PHP and MySQL are quickly becoming the de facto standard for rapid development of dynamic, database driven web sites. If you’re a hobbyist who’s intimidated by harder to follow books, or someone who likes computer concepts explained in plain English, then Learning PHP and MySQL is for you. It’s also ideal for programming newbies who come from a web design or graphics design background and whose first language is HTML.

The book starts with the very basics of the PHP language, including arrays and strings, pattern matching, and a detailed discussion of the variances in different PHP versions. It then moves on to explain how to work with MySQL, the popular open source database, with information on the SQL data access language, and database fundamentals like tables and statements. Once you’ve grasped both PHP and MySQL concepts, the book will show you how to put them together to generate dynamic content. In the process, you will also learn about error handling, security, HTTP authentication, and be able to examine many real world examples of PHP & MySQL applications.

Explains how to build interactive Web sites with the PHP scripting language and the MySQL database.

Michele E. Davis has co-authored and authored over 11 books and has been a career writer since she sold her first poem to CRICKET magazine in second grade. She has an MFA in Writing from Hamline University and is always trying to improve her writing technique. Someday it will be perfect.

Jon A. Phillips is a software engineer who loves Open Source technology. He’s been working with web development and databases for over 12 years and is always exploring new technology. Additionally, he co-authored a Dreamweaver for Dummies book that came out July 2006.

Queries and code for Learning PHP & MySQL can be found at: http://www.krautgrrl.com/learningphp

The PHP scripting language and MySQL open source database are quite effective independently, but together they make a simply unbeatable team. When working hand-in-hand, they serve as the standard for the rapid development of dynamic, database-driven websites. This combination is so popular, in fact, that it’s attracting many programming newbies who come from a web or graphic design background and whose first language is HTML. If you fall into this ever-expanding category, then this book is for you.

Learning PHP and MySQL starts with the very basics of the PHP language, including strings and arrays, pattern matching and a detailed discussion of the variances in different PHP versions. Next, it explains how to work with MySQL, covering information on SQL data access for language and data fundamentals like tables and statements. Finally, after it’s sure that you’ve mastered these separate concepts, the book shows you how to put them together to generate dynamic content. In the process, you’ll also learn about error handling, security, HTTP authentication, and more.

If you’re a hobbyist who is intimidated by thick, complex computer books, then this guide definitely belongs on your shelf. Learning PHP and MySQL explains everything--from basic concepts to the nuts and bolts of performing specific tasks--in plain English.

Part of O’Reilly’s bestselling Learning series, the book is an easy-to-use resource designed specifically for newcomers. It’s also a launching pad for future learning, providing you with a solid foundation for more advanced development.

The PHP scripting language and MySQL open source database are quite effective independently, but together they make a simply unbeatable team. When working hand-in-hand, they serve as the standard for the rapid development of dynamic, database-driven websites. This combination is so popular, in fact, that it’s attracting many programming newbies who come from a web or graphic design background and whose first language is HTML. If you fall into this ever-expanding category, then this book is for you.

Learning PHP and MySQL starts with the very basics of the PHP language, including strings and arrays, pattern matching and a detailed discussion of the variances in different PHP versions. Next, it explains how to work with MySQL, covering information on SQL data access for language and data fundamentals like tables and statements. Finally, after it’s sure that you’ve mastered these separate concepts, the book shows you how to put them together to generate dynamic content. In the process, you’ll also learn about error handling, security, HTTP authentication, and more.

If you’re a hobbyist who is intimidated by thick, complex computer books, then this guide definitely belongs on your shelf. Learning PHP and MySQL explains everything--from basic concepts to the nuts and bolts of performing specific tasks--in plain English.

Part of O’Reilly’s bestselling "Learning" series, the book is an easy-to-use resource designed specifically for newcomers. It’s also a launching pad for future learning, providing you with a solid foundation for more advanced development.

In a word, "Terrible."
This book is terribly written. There are typos everywhere, both simple grammar typos and coding/logic typos. For a beginner to the material it is extremely nerve wracking to follow. Not only do the typos throw you for a loop, but it has no logical flow to the material. For example, they go over creating tables in Chapter 7, but you they don’t tell you how to use mysql until chapter 8. Then in the middle of chapter 8 (p 137) they tell you to create an NEW database, followed immediately by a section on how to manipulate a table (in this example, `books`) in that new database (p 138). Problem is, ERROR: there are no tables! You just created a new database and it is empty! The table they are referring to was used as an example to explain database concepts in Ch 7 (p 124).

I love(d) my O’Reilly books but I will NEVER buy another one blindly again. Even worse, I read review for the second edition and apparently not much if any of these major problems have been fixed.

I find it extremely hard to believe that anyone who gave this book a decent rating actually used this book to learn PHP & mySQL or even read it through.

In a word, "Terrible."
This book is terribly written. There are typos everywhere, both simple grammar typos and coding/logic typos. For a beginner to the material it is extremely nerve wracking to follow. Not only do the typos throw you for a loop, but it has no logical flow to the material. For example, they go over creating tables in Chapter 7, but you they don’t tell you how to use mysql until chapter 8. Then in the middle of chapter 8 (p 137) they tell you to create an NEW database, followed immediately by a section on how to manipulate a table (in this example, `books`) in that new database (p 138). Problem is, ERROR: there are no tables! You just created a new database and it is empty! The table they are referring to was used as an example to explain database concepts in Ch 7 (p 124).

I love(d) my O’Reilly books but I will NEVER buy another one blindly again. Even worse, I read review for the second edition and apparently not much if any of these major problems have been fixed.

I find it extremely hard to believe that anyone who gave this book a decent rating actually used this book to learn PHP & mySQL or even read it through.

A waste of $30 -- ALL NEWBS SHOULD AVOID!
I came to this book as a newbie, with some knowledge of HTML and CSS, and that’s about it. This book nearly killed my desire to learn PHP/MySQL.

The problems start early, in Chapter 2. The installation information is seriously flawed. Many of the links they point you to are dead. And even when I went to the book’s web site for an updated link, and followed the instructions to the letter, I still wasn’t in business. I googled to try to get help and stumbled across some other lost soul using this book, with exactly the same problem as me. Guess what? He was begging for help on a message board somewhere. I should have realized right then that this book was worthless. But I soldiered on.

I managed to get PHP and MySQL downloaded (though the connector was still not working), and started working on some of the PHP coding. I learned some PHP, sure, but it was a slow, slow process. Practical applications? Practice exercises? Clear explanations for inexperienced computer programmers - presumably the kind of people who would be buying a book like this? Rare or nonexistent.

I skipped ahead to the MySQL section, made it in a few pages, and then they recommended that I install PhpMyAdmin. Well, I did, and then I ran into the problem with the lack of connection between PHP and MySQL again. So I went back to Chapter 2, and wasted another hour of my life trying to figure out how to get the past the basic installation issues.

So, yeah, I paid $30 so I could figure it all out for myself. And I still haven’t. So thanks a lot, folks. You took $30 of my hard-earned money, and in return gave me several hours of aggravation.

I know the computer experts out there will laugh at this review - they always think they’re superior to newbs. But I know I’m not stupid. A better book will teach me the basics of PHP and MySQL, I just need to find it. This one is not newb-friendly. And if a how-to book isn’t newb-friendly, then as far as I’m concerned it ain’t worth a thing.

NEWBS BEWARE. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

A waste of $30 -- ALL NEWBS SHOULD AVOID!
I came to this book as a newbie, with some knowledge of HTML and CSS, and that’s about it. This book nearly killed my desire to learn PHP/MySQL.

The problems start early, in Chapter 2. The installation information is seriously flawed. Many of the links they point you to are dead. And even when I went to the book’s web site for an updated link, and followed the instructions to the letter, I still wasn’t in business. I googled to try to get help and stumbled across some other lost soul using this book, with exactly the same problem as me. Guess what? He was begging for help on a message board somewhere. I should have realized right then that this book was worthless. But I soldiered on.

I managed to get PHP and MySQL downloaded (though the connector was still not working), and started working on some of the PHP coding. I learned some PHP, sure, but it was a slow, slow process. Practical applications? Practice exercises? Clear explanations for inexperienced computer programmers - presumably the kind of people who would be buying a book like this? Rare or nonexistent.

I skipped ahead to the MySQL section, made it in a few pages, and then they recommended that I install PhpMyAdmin. Well, I did, and then I ran into the problem with the lack of connection between PHP and MySQL again. So I went back to Chapter 2, and wasted another hour of my life trying to figure out how to get the past the basic installation issues.

So, yeah, I paid $30 so I could figure it all out for myself. And I still haven’t. So thanks a lot, folks. You took $30 of my hard-earned money, and in return gave me several hours of aggravation.

I know the computer experts out there will laugh at this review - they always think they’re superior to newbs. But I know I’m not stupid. A better book will teach me the basics of PHP and MySQL, I just need to find it. This one is not newb-friendly. And if a how-to book isn’t newb-friendly, then as far as I’m concerned it ain’t worth a thing.

NEWBS BEWARE. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

A good read, but not without its flaws
I enjoyed this book. I felt like it did a good job introducing both PHP and MySQL without being overwhelming. However, I wasn’t so impressed with how it covered Object Oriented PHP, or how it introduced PEAR and Smarty.

For the most part, the OOP section seemed to be put in there as an after-thought. Also, the book switched gears pretty quickly between using the standard PHP libraries for getting things done, to using PEAR. And, there really wasn’t much of an explanation accompanying the inner-workings of Smarty - more of a "here’s the code, it does this" kind of an approach. What makes this so frustrating is that you learn a bunch of stuff earlier in the book that you don’t see being used in the later examples (or the big final example in Chapter 17, which I’ll address next).

The biggest let down I found was that if you followed the final example (Chapter 17 - building your own web app), it doesn’t even work. At first, I wrote it out myself from the code in the book, so I could follow along closely and try understand what was going on. It didn’t work, so I assumed my code was filled with typos. I registered on-line with O’Reilly and was able to access the book on their website. From there, I copied and pasted the scripts for the web app directly into the various .php and .tpl files on my machine, and made sure to name them exactly as they are named in the book. It still didn’t work!

There are inconsistencies in how scripts are named and referenced in other scripts. And the best part is that it doesn’t even include the script for logging out and ending your session, even though there is a link to it (logout.php) in the footer.tpl Smarty template file. I know it isn’t that difficult to make your logout script based on some of the scripts from the earlier chapters, but it’s still the fact that they leave out a whole part in the final example. Ultimately, I can’t help but wonder how difficult it would have been for the authors to verify that the website did what it was meant to do, before putting it in their book.

I know it sounds like I am giving this book a harsh review... However, I did truly enjoy it and that is why it is still getting 4/5 stars. The negative points I brought up were not enough to bring down the overall effectiveness of this book as a learner’s guide to PHP and MySQL, but definitely merits mentioning as a warning to potential readers/buyers.

A good read, but not without its flaws
I enjoyed this book. I felt like it did a good job introducing both PHP and MySQL without being overwhelming. However, I wasn’t so impressed with how it covered Object Oriented PHP, or how it introduced PEAR and Smarty.

For the most part, the OOP section seemed to be put in there as an after-thought. Also, the book switched gears pretty quickly between using the standard PHP libraries for getting things done, to using PEAR. And, there really wasn’t much of an explanation accompanying the inner-workings of Smarty - more of a "here’s the code, it does this" kind of an approach. What makes this so frustrating is that you learn a bunch of stuff earlier in the book that you don’t see being used in the later examples (or the big final example in Chapter 17, which I’ll address next).

The biggest let down I found was that if you followed the final example (Chapter 17 - building your own web app), it doesn’t even work. At first, I wrote it out myself from the code in the book, so I could follow along closely and try understand what was going on. It didn’t work, so I assumed my code was filled with typos. I registered on-line with O’Reilly and was able to access the book on their website. From there, I copied and pasted the scripts for the web app directly into the various .php and .tpl files on my machine, and made sure to name them exactly as they are named in the book. It still didn’t work!

There are inconsistencies in how scripts are named and referenced in other scripts. And the best part is that it doesn’t even include the script for logging out and ending your session, even though there is a link to it (logout.php) in the footer.tpl Smarty template file. I know it isn’t that difficult to make your logout script based on some of the scripts from the earlier chapters, but it’s still the fact that they leave out a whole part in the final example. Ultimately, I can’t help but wonder how difficult it would have been for the authors to verify that the website did what it was meant to do, before putting it in their book.

I know it sounds like I am giving this book a harsh review... However, I did truly enjoy it and that is why it is still getting 4/5 stars. The negative points I brought up were not enough to bring down the overall effectiveness of this book as a learner’s guide to PHP and MySQL, but definitely merits mentioning as a warning to potential readers/buyers.

Learning PHP and MySQL
PHP and MySQL are highly adaptive programs that can be used to create a variety of dynamic website potentials. Although fairly simple to use once you understand the basics, the learning curve on these programs is a little high at first. In order to use the capabilities, the user has to not only understand what the programs do and how they work together. However, probably the hardest part of the process is learning all the vocabulary associated with these systems.

Learning PHP & MySQL is a very good reference, especially for this latter challenge. The guide not only defines and explains each of the different concepts but gives examples that better illustrate these aspects while giving the user a glimpse into how they could use them for their own purposes. Especially for the more difficult sections, I really liked that I could replicate the code on my computer and see the results for myself. This aspect gave me a far better idea of how I could use these programs in conjunction to create the effects I want.

Learning PHP and MySQL
PHP and MySQL are highly adaptive programs that can be used to create a variety of dynamic website potentials. Although fairly simple to use once you understand the basics, the learning curve on these programs is a little high at first. In order to use the capabilities, the user has to not only understand what the programs do and how they work together. However, probably the hardest part of the process is learning all the vocabulary associated with these systems.

Learning PHP & MySQL is a very good reference, especially for this latter challenge. The guide not only defines and explains each of the different concepts but gives examples that better illustrate these aspects while giving the user a glimpse into how they could use them for their own purposes. Especially for the more difficult sections, I really liked that I could replicate the code on my computer and see the results for myself. This aspect gave me a far better idea of how I could use these programs in conjunction to create the effects I want.

should not have bought the book
The php part is ok. The mysql, cookie, security chapters are junk. I guess
even the writer does not know what he is talking about. I do not know where
he pulled those chapters from. As a consequence, I had to go to mysql online
tutorial to learn mysql.

My background is computer science so I donot think other readers can understand what the author is talking about.

should not have bought the book
The php part is ok. The mysql, cookie, security chapters are junk. I guess
even the writer does not know what he is talking about. I do not know where
he pulled those chapters from. As a consequence, I had to go to mysql online
tutorial to learn mysql.

My background is computer science so I donot think other readers can understand what the author is talking about.

should not have bought the book
The php part is ok. The mysql, cookie, security chapters are junk. I guess
even the writer does not know what he is talking about. I do not know where
he pulled those chapters from. As a consequence, I had to go to mysql online
tutorial to learn mysql.

My background is computer science so I donot think other readers can understand what the author is talking about.

should not have bought the book
The php part is ok. The mysql, cookie, security chapters are junk. I guess
even the writer does not know what he is talking about. I do not know where
he pulled those chapters from. As a consequence, I had to go to mysql online
tutorial to learn mysql.

My background is computer science so I donot think other readers can understand what the author is talking about.

Good intro into using PHP and MySQL
I am a long time programmer (15 years) and wanted to start a new project based on PHP scripts and a MySQL database. This book was quite helpfull in getting me started. It wasn’t necessary to read the entire book. I read those sections that were signifigant to what I needed. My background is very heavy on Enterprise products like SAS, Oracle, and DB2. The project I was working on didn’t require such huge resources so I picked up this book and setup a linux box with a LAMP configuration to get started.

The book is a good starting point. Paticularly important is the interaction between HTML and MySQL in PHP. You can get a lot of information on just PHP from the PHP documenation. The best value I got out of the book was learning about the interaction between PHP and MySQL.

Good intro into using PHP and MySQL
I am a long time programmer (15 years) and wanted to start a new project based on PHP scripts and a MySQL database. This book was quite helpfull in getting me started. It wasn’t necessary to read the entire book. I read those sections that were signifigant to what I needed. My background is very heavy on Enterprise products like SAS, Oracle, and DB2. The project I was working on didn’t require such huge resources so I picked up this book and setup a linux box with a LAMP configuration to get started.

The book is a good starting point. Paticularly important is the interaction between HTML and MySQL in PHP. You can get a lot of information on just PHP from the PHP documenation. The best value I got out of the book was learning about the interaction between PHP and MySQL.

Great condition as promised
Book was received in a timely manor and condition as promised.

Great condition as promised
Book was received in a timely manor and condition as promised.

Wrong book for me, right book for some
I knew I had picked up the wrong book when, in the first or second chapter, the authors said that variable types didn’t matter and that they wouldn’t bother covering them until late in the book. Admittedly, I can see their point, but the way the statement was written made it apparent that they were aiming this at HTML authors and other people with little to no real programming experience. If you want to pick up the PHP language and already have experience with a real programming language or two, you’d be better off picking up something else. If not, this book actually would be a good way to get started. Recommended for people with little to no programming experience.

Wrong book for me, right book for some
I knew I had picked up the wrong book when, in the first or second chapter, the authors said that variable types didn’t matter and that they wouldn’t bother covering them until late in the book. Admittedly, I can see their point, but the way the statement was written made it apparent that they were aiming this at HTML authors and other people with little to no real programming experience. If you want to pick up the PHP language and already have experience with a real programming language or two, you’d be better off picking up something else. If not, this book actually would be a good way to get started. Recommended for people with little to no programming experience.

A good book but with many typos
I have enjoyed this book and it is very well written with enough to get you going. However there are a lot of typos in the book. Most of them are easily ignorable such as a space omitted in an unimportant area or a simple hit of the wrong key. Generally you can ignore it and there is no problem with understanding the material.

Although Table 8-5 is pretty much useless (I haven’t checked others). Just by making a simple string I found 4 mistakes and had to resort to web resources to get the right date strings.

Overall I wouldn’t base my decision on that alone as it is a good book. I’m not unfamiliar with programing so learning the php was just learning the syntax. I however had never touched mySQL in my life before this and the book made it quite painfully clear.

A good book but with many typos
I have enjoyed this book and it is very well written with enough to get you going. However there are a lot of typos in the book. Most of them are easily ignorable such as a space omitted in an unimportant area or a simple hit of the wrong key. Generally you can ignore it and there is no problem with understanding the material.

Although Table 8-5 is pretty much useless (I haven’t checked others). Just by making a simple string I found 4 mistakes and had to resort to web resources to get the right date strings.

Overall I wouldn’t base my decision on that alone as it is a good book. I’m not unfamiliar with programing so learning the php was just learning the syntax. I however had never touched mySQL in my life before this and the book made it quite painfully clear.

beginner posion
I’ve been a long time customer of O’Reilly books. My experience has been that their authors are usually both competent programmers and writers. That said, this books has some serious problems. I would not recommend it to anyone, especially a beginner. It is full of code that has been deprecated since at least 2004(meaning code that may not be in future versions of php), typos, and the HTML appears to be HTML 4.01 when it approaches being valid at all. The last thing someone new to programming needs is to learn outdated practices.

beginner posion
I’ve been a long time customer of O’Reilly books. My experience has been that their authors are usually both competent programmers and writers. That said, this books has some serious problems. I would not recommend it to anyone, especially a beginner. It is full of code that has been deprecated since at least 2004(meaning code that may not be in future versions of php), typos, and the HTML appears to be HTML 4.01 when it approaches being valid at all. The last thing someone new to programming needs is to learn outdated practices.

An easy introduction
If you want to do "something" using PHP and MySQL, and you don’t know anything about these tools, this book will help you a lot!
You will find everything you need to a quick start.

I recommend it !

An easy introduction
If you want to do "something" using PHP and MySQL, and you don’t know anything about these tools, this book will help you a lot!
You will find everything you need to a quick start.

I recommend it !

A straightforward guide to PHP and MySQL
I like this book because it was an easy step by step introduction to PHP and MySQL. New features are introduced one at a time so I didn’t feel overloaded. This book also has many demonstrations using real life examples of situations where PHP and MySQL would be used. This book also shows how to properly setup Apache, PHP and MySQL. What I really admired was the easy to read language of this book that makes it useful both as a reference and as a book to read straight through.

I thought the book was biased towards Windows, as the setup section goes in depth on the Windows environment. I would have preferred a more even handed approach that also covers the Unix-like environment.

The book also uses some special PHP modules, PHP Smarty and PHP Pear. Personally, I was turned off by the book’s use of these. I would have preferred that the book use entirely standard PHP. Considering that this is an introductory book, I think using object oriented modules is too much.

A straightforward guide to PHP and MySQL
I like this book because it was an easy step by step introduction to PHP and MySQL. New features are introduced one at a time so I didn’t feel overloaded. This book also has many demonstrations using real life examples of situations where PHP and MySQL would be used. This book also shows how to properly setup Apache, PHP and MySQL. What I really admired was the easy to read language of this book that makes it useful both as a reference and as a book to read straight through.

I thought the book was biased towards Windows, as the setup section goes in depth on the Windows environment. I would have preferred a more even handed approach that also covers the Unix-like environment.

The book also uses some special PHP modules, PHP Smarty and PHP Pear. Personally, I was turned off by the book’s use of these. I would have preferred that the book use entirely standard PHP. Considering that this is an introductory book, I think using object oriented modules is too much.

good basic book, but lots of errors and typos
It’s a good basic overview, but the errors in the code snips are just too frustrating. I bought it because it was recently published (2006). But trying to get PEAR to work (DB.php has been superseded by MDB2.php) and even the simple form were exercises in futility.

If you do use it get an AMP package (google: Uniform Server) and skip the install section. You’d think O’Reilly could include and AMP stack on a CD in the book and use that 20 pages for another exercise

good basic book, but lots of errors and typos
It’s a good basic overview, but the errors in the code snips are just too frustrating. I bought it because it was recently published (2006). But trying to get PEAR to work (DB.php has been superseded by MDB2.php) and even the simple form were exercises in futility.

If you do use it get an AMP package (google: Uniform Server) and skip the install section. You’d think O’Reilly could include and AMP stack on a CD in the book and use that 20 pages for another exercise

Reurned for a refund
There are two problems with this book. First of all it’s filled with typos, both in the text and in the sample codes. The typos in the text made me laugh (its vs. it’s type stuff), those in the codes made me cry. There are entire lines in some codes or screen ouputs that clearly do not belong there (take a look at page 126, about a third of the way into the page there’s a line that goes --> ,"Aaron Weber"); <-- . Clearly, this line serves no purpose on its own and it was accidentally cut and paste from the end of the following line. Just too many typos, within 10 pages I had lost my confidence in this book. Secondly (and more importantly), this is NOT a beginner’s book. It attempts to educate the reader on PHP and MySQL, and fails at both. For instance, the book never once mentions something as basic as the difference between echo and print in PHP. Then there’s the instructions on installing phpMyAdmin on page 140, specifically item 6. I know nothing about MySQL so I have no idea how to "set the hostname, etc. of my database in the config.inc.php file". Thanks for nothing. In summary, if you’re a beginner, you may think you’ve learned PHP and MySQL upon reading this book, and in fact you’ll just be confused, and if you already know them, then why on earth would you use this simplistic book? I’ve returned my copy for a refund. By the way, I saw that one of the positive reviews below was posted on the book’s blog site. Let’s see if mine makes it.

Reurned for a refund
There are two problems with this book. First of all it’s filled with typos, both in the text and in the sample codes. The typos in the text made me laugh (its vs. it’s type stuff), those in the codes made me cry. There are entire lines in some codes or screen ouputs that clearly do not belong there (take a look at page 126, about a third of the way into the page there’s a line that goes --> ,"Aaron Weber"); <-- . Clearly, this line serves no purpose on its own and it was accidentally cut and paste from the end of the following line. Just too many typos, within 10 pages I had lost my confidence in this book. Secondly (and more importantly), this is NOT a beginner’s book. It attempts to educate the reader on PHP and MySQL, and fails at both. For instance, the book never once mentions something as basic as the difference between echo and print in PHP. Then there’s the instructions on installing phpMyAdmin on page 140, specifically item 6. I know nothing about MySQL so I have no idea how to "set the hostname, etc. of my database in the config.inc.php file". Thanks for nothing. In summary, if you’re a beginner, you may think you’ve learned PHP and MySQL upon reading this book, and in fact you’ll just be confused, and if you already know them, then why on earth would you use this simplistic book? I’ve returned my copy for a refund. By the way, I saw that one of the positive reviews below was posted on the book’s blog site. Let’s see if mine makes it.

Too many errors!
I returned the book for a refund. The book contains too many errors! The installation instructions in Chapter 2, contain so many errors that I lost all confidence in the remaining sections. If you purchase this book, good luck getting past the installation...

I’d give it 0 stars if I could!

Too many errors!
I returned the book for a refund. The book contains too many errors! The installation instructions in Chapter 2, contain so many errors that I lost all confidence in the remaining sections. If you purchase this book, good luck getting past the installation...

I’d give it 0 stars if I could!

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Do you want to know how to create dynamic web sites? If you do, then this book is for you. Authors Michele E. Davis and Jon A. Phillips, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how programming, templating and databases work.

Davis and Phillips, begin by showing you how PHP handles simple text, and then moves on to basic decision making. Then, the authors discuss expressions and statements. Next, they introduce you to some basic database structure so that you have an understanding of databases. They also show you how to connect to the MySQL database using the client tools that come with MySQL. The authors then continue by showing you how to connect to a MySQL server from PHP. Then, they show you how to start working on some of the more common tasks that you’ll perform when writing PHP programs. Next, the authors show you how to perform more complicated database tasks from PHP. They also explore your options for validating form data before a form submission. Finally, the authors arm you with numerous resources that can help you during your PHP and MySQL journey.

This most excellent book will walk you through many challenges. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll be able to design new features and let you imagination run wild!

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Do you want to know how to create dynamic web sites? If you do, then this book is for you. Authors Michele E. Davis and Jon A. Phillips, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how programming, templating and databases work.

Davis and Phillips, begin by showing you how PHP handles simple text, and then moves on to basic decision making. Then, the authors discuss expressions and statements. Next, they introduce you to some basic database structure so that you have an understanding of databases. They also show you how to connect to the MySQL database using the client tools that come with MySQL. The authors then continue by showing you how to connect to a MySQL server from PHP. Then, they show you how to start working on some of the more common tasks that you’ll perform when writing PHP programs. Next, the authors show you how to perform more complicated database tasks from PHP. They also explore your options for validating form data before a form submission. Finally, the authors arm you with numerous resources that can help you during your PHP and MySQL journey.

This most excellent book will walk you through many challenges. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll be able to design new features and let you imagination run wild!

Stepping up to a database driven website
This book delivers on it’s title "Learning PHP & MySQL". I find it helpful to have a range of books on PHP. This is a book I’ll go to when I need to go back to basics. I recommend it for anyone looking to take the step from static HTML to a database driven website.

Stepping up to a database driven website
This book delivers on it’s title "Learning PHP & MySQL". I find it helpful to have a range of books on PHP. This is a book I’ll go to when I need to go back to basics. I recommend it for anyone looking to take the step from static HTML to a database driven website.

Frustrating, Dry and packed with Typo’s
This book is hard work. It is poorly written and confusing. The organisation is good, but the style is explanatory rather than practical, with short examples that for a newcomer like me are very difficult to translate to practical code.

It is a dry textbook, introducing concepts without expanding on them, and packed full of confusing typos. There are even typos in the Installation section, meaning that if you follow the letter of this book you will never even get past Chapter 2.

Example: Having told you to copy a file called "php2apache2.dll" into C:/php, it then asks you edit a file called httpd.conf to "un-comment out" a line reading: "LoadModule php5_module C:/php/php5apache2.dll".
Firstly, the line doesn’t exist in my file, so it should say "type this in", and secondly the two file names conflict!

If you are very savvy with windows .dll files and editing server config files in notepad, go ahead, but for all the html/css web designers looking for a quick way into php for database-driven websites - AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!

Learning PHP and MySQL
If you have some experience in web development but are new to these technologies, this is a fine, clear, efficient primer to absorb and springboard from.

Learning PHP and MySQL
If you have some experience in web development but are new to these technologies, this is a fine, clear, efficient primer to absorb and springboard from.

Serriously flawed
I found this book to be seriously flawed in the following ways:
1.) The installation instructions contain many errors from bad URLs, to steps out of order, to downright errors and confusion surrounding which version of PHP is actually being installed and how. You would be much better off Googling for a tutorial on the subject.
2.) Certain topics are mentioned, but then totally glossed over. I am left wondering if a lot of information wasn’t cut from the book without removing the "teasers" that promise coverage of a topic.
Simply put, I just do not believe a technical editor ever read through this book, and it is definitely not up to O’Reilly’s typically high standards.
I hope this helps.

Serriously flawed
I found this book to be seriously flawed in the following ways:
1.) The installation instructions contain many errors from bad URLs, to steps out of order, to downright errors and confusion surrounding which version of PHP is actually being installed and how. You would be much better off Googling for a tutorial on the subject.
2.) Certain topics are mentioned, but then totally glossed over. I am left wondering if a lot of information wasn’t cut from the book without removing the "teasers" that promise coverage of a topic.
Simply put, I just do not believe a technical editor ever read through this book, and it is definitely not up to O’Reilly’s typically high standards.
I hope this helps.

Some of the foundation is good, but with problematic gaps
I am a newbie to MySQL/PHP. Truly. Many reviews of the O’Reilly series clearly have extensive backgrounds in programming. I do not: I had a little HTML under my belt, that’s it.

The book does do an excellent job explaining what Apache, MySQL, and PHP are and how they interact. The author does a good job explaining PHP syntax and MYSQL as well. But, if you pick this book up as a beginner with a specific project in mind, you may have trouble figuring out how what your are learning relates to what you want to do. That’s the joy of being a newbie. Using this book along with something like the Nutshell books, which are reference books, will speed things along.

The installation section in this book--for the true beginner--was a huge let down. This section assumes knowledge that many people who are diving headlong into this may not know. If your Apache installation goes wrong (and mine did), the author simply tells you to redo the section. I quintuple checked my configuration instructions: everything was as instructed. And you get PHP and MySQL to work if Apache isn’t working.

Ultimately, I tried both of the all-in-one installations of AMP: XAMPP and wampserver, which preserved my ability to proceed forward.

Some of the foundation is good, but with problematic gaps
I am a newbie to MySQL/PHP. Truly. Many reviews of the O’Reilly series clearly have extensive backgrounds in programming. I do not: I had a little HTML under my belt, that’s it.

The book does do an excellent job explaining what Apache, MySQL, and PHP are and how they interact. The author does a good job explaining PHP syntax and MYSQL as well. But, if you pick this book up as a beginner with a specific project in mind, you may have trouble figuring out how what your are learning relates to what you want to do. That’s the joy of being a newbie. Using this book along with something like the Nutshell books, which are reference books, will speed things along.

The installation section in this book--for the true beginner--was a huge let down. This section assumes knowledge that many people who are diving headlong into this may not know. If your Apache installation goes wrong (and mine did), the author simply tells you to redo the section. I quintuple checked my configuration instructions: everything was as instructed. And you get PHP and MySQL to work if Apache isn’t working.

Ultimately, I tried both of the all-in-one installations of AMP: XAMPP and wampserver, which preserved my ability to proceed forward.

Excellent resource for learning the basics
Learning PHP & MySQL is a detailed guide to building a database-driven web site. The authors do an excellent job of starting from the beginning, assuming no prior knowledge of either PHP or MySQL. In fact the only assumptions that the authors seem to make is that you have a very basic understanding of HTML. After working through the book and the detailed examples anyone should be able to write basic programs the meet common needs as well as create and interface with a MySQL database. Some of the programming areas covered in the book include decision making, working with arrays, using functions, database design fundamentals (missing in most books), getting PHP to talk to MySQL, modifying objects and data, and security. At the end of the book the reader ends up with a complete example application.

The authors section on creating a MySQL database and working with it is excellent and truly reads easy to those not familiar with MySQL at all. This is the best introductory text for implementing PHP and MySQL that I have read. If you are already familiar with both PHP and MySQL then you will probably prefer another text but if you are new to them this is a text you should seriously consider as one of the best teaching tools and first forays into the field. Learning PHP & MySQL is very highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn the basics of using this very powerful combination to create a database-driven dynamic website.

Excellent resource for learning the basics
Learning PHP & MySQL is a detailed guide to building a database-driven web site. The authors do an excellent job of starting from the beginning, assuming no prior knowledge of either PHP or MySQL. In fact the only assumptions that the authors seem to make is that you have a very basic understanding of HTML. After working through the book and the detailed examples anyone should be able to write basic programs the meet common needs as well as create and interface with a MySQL database. Some of the programming areas covered in the book include decision making, working with arrays, using functions, database design fundamentals (missing in most books), getting PHP to talk to MySQL, modifying objects and data, and security. At the end of the book the reader ends up with a complete example application.

The authors section on creating a MySQL database and working with it is excellent and truly reads easy to those not familiar with MySQL at all. This is the best introductory text for implementing PHP and MySQL that I have read. If you are already familiar with both PHP and MySQL then you will probably prefer another text but if you are new to them this is a text you should seriously consider as one of the best teaching tools and first forays into the field. Learning PHP & MySQL is very highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn the basics of using this very powerful combination to create a database-driven dynamic website.