Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Developing a little project from scratch is missing
Comment: It is a good book, but I was looking for a chapter were the author would developed a simple project (including the teachings of all the other chapters). For the next release, if the author includes more practical examples and -overall- a simple but comprehensive project, the book will deserve 5 stars.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great bit of technical writing. Very useful
Comment: I think everyone knows that computer language books usually lean towards one of two extremes; either 1) the author cuts-and-pastes his doctoral thesis into Adobe, leaving everyone more confused than if they hadn't read the book at all, or 2) the book is apparently geared towards six-year-olds and the elderly, leaving you with 3 useful pages out of 800. (Also the books that somehow do both by covering basic variables on page 3, and polymorphing classes on page 5).
This book really does a good job of finding the middle ground. The content is extremely useful and it's well organized. The transitions between sections have a gentle slope, so you can read the book front-to-back, or pick out specific chapters without feeling lost (This will definitely be a reference book for me.) It's also written with personality, making it (I'm embarrassed to admit) decent late-night reading for the technically obsessed.
When I was researching the book for myself, I noticed some people commented that this book was too advanced to be called a beginner book. I agree with that, but only if you don't have any previous experience with programming in general. If this is your first time writing code, you should look for a general programming book first (but THEN get this one), but if you have any kind of programming experience, this book is a no-brainer!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not a good beginning book
Comment: I really don't get the high praise for this book; other than the fact that most of the reviewers have programming experience already. I really think that book is way overated and, despite the claims of the title, is not suited for the beginner or the novice.
This book includes example code snipets about the use of individual functions, but does not have larger projects or exercices demonstrating how to bring things together.
Once I realized this, I thought, "well at least I can use it as a reference." And it does succeed at this to some extent. However, even in this capacity it seems a little shollow. Further, one gets the impression that it is basically a rewording of the existing documentation that is already available with PHP and MySQL.
To give just one example of all the above... Chapter 2 talks about configuration options in the php.ini file - PHP basics aren't even covered until Chapter3. Anyhow, let me open randomly to one of the excepts from the book and compare it to the .ini file:
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register_long_arrays(On, Off)
Scope: PHP_INI_SYSTEM; Default value: off
This directive determines whether to continue registering the various input arrays (ENVIRONMENT, GET, POST, COOKIE, SYSTEM) using the deprecated syntax, such as HTTP_*_VARS. Disabling this directive is recommended for performance reasons.
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And a cut and paste from the .ini:
Whether or not to register the old-style input arrays, HTTP_GET_VARS and friends. If you're not using them, it's recommended to turn them off,for performance reasons.
register_long_arrays = On
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Again, at this pointt in the book (Chap2) a beginner/novice is still coming to grips with PHP basics (Chap3), let alone Arrays (Chap 5). Even after which, this is cryptic at best. How is this remotely geared towards either the 'beginner' or the 'novice'?! I could go on and on with examples from all parts of the book.
The sections on MySQL and the integration between it and PHP is thick, but lite. I consider this book mainly a rehash of the vendor documentation and lacking in real tutorials that are often crutial for novices to learn new skills. And, again, i think that the the book is completely mistitled.
Normally, I really like the Apress books; however, in this case I am benefiting much more from Wrox and Sams.
I might have given it a 3... but so many others scored it to high - even those who remarked on some of the same things.
-My 2 cents
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great!
Comment: Jason wrote this book with the idea in mind of the real developer. By covering subjects such as security and alternative methods where it is needed and recommended, true applications can be developed using PHP and MySQL.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Couldn't find a better book
Comment: Had a few bumps with the installation, actuall contacted the author through email and he took the time to help and point me in the right direction. A very knowledgable man and wrote an excellent book!! Would recommend this to anyone looking to get started in PHP!
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