That said, I found this book to be very helpful. The sections on installing and configuring Apache, PHP and MySQL certainly saved me many hours of reading the online documentation and tweaking of settings while setting up my local test bed. That, in itself, made me a very happy camper. The author goes on to cover the various aspects from the basics of the PHP language and class libraries to topics like Authentication, Security, Session Handlers and eMail functionality that help anyone new to PHP setup some fairly sophisticated site capabilities.

The second edition has been supplemented with an added 200 pages, including a new section on PEAR (PHP Extension and Application Repository). This is a wealth of prewritten classes and packages that can be used to add even more sophisticated functionality to the novice’s web development toolbox. The author demonstrates several of the more prominent packages.

The second edition has greatly beefed up with additional coverage of MySQL 5, including chapters on stored procedures, triggers and the PHP mysqli extension (all missed in the first edition). Most of the examples offered are clean and general enough to be useful templates for the reader’s tailoring.

My suggestion for novices to PHP is read through chapter 9, then skip to the various sections that solve specific problems being faced or are of particular interest, including installing and configuring your local test bed.

Bottom line, the first edition was a good book for intermediate to veteran programmers looking for a quick tutorial on PHP (circa version 5.0); the second edition is even better. Novice programmers should ensure that they have a full understanding of the basics of programming (and OOP) before attempting it. I would now use this book to teach a class on PHP.

I reach for this book when I want to get up to speed on something about PHP 5 quickly. With it, I can start coding and seeing results right away. The book covers a range of topics, the practicality of which can be best appreciated when you are faced with a real life project. For example, pp. 660-665 in Chapter 27, “Practical Database Queries”, covers creating paged output (that is, spreading query results across several web pages) and listing page numbers which was just the thing I wanted to learn last night. My wife’s database needs that sort of output. You can download Gilmore’s example code and quickly start using it and then applying the lessons learned to build your own code.

This book is geared to people who want to get their hands on real code, wring the juice from it, make mistakes with it, learn all they can from it, and then tap out fresh code that does the same things with a little more oomph. Such people do not like long, dreary tracts of reading before being able participate in the elusive action. It is a good learning format because the only useful way to learn programming is to dive right in and do it. The book is a blend of brief discussion and quick code snippets with the expected results shown right away. This is a very good way to learn programming.

The section on SOAP, starting on page 450, makes me realize I had better experiment with this interesting technology. I’d certainly like to be able to find the temperature for a given postal code — and other things of greater interest. Chapters 12, “PHP Authentication”, 14, “Networking With PHP”, and 15, “PHP and LDAP”, look into core internet services that every programmer should know how to exploit, but too often don’t. For example I’ve learned how to authenticate a user with LDAP.

The author, W. Jason Gilmore, is cheerful and most helpful in his responses to reader inquiries. He responded quickly to my questions and I am impressed with his ability to courteously point me in the right direction.

Be sure to download Gilmore’s example code. There are 30 chapters worth of programming stuffed into that zip file.

The book has a few rough edges. The most obvious is that some sentences are a little wordy. That’s all right, you can move on to the next paragraphs, and will soon be trying out a new example. I wish Jason had discussed MySQL 4.1 and the mysqli interface, especially since there are other books around that cover MySQL 4.0.x. Perhaps if he had added another chapter to cover that? We can always look forward to a second edition.

This book should be near every serious programmer’s desk. You, dear reader, will reach for it a surprising amount of the time.

This book was written for new programmers that want a programming introduction to PHP and was not written for web programmers new to PHP. Although I program, I want features of a web programming book when I buy a web programming book.

What I consider a feature of a (good) web programming book: Chapters are split into a quick intro to the most commonly used fuctions of the chapter’s topic (5-10 pages) and a longer part for use as a reference (15-20 pages). The book’s format has good eye catching sections so readers do not waste time finding what is important if we just want to skim things so we can get into doing some web programming quickly. Commonly used functions are not buried in a bunch of uncommonly used functions.

Certified computer professionals often find that having proven, recognized credentials can advance them farther in their fields, give their careers a boost, and make them better, more productive employees for their companies or organizations. Whatever your reason for becoming MySQL certified, MySQL 5.0 Certification Study Guide gives you the information you need to help you better understand MySQL technologies and prepare for and pass the exams.

Paul DuBois is a member of the MySQL AB documentation team, and he is the leading author of books on MySQL topics. His book, MySQL (Sams Publishing), is widely considered to be the definitive guide to using, administering, and programming MySQL.

Stefan Hinz is a member of the MySQL AB documentation team, a MySQL trainer and consultant, and the German translator of the MySQL Reference Manual.

Carsten Pedersen is the MySQL AB certification manager and has led the development of the MySQL certification program. He has also taught several MySQL courses in a number of countries.

Product Description
I can report that Gilmore and Apress have given the world one book that will replace many other PHP and MySQL volumes. This is one that the reader will consistently rely on and keep near to hand. I can summarize this review in nine words: If you want to learn PHP, buy this book. …an extremely detailed book.

— Richard Testani, Apple-Sauce.com

Beginning PHP 5 and MySQL: From Novice to Professional offers a comprehensive introduction to two of the most popular open source technologies on the planet: the PHP scripting language and the MySQL database server. Whether you’re a newcomer searching for a thorough introduction to these popular technologies, or a seasoned developer in need of a comprehensive reference, this book is for you. You will be exposed to the core features of both technologies, as well as gain valuable insight into how the technologies are combined to create dynamic, data-driven web applications. You’ll also learn about many undocumented features of the most recent versions.

The first part of the book is devoted to PHP’s foundational features, with emphasis on features new to PHP 5, like improved object-oriented support, exception handling, SQLite support, SimpleXML, and much more. Other chapters are devoted to basic PHP programming concepts such as variables, datatypes, arrays, string manipulation, and user interaction. You’ll also learn about PHP 5’s core capabilities, starting with a survey of installation and configuration tasks. Additional chapters cover session handling, LDAP integration, the Smarty templating engine, and Web Services support.

The latter part of the book overviews the powerful MySQL database server. You’ll learn about the installation and configuration process, datatypes, key security features, and various administration utilities. Next, you’ll proceed to learn about PHP’s assortment of MySQL functions, supported by dozens of examples depicting the creation and execution of queries. You’ll also learn how to perform searches and manage database transactions.

About the Author
W. Jason Gilmore has been involved in PHP and MySQL Web application development for six years, and has developed hundreds of applications using the LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) platform. His writings on open source technologies have been featured within many of the computing industry’s leading publications, including Linux Magazine, O’Reillynet, Devshed, and Zend.com, and have been adapted for educational initiatives led by numerous organizations, including the Ford Foundation and the United Nations. Jason is Developer.com’s monthly PHP columnist, and a regular contributor to Linux Magazine. He spends his days (and many nights) running Apress’ Open Source program, and loves every moment of it. Jason graduated from The Ohio State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.