Customer Rating: 
Summary: Quickly Start Coding PHP
Comment: I found this book to be very well put together. It starts out with a crash course that quickly moves you along the syntax of the language and opens your eyes to possible applications of the language at the same time. As the book progresses, what you learn becomes much more applicable to something you may want to develop. The book assumes, as it should if your picking up a book on PHP, that you are already familiar with HTML and have some programming background. This book doesn't try to go through each PHP function and tell you what it is and it's prototype. Nor is it a first programming book that teaches you how to program with PHP as your first language. It doesn't, however, require you to know much about a xnix, Win32 or HTTP server. It does teaches you much of Ph P's functionality through a some well written applications that are very practical and probably end up using. As far as MySQL goes, it teaches you what you need to know in order to use it with PHP. It doesn't teach database design, ER Diagramming or everything about SQL queries. It covers the basics and then some of MySQL and basic queries in a few chapters. I found the examples to be very well explained. Each bit of code is gone through throughly. It takes you practically line by line of what is going on and what everything is used for. The hardest thing I had to do with this book is install PHP, MySQL and Apache. After that everything is good to go and you will be flying through the material.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Comment: I changed hosting companies and had to stop using ASP and MS Access for dynamic content. I immediately fell in love with PHP and had to get this book. It has helped me time and time again. In a few short weeks, I was running my site with PHP and MySQL. It was mostly thanks to this book. It even helped me set up an administration site where I can edit content and is password protected. Thank you authors, for a wonderful book. I'm sure I will be using for years to come.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: They may say it is for beginners....don't be mislead!
Comment: I purchased this book after reading reviews on 3 different websites for it. The montra seemed to be "great for beginners or folks who have very little programming experience". That's me! I found the book to be extremely helpful...through chapter one. It explained basic concepts, syntax, etc. After that, it's like the author assumes that you have become an intermediate to expert programmer. He no longer tells you "insert this code at the bottom of (insert file name here)," but starts in with "if you program in C, then this will be very familiar to you."There are also errors. Granted, you can go to the authors website and find the addendums, but when the addendums also contain errors, it's very frustrating (like when he spells the word "tire" in the book and then as "tyre" in the "corrected" code on his website. Heed the books user level category....intermediate to advanced programmers. Be warned, if you are a beginning programmer in any language, this book will just confuse you and frustrate you to no end no matter what others say...
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of only two PHP books you need
Comment: This book was recommended to me by several people in a PHP web forum. I found it at a book store and bought it. At the time I didn't think it was that great. At the time I was just beginning PHP and didn't know much about it. If you are a beginner, I'd strongly recommend "Php Fast & Easy Web Development" by Julie C. Meloni. After you have read that book, I STRONGLY recommend getting this book! While "PHP Fast & Easy" will help you get started with PHP, this book will help you begin to fully understand how to program in PHP and develop complex PHP applications (like message boards and templating systems). So in short, while this book is probably not for absolute beginners, it is a must-buy for those with some PHP experience!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Comment: I started out with two books, one dedicated to MySQL, and the other to MySQL/PHP development. Errors in the MySQL/PHP book led me to try this one, and frankly, I don't even need to look at the others anymore. From configuring MySQL and PHP on my Linux system, to writing useful scripts, this book carefully leads you through it all. I am developing a web-based patient database system for a non-profit organization, and this book doesn't waste my volunteered time. It has everything I want, at the necessary level of detail. I should mention I am no beginner with either database or web development. I wrote my first professional database application (for HP/UX) over 12 years ago, and I have been employed as an engineer for Netscape Communications for nearly 4 years now. So take it from me, if you want to get the details on MySQL and PHP, this book has my unreserved endorsement. You won't be disappointed.
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