• This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine
• Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL
• Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL
• Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions
• The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

If PHP5 and MySQL can do it, you can do it too...

PHP and MySQL form a powerful team, and if you have some fluency with HTML, this comprehensive guide will have you creating database?backed, PHP?driven Web sites in no time. Along with the new features of PHP5, you’ll learn to install, administer, and use MySQL 4.0 in database design. From getting started with PHP to connecting HTML Web pages to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle®, you’ll find what you need to take advantage of all this dynamic duo has to offer.

Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of PHP5 and MySQL

• Resolve common "gotchas" with a series of symptom/diagnosis/fix patterns
• Discover how to use PHP with Oracle and PostgreSQL as well as MySQL
• Integrate PHP with Java?, JavaScript?, and XML
• Use PHP to embed code fragments in normal HTML pages
• Find out how the new PHP5 parser supports genuine exception handling and a more complete object model
• Understand Zend Engine 2 and the new object model, with support for private/protected members, abstract classes, and interfaces
• Install MySQL and learn to administer it successfully, including backups, replication, and recovery
• Write MySQL?backed PHP applications
• Learn from case studies how to design and implement a Weblog, a user identification system, and other applications

Tim Converse has written software to recommend neckties, answer questions about space stations, pick value stocks, and make simulated breakfast. He has an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, where he taught several programming classes. He is now an engineering manager in the Web search group at Yahoo!.

Joyce Park has an M.A. in history from the University of Chicago, and has worked for several Silicon Valley startups including Epinions, KnowNow, and Friendster. She is a co?lead of the Mod?pubsub Open Source project.

Clark Morgan is a Web application and educational software developer with more than five years? experience writing PHP. He works primarily with medical clients and related businesses. Originally from Boston, he now lives and works in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and two children. Clark spends entirely too much of his free time reading other people?s computer books.

• This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine
• Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL
• Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL
• Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions
• The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

• This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine
• Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL
• Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL
• Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions
• The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

• This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine
• Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL
• Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL
• Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions
• The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

If PHP5 and MySQL can do it, you can do it too... PHP and MySQL form a powerful team, and if you have some fluency with HTML, this comprehensive guide will have you creating database-backed, PHP-driven Web sites in no time. Along with the new features of PHP5, you ll learn to install, administer, and use MySQL 4.0 in database design. From getting started with PHP to connecting HTML Web pages to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracleandreg;, you ll find what you need to take advantage of all this dynamic duo has to offer. Inside, you ll find complete coverage of PHP5 and MySQL Resolve common "gotchas" with a series of symptom/diagnosis/fix patterns Discover how to use PHP with Oracle and PostgreSQL as well as MySQL Integrate PHP with Javaandtrade;, JavaScriptandtrade;, and XML Use PHP to embed code fragments in normal HTML pages Find out how the new PHP5 parser supports genuine exception handling and a more complete object model Understand Zend Engine 2 and the new object model, with support for private/protected members, abstract classes, and interfaces Install MySQL and learn to administer it successfully, including backups, replication, and recovery Write MySQL-backed PHP applications Learn from case studies how to design and implement a Weblog, a user identification system, and other applications

* This comprehensive tutorial and reference covers all the basics of PHP 5, a popular open source Web scripting language, and MySQL 4.012, the most popular open source database engine
* Explores why users need PHP and MySQL, how to get started, how to add PHP to HTML, and how to connect HTML Web pages to MySQL
* Offers an extensive tutorial for developing applications with PHP and MySQL
* Includes coverage of how to install, administer, and design MySQL databases independently of PHP; exception and error handling; debugging techniques; PostgreSQL database system; and PEAR database functions
* The authors provide unique case studies of how and where to use PHP drawn from their own extensive Web experience

Great Book
The book was exactly as described. Is in great condition and saved me a bunch of money instead of buying it through my campus bookstore. Delivery was fast. Will order from them again.

Help - I’m in Purgatory reading this Bible
This book doesn’t give the nuts and bolts. There are no real examples, it’s all a bit esoteric for me. I have web experience and database experience, but this book hasn’t put it together.

I should have bought a "For Dummies" book.

Worth every penny
Most of the Bible series of books are worth the money you pay for them, and this one is no exception.

Good informative book, great for the beginner and a good read for the advanced.

Not good for reference, but then it isn’t supposed to be.

Not for beginners, but has some value
I purchased this book off the shelf before reading any reviews. I was looking for a specific solution for one of Viking Water’s clients, so I reviewed the books by looking through their indices. Of all the PHP books on a well-stocked shelf, this was the only one to tackle dynamic drop-down lists without using Java Script, which is my heartburn of the moment.

For anything complicated, we try to use PHP rather than Java Script to avoid the possible problems some browsers have with some of Java’s more esoteric features.

After reading through 1/4 of it (skimming in some cases), I agree with other reviewers that it may not be the best way to learn PHP from scratch. If you’re conversant with "C" or Perl, it can be a useful tool. However, if you’re new to programming this may not be the book for you since a lot of PHP is modeled on "C" and the authors unconsciously assume a basic familiarity with that language, even though they attempt to cater to the non-C programmer.

One of the interesting features of the book is that the authors often explain surrounding HTML code, even though the book assumes a familiarity with the HTML language. If you’re not an HTML guru, it will be nice to have the explanation right in front of you rather than having to haul out (or look up) your HTML reference. For instance: their explanation of the subtle difference between POST and GET would be very interesting to someone who is weak in that area.

One of the saving graces is that where the book fails to completely explain an instruction, PHP’s online manual is always available.

Poorly organized
I purchased this book off the shelf before reading any reviews. I was looking for a specific solution for one of Viking Water’s clients, so I reviewed the books by looking through their indices. Of all the PHP books on a well-stocked shelf, this was the only one to tackle dynamic drop-down lists, which is my heartburn of the moment.

After reading through 1/4 of it (skimming in some cases), I agree with other reviewers that it may not be the best way to learn PHP from scratch. If you’re conversant with "C" or Perl, it can be a slightly useful tool. However, if you’re new to programming this may not be the book for you since a lot of PHP is modeled on "C" and the authors unconsciously assume a basic familiarity with that language, even though they attempt to cater to the non-C programmer.

One of the interesting features of the book is that the authors often explain surrounding HTML code, even though the book assumes a familiarity with the HTML language. If you’re not an HTML guru, it will be nice to have the explanation right in front of you rather than having to haul out (or look up) your HTML reference. For instance: their explanation of the subtle difference between POST and GET would be very interesting to someone who is weak in that area.

However, the code examples are poorly commented which can make them difficult to follow if you are trying to learn the language(s) involved from scratch.

confusing book. Not well written, probably made in a hurry.
This book often uses concepts and code explained only in following chapters. I should have read the other (bad) reviews on Amazon before buying my copy in a library. Unfortunately I was in hurry. Now I am at page 202 and I am not sure whether I should continue or quit and wait 8 more days to get a better book.

confusing book. Not well written, probably made in a hurry.
This book often uses concepts and code explained only in following chapters. I should have read the other (bad) reviews on Amazon before buying my copy in a library. Unfortunately I was in hurry. Now I am at page 202 and I am not sure whether I should continue or quit and wait 8 more days to get a better book.

educational AND entertaining
This book is not meant to be a profound cache of code-snippets. Indeed there are some coding errors. I freely admit that I learned raw html "OJT" years ago, with little reason or time to learn anything more involved that wasn’t required of me. I was a designer, typesetter and layout hanger, not a programmer. I have no experience in C or in Java. Call me a programmer groupie, I have dozens of family, friends and acquaintances who program miracles daily in all different alleys while I play a "very aesthetic game of tiddleywinks". When I began getting clients who wanted websites that DID things instead of just glorified yellow-page ads, this "turkey" asked all of the "eagles" which way to turn -- they looked at what I needed and what paths that might lead to, and they all said PHP. I started playing around with canned PHP webapps about two years ago, and I quickly picked up how to install mods and then modify those same mods no sweat, but even with a few different sorts of PHP/MySQL in 24 hours, one week, etc. books -- I never really understood the WHY’s and HOW’s of the GUTS of those webapps [framework, huh?!], let alone how to create even the simplest of freestanding flat calls, all of which have recently begun to make my life SO much easier. I quickly learned that those 24 hours/one week/etc. style books are ALMOST STRICTLY made for folks with C and Java experience even though the books desperately claim otherwise. Why did I choose this book? Because a few friends of mine who have been working with PHP since near the beginning told me that this was one of the few version’d books that always has a worthwhile amount to offer both beginners and seasoned pro’s, as well as everyone in between. I actually started reading this one cover to cover, and was not the slightest bit disappointed in my investment. Let me clarify -- I actually COULD read this one cover to cover without wondering what magical decoder ring I was missing. Instead of a code snippet "Instant PHP" book, I finally wound up with one that I can look at the examples in the book, and without even trying the examples verbatim, write my own similar but original code for what *I* want to accomplish. I don’t know Jane Adams, I am not her banker, and I don’t know what I would do with her recipe database so 6 page long examples of how to code any of that to be used verbatim in 24 hours are of little value to me. Yes, the book jumps around -- there’s a heck of a lot to cover here! 1000+ pages might seem rather hefty, but it has been a godsend for me. Take the reviews however you will; I found it extremely educational AND entertaining, and having seen dog-earred copies in the offices of some of said "eagles" -- I am fairly certain there is some great stuff in here for PHP pro’s too. If you really feel the need, give it a few minutes at your local bookshop -- then come back to Amazon for the killer discount. You won’t be disappointed!

educational AND entertaining
This book is not meant to be a profound cache of code-snippets. Indeed there are some coding errors. I freely admit that I learned raw html "OJT" years ago, with little reason or time to learn anything more involved that wasn’t required of me. I was a designer, typesetter and layout hanger, not a programmer. I have no experience in C or in Java. Call me a programmer groupie, I have dozens of family, friends and acquaintances who program miracles daily in all different alleys while I play a "very aesthetic game of tiddleywinks". When I began getting clients who wanted websites that DID things instead of just glorified yellow-page ads, this "turkey" asked all of the "eagles" which way to turn -- they looked at what I needed and what paths that might lead to, and they all said PHP. I started playing around with canned PHP webapps about two years ago, and I quickly picked up how to install mods and then modify those same mods no sweat, but even with a few different sorts of PHP/MySQL in 24 hours, one week, etc. books -- I never really understood the WHY’s and HOW’s of the GUTS of those webapps [framework, huh?!], let alone how to create even the simplest of freestanding flat calls, all of which have recently begun to make my life SO much easier. I quickly learned that those 24 hours/one week/etc. style books are ALMOST STRICTLY made for folks with C and Java experience even though the books desperately claim otherwise. Why did I choose this book? Because a few friends of mine who have been working with PHP since near the beginning told me that this was one of the few version’d books that always has a worthwhile amount to offer both beginners and seasoned pro’s, as well as everyone in between. I actually started reading this one cover to cover, and was not the slightest bit disappointed in my investment. Let me clarify -- I actually COULD read this one cover to cover without wondering what magical decoder ring I was missing. Instead of a code snippet "Instant PHP" book, I finally wound up with one that I can look at the examples in the book, and without even trying the examples verbatim, write my own similar but original code for what *I* want to accomplish. I don’t know Jane Adams, I am not her banker, and I don’t know what I would do with her recipe database so 6 page long examples of how to code any of that to be used verbatim in 24 hours are of little value to me. Yes, the book jumps around -- there’s a heck of a lot to cover here! 1000+ pages might seem rather hefty, but it has been a godsend for me. Take the reviews however you will; I found it extremely educational AND entertaining, and having seen dog-earred copies in the offices of some of said "eagles" -- I am fairly certain there is some great stuff in here for PHP pro’s too. If you really feel the need, give it a few minutes at your local bookshop -- then come back to Amazon for the killer discount. You won’t be disappointed!

Worth Reading
As the other reviewers have stated, there are quite a few code errors. However, I was impressed by the content. The dialog within the book is comprehensive as well as enjoyable. This is not a dry manual. It does jump around, but with so much covered, there’s no correct navigational path to develop each topic in succession. I found it great to read the book, but create my own code based on examples found in the book. (Copying the code line by line didn’t help me. However, copying the general information contained really expanded my knowledge.) This is a book for beginner and intermediate programmers interested in PHP.

Worth Reading
As the other reviewers have stated, there are quite a few code errors. However, I was impressed by the content. The dialog within the book is comprehensive as well as enjoyable. This is not a dry manual. It does jump around, but with so much covered, there’s no correct navigational path to develop each topic in succession. I found it great to read the book, but create my own code based on examples found in the book. (Copying the code line by line didn’t help me. However, copying the general information contained really expanded my knowledge.) This is a book for beginner and intermediate programmers interested in PHP.

Indepth but Lacks something
First of I would like to say this is a great book and covers ALMOST everything for PHP. However it lacks something and that is continuity. Right from the start the book throughs are you extremely complex examples even for the form handling stuff. Which shows you how to make a newsletter manager.

This is not ideal for a beginner. I suggest you get other books, and use this to expand on points.

It does give you case studys at the end, but I do not feel they are explained enough. Buy other books, and if PHP still interests you get this. Otherwise leave it, you are not going to build interest by reading this book due to it being too complex.

Beginners guide.. NOT a bible.
This big chunk of a book has some very in-depth texts about PHP covering practically all areas of it’s use, unfortunately, I was mislead about the MySQL part and on the back of the book where it says "in-depth" unfortunately this isn’t so, infact, the only real information you’re going to get from the book regarding SQL is basic "joke of the day" databases and doesn’t even cover important areas like stored procedures, infact it has a paragraph saying you should look into stored procedures to speed up database access, I assume this to mean buy another book. Rule of thumb here is look to Addison Wesley books before even contemplating any other books, especially the bible series otherwise you will be disappointed when important features are left out, so the PHP side gets four stars but the book is dragged down by the lack of SQL information.

A third of the way through and thoroughly dissatisfied
This book has some good introduction to PHP and MySQL, but the examples are abhorrent, with some having obviously flawed conditional logic. If you get this you will be spending most of your time debugging the inherently flawed code. This is a real headache especially if it’s your first time doing things like self-submitting forms. What’s even worse is that the examples are barely elucidated and there is nothing on how to correctly setup example-specific MySQL tables, columns etc. Basically you are left to copying the examples and hoping to learn something whilst debugging because there is little or no info provided on the dynamics of the code.

A third of the way through and thoroughly dissatisfied
This book has some good introduction to PHP and MySQL, but the examples are abhorrent, with some having obviously flawed conditional logic. If you get this you will be spending most of your time debugging the inherently flawed code. This is a real headache especially if it’s your first time doing things like self-submitting forms. What’s even worse is that the examples are barely elucidated and there is nothing on how to correctly setup example-specific MySQL tables, columns etc. Basically you are left to copying the examples and hoping to learn something whilst debugging because there is little or no info provided on the dynamics of the code.

Nice book but not recommended
If you already are a programmer from another language this book is just fine but if you are a beginner stay away from it. You’re better off reading something from the WROX publishers to learn PHP and the MySQL Tutorial from MySQL AB.
This book covers a lot of PHP but the examples are awful and the layout of them are even worse.
Altough they recommend some coding standard, they unfortunately do not implent it in the examples themselves.
The chapters jump back and forth and if you like to know something about object orientated programming in PHP then stay away from this book. It will not teach you, but it is merely a explanation for C or Java programmers.
This is not really a PHP5 book, but a brushed up PHP4 book. The MySQL version examples are still 4.0, which suprices me as 4.1 is released at the same time as PHP5 and has some important changes regarding PHP. The authors of this book did only explain one chapter MySQL with MyISAM tables and there is nothing to be found for the InnoDB version.

Nice book but not recommended
If you already are a programmer from another language this book is just fine but if you are a beginner stay away from it. You’re better off reading something from the WROX publishers to learn PHP and the MySQL Tutorial from MySQL AB.
This book covers a lot of PHP but the examples are awful and the layout of them are even worse.
Altough they recommend some coding standard, they unfortunately do not implent it in the examples themselves.
The chapters jump back and forth and if you like to know something about object orientated programming in PHP then stay away from this book. It will not teach you, but it is merely a explanation for C or Java programmers.
This is not really a PHP5 book, but a brushed up PHP4 book. The MySQL version examples are still 4.0, which suprices me as 4.1 is released at the same time as PHP5 and has some important changes regarding PHP. The authors of this book did only explain one chapter MySQL with MyISAM tables and there is nothing to be found for the InnoDB version.

Dry, long winded, and not even funny..
Do not bother to get "PHP5 and MySQL Bible" unless you’re a complete PHP beginner.

The one OO chapter is not much more than is in the PHP manual. I got it and wish I hadn’t. Overall it’s long-winded and the humor is dry. Tons of useless chatter in between the information you really want.

I have read this book in whole and these are the facts as I know them.

Very thorough; easy to understand
While I’m not finished reading it all (over 1,000 pages) I have to say that I now understand PHP and MySQL so much better than before. I previously purchased the "Visual Quickstart Guide - PHP" and "Visual Quickpro Guide - Advanced PHP" but have to say this book is so much better. It goes through everything you need to know in seperate chapters and provides text on the why’s and how’s of PHP. For anyone who has tried taking the advice of many and "RTFM" but has become overwhelmed, this book is great. (I’m definitly not saying forget the online manual; it is essential.)

Thank you PHP5 and MySQL Bible.

First Review of PHP5 and MySQL Bible
This book is an excellent resource for PHP and MySQL with a very good chapter on Object Oriented Programming, project examples, and actual case studies. I would highly recommend this book for all developers who desire to sharpen their skills and start programming with the advanced techniques of the new version of PHP.

Great Starting Point
Purchased this book as a starting point for learning PHP and MySQL.

I’ve learnt other languages (some albeit unsuccessfully!), and have bought plenty of material to try and aid my learning to some degree. I turned to PHP and MySQL for my final year project at uni, and wanted an ’all in one’ book which will make sense to me from the beginning.

This book has been everything i’ve wanted it to be. Its given me a full briefing of the languages and where they came from, how they interact, how they compare to ASP, JScript, Oracle etc. If you want to learn these two languages in a clear and concise way, this is the book for you. I’ve read ’Sam’s Teach Yourself PHP in 24 hours’, and it didn’t have half as much information or help as this does.

If you’re in two minds bout this book, get it on this recommendation. You will not be disappointed.

Great Starting Point
Purchased this book as a starting point for learning PHP and MySQL.

I’ve learnt other languages (some albeit unsuccessfully!), and have bought plenty of material to try and aid my learning to some degree. I turned to PHP and MySQL for my final year project at uni, and wanted an ’all in one’ book which will make sense to me from the beginning.

This book has been everything i’ve wanted it to be. Its given me a full briefing of the languages and where they came from, how they interact, how they compare to ASP, JScript, Oracle etc. If you want to learn these two languages in a clear and concise way, this is the book for you. I’ve read ’Sam’s Teach Yourself PHP in 24 hours’, and it didn’t have half as much information or help as this does.

If you’re in two minds bout this book, get it on this recommendation. You will not be disappointed.