PHP is a simple and powerful open source scripting language that has become a big player in dynamic website development. It is a truly cross-platform language specifically designed to interface with databases. Over 16 million websites, from large corporate sites to small personal homepages, are using PHP to serve dynamic content. PHP’s popularity is enhanced by its built-in support for numerous databases, MySQL being one of the most accessible and widely used. Both PHP and MySQL are enthusiastically supported by large numbers of skilled web architects, programmers, developers, and designers. This book is a gentle introduction to creating powerful, database-driven, dynamic websites. It takes readers from the very basics of PHP scripting and SQL querying to intermediate-level topics such as OOP and use of PEAR. It is written in Ellie Quigley’s proven "Example/Output/Explanation" style, with hundreds of short, succinct example programs; screen shots showing program output; and clear, concise, line-by-line explanations of the example program code. It has been classroom tested in Quigley’s Silicon Valley training courses.

Quickly master dynamic, database-driven Web development?no experience necessary!

Even if you?re completely new to PHP, MySQL, and Web database development, this book will guide you through every step of building powerful, database-driven, dynamic Web sites. Direct from the world?s top scripting instructor, Ellie Quigley, PHP and MySQL by Example illuminates every concept with tested code examples, screen shots showing program output, and clear, line-by-line explanations.

Classroom-tested in Ellie Quigley?s Silicon Valley training courses and at Marko Gargenta?s Marakana training company in San Francisco, this book takes you from the simplest PHP scripting and SQL querying techniques all the way to dynamic, database driven Web site construction with PHP and MySQL. From simple fill-in forms to program security and debugging, it?s the only PHP/MySQL book you?ll ever need!

This book covers

• Complete PHP fundamentals, including operators, strings, conditionals, loops, arrays, functions, and more
• PHP QuickStart for more advanced readers?makes you productive with PHP in the space of just fifteen book pages
• Essential Web development techniques, from file handling to validating user input with regular expressions
• Powerful PHP features, including user-defined functions and self-processing PHP Forms
• Day-to-day MySQL administration
• A complete SQL tutorial for creating queries, retrieving data, and writing data with MySQL
• Session management and cookies
• Object Oriented PHP
• Best practices for using PHP and MySQL together

Nearly 100,000 professionals and power users have relied on Ellie Quigley?s books to master scripting languages. With PHP and MySQL by Example, you can, too. And once you?ve become an expert, you?ll turn to this book constantly as your go-to source for reliable answers, solutions, and code.

About the CD-ROM

The CD-ROM contains versions of PHP and MySQL for Windows and UNIX/Linux, plus a comprehensive code library for creating your own sites and database-enabled Web applications, including this book?s powerful Art Gallery case study application.

Lab Solutions

Solutions to the end-of-chapter labs are available at www.prenhallprofessional.com/title/0131875086.

Quickly master dynamic, database-driven Web development--no experience necessary! Even if you’re completely new to PHP, MySQL, and Web database development, this book will guide you through every step of building powerful, database-driven, dynamic Web sites. Direct from the world’s top scripting instructor, Ellie Quigley, PHP and MySQL by Example illuminates every concept with tested code examples, screen shots showing program output, and clear, line-by-line explanations. Classroom-tested in Ellie Quigley’s Silicon Valley training courses and at Marko Gargenta’s Marakana training company in San Francisco, this book takes you from the simplest PHP scripting and SQL querying techniques all the way to dynamic, database driven Web site construction with PHP and MySQL. From simple fill-in forms to program security and debugging, it’s the only PHP/MySQL book you’ll ever need!This book covers *Complete PHP fundamentals, including operators, strings, conditionals, loops, arrays, functions, and more *PHP QuickStart for more advanced readers--makes you productive with PHP in the space of just fifteen book pages *Essential Web development techniques, from file handling to validating user input with regular expressions *Powerful PHP features, including user-defined functions and self-processing PHP Forms *Day-to-day MySQL administration *A complete SQL tutorial for creating queries, retrieving data, and writing data with MySQL *Session management and cookies *Object Oriented PHP *Best practices for using PHP and MySQL together Nearly 100,000 professionals and power users have relied on Ellie Quigley’s books to master scripting languages.

With PHP and MySQL by Example, you can, too. And once you’ve become an expert, you’ll turn to this book constantly as your go-to source for reliable answers, solutions, and code.About the CD-ROM The CD-ROM contains versions of PHP and MySQL for Windows and UNIX/Linux, plus a comprehensive code library for creating your own sites and database-enabled Web applications, including this book’s powerful Art Gallery case study application. Lab Solutions Solutions to the end-of-chapter labs are available at www.prenhallprofessional.com/title/0131875086.

Ellie Quigley has taught scripting languages in Silicon Valley for more than twenty years. Her Perl and shell programming classes at the University of Santa Cruz Extension program have become part of Silicon Valley lore. Her best-selling books include UNIX® Shells by Example, Fourth Edition; Perl by Example, Third Edition; and Javascript by Example, all from Prentice Hall.

Marko Gargenta has worked as an e-commerce consultant and instructor since 1996. He has created the Marakana Ecommerce Seminar Series, consulted with Sun Microsystems Educational Services, and designed and delivered PHP and MySQL courses for OpNet Community Ventures and AcademyX. For more on Marko?s training company go to http://marakana.com.

Quickly master dynamic, database-driven Web development?no experience necessary!

Even if you?re completely new to PHP, MySQL, and Web database development, this book will guide you through every step of building powerful, database-driven, dynamic Web sites. Direct from the world?s top scripting instructor, Ellie Quigley, PHP and MySQL by Example illuminates every concept with tested code examples, screen shots showing program output, and clear, line-by-line explanations.

Classroom-tested in Ellie Quigley?s Silicon Valley training courses and at Marko Gargenta?s Marakana training company in San Francisco, this book takes you from the simplest PHP scripting and SQL querying techniques all the way to dynamic, database driven Web site construction with PHP and MySQL. From simple fill-in forms to program security and debugging, it?s the only PHP/MySQL book you?ll ever need!

This book covers

• Complete PHP fundamentals, including operators, strings, conditionals, loops, arrays, functions, and more
• PHP QuickStart for more advanced readers?makes you productive with PHP in the space of just fifteen book pages
• Essential Web development techniques, from file handling to validating user input with regular expressions
• Powerful PHP features, including user-defined functions and self-processing PHP Forms
• Day-to-day MySQL administration
• A complete SQL tutorial for creating queries, retrieving data, and writing data with MySQL
• Session management and cookies
• Object Oriented PHP
• Best practices for using PHP and MySQL together

Nearly 100,000 professionals and power users have relied on Ellie Quigley?s books to master scripting languages. With PHP and MySQL by Example, you can, too. And once you?ve become an expert, you?ll turn to this book constantly as your go-to source for reliable answers, solutions, and code.

About the CD-ROM

The CD-ROM contains versions of PHP and MySQL for Windows and UNIX/Linux, plus a comprehensive code library for creating your own sites and database-enabled Web applications, including this book?s powerful Art Gallery case study application.

Lab Solutions

Solutions to the end-of-chapter labs are available at www.prenhallprofessional.com/title/0131875086.

Quickly master dynamic, database-driven Web development—no experience necessary!

Even if you’re completely new to PHP, MySQL, and Web database development, this book will guide you through every step of building powerful, database-driven, dynamic Web sites. Direct from the world’s top scripting instructor, Ellie Quigley, PHP and MySQL by Example illuminates every concept with tested code examples, screen shots showing program output, and clear, line-by-line explanations.

Classroom-tested in Ellie Quigley’s Silicon Valley training courses and at Marko Gargenta’s Marakana training company in San Francisco, this book takes you from the simplest PHP scripting and SQL querying techniques all the way to dynamic, database driven Web site construction with PHP and MySQL. From simple fill-in forms to program security and debugging, it’s the only PHP/MySQL book you’ll ever need!

This book covers

• Complete PHP fundamentals, including operators, strings, conditionals, loops, arrays, functions, and more
• PHP QuickStart for more advanced readers—makes you productive with PHP in the space of just fifteen book pages
• Essential Web development techniques, from file handling to validating user input with regular expressions
• Powerful PHP features, including user-defined functions and self-processing PHP Forms
• Day-to-day MySQL administration
• A complete SQL tutorial for creating queries, retrieving data, and writing data with MySQL
• Session management and cookies
• Object Oriented PHP
• Best practices for using PHP and MySQL together

Nearly 100,000 professionals and power users have relied on Ellie Quigley’s books to master scripting languages. With PHP and MySQL by Example, you can, too. And once you’ve become an expert, you’ll turn to this book constantly as your go-to source for reliable answers, solutions, and code.

About the CD-ROM

The CD-ROM contains versions of PHP and MySQL for Windows and UNIX/Linux, plus a comprehensive code library for creating your own sites and database-enabled Web applications, including this book’s powerful Art Gallery case study application.

Lab Solutions

Solutions to the end-of-chapter labs are available at www.prenhallprofessional.com/title/0131875086.

File under "comedy"
Here’s everything you’ll ever need to know about the only PHP book you’ll ever need:

1. This isn’t it.

2. Zend has outsourced all of their online training nonsense to one of this book’s authors, so if you have any doubt as to whether or not his bountiful errors and omissions were worth paying $40 for, take care not to make the mistake of paying $1,000+ for more of the same.

3. All the 5 star reviews are fake.

Too many errors!
The book and cd code are error prone. The co-author writes a five star review trying to come off as an instructor in a php boot camp. Come on!! This book should not even have been published in this state.

Well Written, But Too Many Errors
I purchased this book for a class and have been going through the examples on my own. Several of the examples have typos that result in the example scripts not running. Some of the errors are as blatant as leaving out closing brackets on HTML tags. Others I still haven’t figured out. There is no errata online, which is disappointing.

A programming book written for beginners really needs to have extra proofing done by the author (a typical proofer in a publishing house wouldn’t understand the code and couldn’t catch errors) prior to being published, and it is clear that this book wasn’t proofed very well at all.

If it were not for the errors, I would recommend this book.

This book was not reviewed before printing
This book contains many, many, many errors. The book itself gives the URL for the publisher’s website, claiming the errata is posted there. It isn’t. Shame on the reviewers and on the editor for allowing this to go to print with so many mistakes.

On a positive note, finding and correcting the errors has helped me learn the material more thoroughly, and I’m finding there are some other great books out there on PHP and MySQL.

Dishonesty run wild
Is there no honor in Quigley or Prentice Hall? Two paid reviewers whose words and stars are bought and paid for, plus the co-author? How many of W.B.’s 3,400+ reviews are the result of reading any significant part of any book, or understanding the subject, or real objectivity?
How about the 31,000+ reviews by Midwest? And then the gall of the co-author? As buyers, we must treat these three and most positive reviews on this site like the statements of a street bum selling watches under his coat. In my opinion, the real word is `Fraud’.

As for the book itself, I agree with Mr. Cronin. The problems seem to increase as the book progresses. First printings seem to be getting worse due to inadequate editing. Although this is not the worst one I’ve seen, it is not good. If the author and publisher had spent as much money editing as they spent buying deceptive reviews, then maybe the book would be better. This book is very disappointing.

Do not buy this book, there are far better PHP books out there. Although a different approach and style, Ullman’s PHP for the WWW, and PHP and MySQL are pretty good and worth the money, time & effort. There are other good PHP / MySQL books, but Quigley’s book will probably never be one of them.

Having spent my valuable time with this book, I would never trust any positive review of it. I expect additional positive reviews may follow which are deceptive attempts to put a positive spin on this book. Do not trust any positive review of this or any book until you examine the reviewer.

Do not buy this deceptively promoted book. In my opinion, on honesty alone, it deserves zero stars. Don’t trust this author, publisher, or blindly believe positive reviews on this site.

Great layout but contains numerous errors and zero support.
I purchased this book for the retail price of $49.99 at my local bookstore. I did this based on the preface that states an errata, as well as the lab solutions, can be found online. Since I know all code books contain some errors, I usually look to see if these errors, when discovered, have been posted on the book’s site.

Well, even though the book states there there is an errata, truth and in fact, there isn’t. When I emailed the publisher they stated "Thank you for purchasing our book. I’m afraid we’ve not yet compiled an
errata. Would you be willing to share the errors you found with me, so
that I can inform the author?" Strike One.

The preface also states that the solutions to the labs, that usually end each chapter, can also be found online. Truth and in fact, only 4 of the labs can be found online while the other 10 or so are not posted. Strike Two.

The last problem I had with this book is the amount of errors. As I stated before I expect books to contain errors. We are all human and I hold no grudges for this. But to be honest, this book contains the most amount of errors I have ever seen. Did they have someone proof read this? The publisher told me "I apologize for the errors you’re finding, but I admit that in a first printing, which is what you have, this is not unusual." Strike Three.

I will say that the publisher did deliver excellent customer service, and while not refunding the money for this title, they promised to send another book based on the same subject. I have not received it as of today, but if I don’t by Friday, I’ll update this review.

As for the book itself. The first few chapters are done really well and explain to a beginner, like myself, the concepts of PHP. But when you move past Chpater 5 you start finding numerous errors, one of which had me thinking I did something wrong and spending over 2 hours trying to work it out. (The errors in the book are also on the CD-Rom files that come with it!)

This book has a lot of potential, but because this is the first printing I would suggest staying away until they either fix the errors or keep their word and publish the errata and lab solutions.

Oh yeah, and beware of the first review... isn’t he also the co-author? He might be a little bias.

Example-driven, to the point!
We purchased dozens of copies of this book and use it for our PHP and MySQL Bootcamp. This book is straight forward and loaded with real-world examples. Most of the examples can be used for actual websites right out of the book. The book also comes with a CD with all the code (though it’d be nice to have it online as well - not sure if they provide it).

Overall, highly recommended for anyone who prefers to learn by example.

Computer libraries strong in PHP5 or MYSQL need this.
If you’re a newcomer to PHP 5 and MYSQL and lack programming or database background, that shouldn’t keep you from benefitting from PHP and MYSQL By Example, which assumes no prior knowledge and starts from ground zero in instructions. Its ’by example’ system is the key to success, with chapters offering diagrams, charts, and plenty of visual examples. Computer libraries strong in PHP5 or MYSQL need this.

should give more discussion on PHP AND MySQL
Quigley’s book acknowledges a major usage of PHP. To write some kind of front end user interface program that hooks to a back end MySQL database. Both are free and open source, and the combination has proved popular. Especially where the front end involves making an HTML web page with embedded PHP commands.

Not every example involves both PHP and MySQL. Though all examples have PHP. Many demonstrate how to use PHP inside an HTML file. Like writing user-defined functions, or nesting functions. Or making or using function libraries. The functions are a key idea in PHP, that take you beyond the elementary syntax. Functions also let you gainfully use code by other PHP programmers. Important if you are part of a coding group that has to divide up the programming effort in some manner.

Actually, the book has a serious drawback. Despite the use of MySQL in the title, it is only relatively late in the book that you encounter MySQL. Chapters 13 and 14 give a quick guide to MySQL, as a standalone entity. Out of 17 chapters, it is only Chapters 15-17 that involve both PHP and MySQL. Perhaps the book should have a more extended discussion. To this ends, maybe some of the earlier chapters could have been shortened or dropped. Because the reader is getting a book mostly on pure PHP. I suggest that given the very title, it is a reasonable expectation of most readers that the book will devote most of its attention to both subjects. Especially when there is "and" in the title. Readers are programmers, and the "and" has a very precise meaning to them.