group provides the complete source code for users to customize and extend PHP for their own use.

PHP is extremely versatile but is mainly focused on server-side scripting. PHP programming enables you to perform many important tasks on your websites, such as:

• collect and validate form data
• generate dynamic page content
• send email
• create and post a blog entry
• manage your blog and its functions
• send and receive cookies
• output images
• create and output PDF files
• generate Flash movies on the fly

And that is just a small sampling of what PHP can do. Many major websites are written in PHP including Wikipedia (MediaWiki), Yahoo!, the user-facing portion of Facebook, Digg, Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Tagged and Moodle.

Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites

Title: Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites
Author: Robin Nixon
Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (July 14, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0596157134
ISBN-13: 978-0596157135
Page Count: 528 Pages

Description: “If you know HTML, this guide will have you building interactive websites quickly. You’ll learn how to create responsive, data-driven websites with PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript, regardless of whether you already know how to program. Discover how the powerful combination of PHP and MySQL provides an easy way to build modern websites complete with dynamic data and user interaction. You’ll also learn how to add JavaScript to create rich Internet applications and websites.

Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript explains each technology separately, shows you how to combine them, and introduces valuable web programming concepts, including objects, XHTML, cookies, and session management. You’ll practice what you’ve learned with review questions in each chapter, and find a sample social networking platform built with the elements introduced in this book. This book will help you:

• Understand PHP essentials and the basics of object-oriented programming
• Master MySQL, from database structure to complex queries
• Create web pages with PHP and MySQL by integrating forms and other HTML features
• Learn about JavaScript, from functions and event handling to accessing the Document Object Model
• Use libraries and packages, including the Smarty web template system, PEAR program repository, and the Yahoo! User Interface Library
• Make Ajax calls and turn your website into a highly dynamic environment
• Upload and manipulate files and images, validate user input, and secure your applications

Reader Reviews:

“I had the pleasure of being a technical reviewer for the book, and this follow-up to O’Reilly’s Learning PHP & MySQL is an enormous improvement over its predecessors. Robin Nixon maintains a comfortable, conversational tone throughout the text, so newcomers to the topic should not find the material daunting. The contents are very well targeted to novices of the craft, cutting out needless technical details and jargon to focus on what a new developer ought to know to create a functioning website.” -Derek, USA

“Too often I’ve been disappointed with an over-abundance of typos or just bad instruction, both really frustrating when already faced with the challenge of learning something new. But this book definitely delivers there. It’s like the author said “I know what you’re trying to accomplish, here’s how to do it.”” -Bill, MA

“After spending about 2 weeks with it, I am already building dynamic websites that are impressing even myself. It is written very well and has great examples for practice coding. This book made learning easy. FIVE STARS without question!” -Ryan, AZ

“Picked up this book. Wow. In 2 days I was on my way! All the code examples actually work! (Yes, it’s true. I know, it’s shocking.) The explanations are excellent. Wow can this person communicate. Again shocking. Tons of examples. Talking is great but I learn through code examples. There are plenty here. That is why in 2 days you will be like: Wow I can code in PHP. Here is the best part – Nixon helps you setup everything so it works. I mean in less than 30min I was running PHP via Apache on my Windows using Mysql. I have days with other books trying to make things work because the author did not care enough to actually help me do setup.” -farout, MA

Learn to Create Dynamic Websites.
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PHP 6 and MySQL 5 for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide

Title: PHP 6 and MySQL 5 for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide
Author: Larry Ullman
Publisher: Peachpit Press (December 29, 2007)
ISBN-10: 032152599X
ISBN-13: 978-0321525994
Page Count: 648 Pages

Description: “When static HTML pages no longer cut it, you need to step up to dynamic, database-driven sites that represent the future of the Web. In PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide, the author of best-selling guides to both the database program (MySQL) and the scripting language (PHP) returns to cover the pair in tandem-the way users work with them today to build dynamic sites using Open Source tools.

Using step-by-step instructions, clearly written scripts, and expert tips to ease the way, author Larry Ullman discusses PHP and MySQL separately before going on to cover security, sessions and cookies, and using additional Web tools, with several sections devoted to creating sample applications. A companion Web site includes source code and demonstrations of techniques used in the volume. If you’re already at home with HTML, you’ll find this volume the perfect launching pad to creating dynamic sites with PHP and MySQL.”

Reader Reviews:

“This book is, to say the very least, the finest computer book I have read in a very, very long time. The code in this book WORKS! The book is SUPPORTED by both the publisher and the author. The author’s support site for the book actually contains an extensive list of errata for the very minor errors in it (unlike ALL of the [other] books [I tried] which DON’T have an errata list). Furthermore, I haven’t needed to check the errata because the errors in this book are so minor. The author actually ANSWERS questions to problems on his site. The author is capable of explaining everything, very clearly, and yet conveys a LOT of great information. RUN, don’t walk to buy this book. You will be very, very glad you did.” -Anon, USA

“The way this book is written it is very easy to follow along with and would be perfect for someone brand new to PHP, SQL and MySQL.” -Lance, TX

“Best PHP and MySQL book for novices or for programmers not familiar with PHP & MySQL. Thank you Larry, for writing this book!” -C.B. CA

“If you are a beginner user then the book will take you step by step from the beginning of learning how to use PHP and MySQL. After you’ve finished reading all the information in the book you’ll find yourself drooling for more and the author apparently knew you’d be drooling for more as he put in seven pages of resources for you to read on the web.” -J.M, IO

“If you’re looking for a book on this subject then look no further. Not only is the author clear and concise, even more importantly, he is responsive. There is a companion website with all the sample code and support forums. Don’t be a twit and ask the author to debug your code for you but if you have a valid question, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve found the author to be very responsive, friendly and knowledgeable. The support alone makes the purchase worth it. Throw in a good book and it’s a deal that can’t be beat.” -Gary, HI

Learn the latest versions of PHP & MySQL and create stunning websites.
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PHP and MySQL Web Development (4th Edition)

Title: PHP and MySQL Web Development (4th Edition)
Author: Luke Welling, Laura Thomson
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; (October 11, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0672329166
ISBN-13: 978-0672329166
Page Count: 1008 Pages

What the Critics Say: “This book by Welling & Thomson is the only one which I have found to be indispensable. The writing is clear and straightforward but never wastes my time. The book is extremely well laid out. The chapters are the right length and chapter titles quickly take you where you want to go.” —Wright Sullivan, President, A&E Engineering, Inc., Greer South Carolina

Description: PHP and MySQL Web Development introduces readers (who are assumed to have little or no experience with the title subjects) to PHP and MySQL for the purpose of creating dynamic Internet sites. Authors Luke Welling and Laura Thomson’s technique aims to get readers going on their own projects as soon as possible. They present easily digestible sections on specific technical processes. Each section centers on a sample program that strips the task at hand down to its essentials, enabling the reader to fit the process into his or her own solutions as required. Tables that list options and other nuggets of reference material appear as well, but the many examples and the authors’ commentary on them take center stage.

Reader Reviews:

“This is such a good book that I wanted to take the time to write a review and give it 5 stars, which it richly deserves. All in all, this is one of those rare books that is probably worth ten times the amount that you pay for it, and much more if you use it effectively.” -Anon, USA

“You never know what your really going to get when you buy a book online but I am totally happy with this purchase. This book offers real world examples and full source code for many of the PHP/MySQL projects developers tackle on a day to day basis. Details can be found on: Image generation, cookies, user authentication, shopping carts, content management, mailing-lists, PDF document generation and a lot of detail on how to set up and install both PHP and MySQL on your server. The authors not only show you the code but explain what’s happening so that you can customize the scripts for your own use. You do not have to be an expert programmer to understand what’s going on. All and all-the best web programming book I’ve bought, period. “ -Customer, USA

“The clarity, detail, and breadth of content are superb and empowering, allowing even a novice with minimal PHP and MySQL experience to create powerful web- and database-driven applications. After a comprehensive treatment of PHP and MySQL, the authors provide several extremely well-worked project examples (e.g. generating PDF documents, building a shopping cart, content management system, web forum) and even include a valuable primer chapter on Web services.” -Albert, USA

“This book has an intelligent way of teaching beginners! Also an EXCELLENT resource for experts! For the price it is going for it is well worth your investment! I would pay twice as much for this same book had I had to do so!” -Paul, NY

“This is the best reference on PHP in the real world. Real code to drive real problems encountered by web-based programmers. … it is a must to have for any professional development. REQUIRED READING!” -John, CA

You’ll be a PHP pro in no time!
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Beginning PHP and MySQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

Title: Beginning PHP and MySQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition
Author: Emilian Balanescu, Cristian Darie
Publisher: Apress; 2 edition (February 21, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1590598644
ISBN-13: 978-1590598641
Page Count: 707 Pages

Description: “Beginning PHP and MySQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition covers every step of the design and building process involved in creating powerful, extendable e–commerce web sites. Based around a real–world example involving a web site selling t–shirts, you’ll learn how to create and manage a product catalog, build and integrate a shopping cart, and process customer accounts and PayPal/credit card transactions.

With the e–commerce framework in place, authors Emilian Balanescu and Cristian Darie show you how to integrate advanced features sure to set your web site apart from the competition. You’ll learn how to expand your catalog using Amazon Web Services, optimize the web site for the search engines, and take advantage of Ajax to build an even more user–friendly shopping cart.”

Reader Reviews:

“This book is a wonderful presentation of how to build an e-commerce site from start to finish. It touches on nearly all the major considerations you are faced with when developing an e-commerce site and the author uses sound coding practices throughout the book. This book is not a beginning PHP book and it’s not a beginning MySQL book like the title might suggest. It is a beginning e-commerce book and readers are expected to be familiar with both PHP and MySQL. “ -Z.W., USA

“I found this book to be far more than a tutorial on ecommerce. It’s attention to good programming technique has been invaluable to me as I progress from a beginning PHP programmer to a more intermediate level. Its been slow going but well worth the effort. I have used the framework for t-shirt shop in other applications I’ve written as the code for database abstraction and error handling are really solid. His work also clearly demonstrates the value of self documenting code. Coverage of Smarty and MySQL procedures is excellent. One of the very best programming books I’ve ever used.” -Walter, MT

“This is an excellent book. It has enhanced my PHP, MySQL, object oriented programming and e-commerce skills. It is challenging, (because of the wealth of knowledge), but well worth the effort. And when I had a problem, author Cristian Darie responded accurately and courteously to my email. Very highly recommended.” -B.P., Washington DC

“I think that is the perfect book if you are a beginner and have little experience working with PHP. It also explains you how Amazon works, and how you can use amazon.com web services.” -Mariano, Argentina

“I found this book to be perfect, because it is exactly what I needed: a tutorial for creating a fully-functional, secure, and flexible store. So is this book for raw beginners? No. You should have enough experience with web pages to comprehend HTML and CSS, minimally. Experience with programming is a help, but not necessary.” -Roskva, USA

Build a killer E-Commerce Website the Right Way!
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Wicked Cool PHP: Real-World Scripts That Solve Difficult Problems

Title: Wicked Cool PHP: Real-World Scripts That Solve Difficult Problems
Author: William Steinmetz, Brian Ward
Publisher: No Starch Press; 1 edition (February 9, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1593271735
ISBN-13: 978-1593271732
Page Count: 224 Pages

Description: “PHP is an easy-to-use scripting language perfect for quickly creating the Web features you need. Once you know the basics, wouldn’t it be great to have a collection of useful scripts that solve those tricky problems and add interesting functionality to your site? We thought so, too. Instead of starting at “Hello World,” “Wicked Cool PHP” assumes that you’re familiar with the language and jumps right into the good stuff. After you learn the FAQs of life – the most commonly wished for PHP scripts – you’ll work your way through smart configuration options and the art of forms, all the way through to complex database-backed scripts.

“Wicked Cool PHP” contains a wide variety of scripts to process credit cards, check the validity of email addresses, template HTML, and serve dynamic images and text. The 76 easily implemented scripts will also teach you how to:

• Send and receive email notifications
• Track your visitors’ behavior with cookies and sessions
• Override PHP’s default settings
• Manipulate dates, images, and text on the fly
• Harness SOAP and other web services
• Create an online poll, e-card delivery system, and blog

But it’s not all fun and games: Security is a big concern when programming any web application. So you’ll learn how to encrypt your confidential data, safeguard your passwords, and prevent common cross-site-scripting attacks. And you’ll learn how to customize all of the scripts to fit your own needs. Dynamic Web content doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn the secrets of the craft from two experienced PHP developers with “Wicked Cool PHP,”

Reader Reviews:

“…saw this book on a friends desk and shamelessly took it before he had a chance to read it. I have many PHP books on my bookshelf, too many. I can now remove quite a few and replace them with this book. Each chapter has many sections that cover a specific topic and most have very useful code examples. The style of the book makes it easy to read and learn from the examples. I just made some room on my busy book shelf for this book of 76 time-saving, problem-solving PHP scripts. I hope my friend doesn’t ask for it back…” -Jay, MN

“[This] is a fantastic PHP cookbook that is written exactly the way I like books to be written: it’s fun to read and learn from, content is broken up logically at the right points, layout and design is a joy on the eyes and brain, length is around 200 pages. Content is broken up over 12 chapters: 01. Basic script stuff, 02. Configuring PHP, 03. PHP Security, 04. Form Fun, 05. Text & HTML, 06. Dates, 07. Files, 08. User and Session Tracking, 09. Email Excitement, 10. Image Tasks, 11. Using cURL to talk to web services, 12. Other Stuff.

The audience for this book hits the rare area of ALL developers from the expert to the newbie to the weekend hacker. There are 76 scripts contained within that nearly anyone could find useful in any project. I love No Starch books because they don’t feel like reference materials, rather they package it in a fun way from the glossy cover to smart design. No Starch gets ‘it’ when it comes to what geeks want and PHPites you will WANT this book!!” -Dan, MA

“I was looking for a book with simple, real world examples that would get me moving in the right direction. This was that book. After quickly digesting several of the short, well written chapters, I was able to do a few things that I wanted to do as well as several things I never dreamed of. This book gave me enough of a start that I now feel comfortable using the vast array of free PHP resources available on the web to continue my learning.” -G.J., NC

“Very well written, wonderful examples. Scripts are broken down and explained in detail, piece by piece.” -G.S., USA

Stop wasting hours surfing all over the web for answers!
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