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Sitepoint PHP and MySQLApril 20, 2006 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Sitepoint (both the books and the website) is an excellent resource for quick learning of the latest and greatest in web development technologies, and this book proves it. Very clearly written and easy reading; a practical, hands-on tutorial. Provides everything necessary to develop and serve up a top-notch website backed by a powerful database.
Very good introductionSeptember 14, 2005 25 out of 25 found this review helpful
Author Kevin Yank states up front that this book is intended for intermediate- to advanced-level Web designers. I think this is an appropriate designation, as a beginner would quickly become overwhelmed at the rate with which Yank introduces such heady topics as Relational Database Design (Chapter 5) and Regular Expressions (Chapter 7). It's important to note that this book is an introduction to server-side technologies, not web site design; therefore, I recommend that the reader have experience with creating web sites and with client-side coding (HTML, JavaScript). Consider the pace: Chapters 1-3 of the book cover installation, your first MySQL database, and your first PHP page. Then by Chapter 6, the reader is coding a (admittedly rudimentary) content-management system!
Is this book for you? Consider that for the price, you get a basic introduction to a broad number of topics: 1) PHP installation, 2) MySQL installation, 3) relational database design, 4) using server-side programming to reduce client-side coding, 5) database administration, 6) writing effective SQL queries, 7) structured programming techniques, such as using includes, and 8) implementing cookies and sessions. If you are already comfortable with at least half of the topics in this list, then you are probably ready to graduate to a more in-depth book than this one. If much of this sounds new to you, then you will find Yank's book an excellent introduction. Yank writes as if he was a friendly tour guide, at each step of the way walking you through what he has done and why he chose to do it that way. Because the style is so conversational, it's easy to go back and re-read a chapter, which many readers might find themselves doing.
While the cover of the 3rd Edition (February 2005 update) goes at length to point out that the book covers PHP5, there is negligible content that goes beyond PHP4.x. None of the coding, and none of the author's discussions on effective programming techniques, addresses OO programming at all, let alone how it's implemented in PHP5. This is not necessarily a negative aspect of the book since, again, it's essentially an introduction. Just don't let the packaging fool you into thinking you're getting more than you actually are.
For me, the primary value of a book like this is in the initial chapter, where it provides all of the necessary steps for installing PHP and MySQL in one place. While the online documentation for both technologies is excellent, I have found that it can be confusing to switch back and forth between the two sites to get your own set-up installed and configured. If you're like me and must add Apache installation to the process, it only compounds the problem. Yank provides clear instructions for Windows and Linux users, with a nod to Mac X users, on installation and post-installation tasks.
Mainly for this information, this book is an excellent way to get started with server-side technology, but it is not at all suitable for production purposes. As with any server or server-side technology, security is a major and much-debated topic of concern with PHP and MySQL. Yank does address some of the basic methods of protecting a MySQL server from attacks, including how to password-protect the root user account and how to grant only necessary access to new users. I'm sure many PHP programmers will argue with Yank's recommendation that PHP's "Magic Quotes" feature be left On, since turning it Off "exposes you to hackers attempting SQL injection attacks on your Website if you are not very careful to write scripts that protect themselves from such malicious behavior" (p. 24). Mind you, he is simply quoting the recommendation at php.net, since the On setting is recommended for beginners, but it points out why this book is not suitable for production-ready applications. Yank does provide abundant footnotes for the reader to find more detailed information, including the online documentation at www.php.net and www.mysql.com.
Yank very often invites the reader to consult the forums at [...] for further information and advice. Do not construe this as a mere marketing ploy. The SitePoint forums are indeed an excellent resource, with an active and often well-experienced audience.
All of the code listed in the book is available as a download from [...]. Simply provide your e-mail address, then you will be prompted with a question that you can answer only if you have the book in front of you.
Great place to start when diving into the topicFebruary 9, 2005 24 out of 24 found this review helpful
This book is for those who like step-by-step directions accompanied by explanations of how things work. I learned many things using this approach. This book is a stepping stone to creating dynamic Web sites.
Yank does a fine job covering a little of everything without overpowering the reader with too much. Anyone who has experimented with Perl, PHP, ASP.NET, MySQl, Access, some of them or all of them will like the book. Those who can write PHP and MySQL with little help need to find a more advanced book (don't have suggestions, but I am sure others do).
I rarely ran into problems while following the examples. I've worked with other technical books and hit a brick wall at times requiring a call for help or serious research. While working with this book, I only got stuck once and immediately figured out the problem with a little research.
Yank uses visual aids and avoids jargon when explaining the process of laying out the database tables. A reviewer commented that Yank missed important concepts regarding databases. This book is not meant to go into such details. There are other books for that.
This book is well-rounded in covering all the necessary components of building a Web site using a database. While adding data, viewing tables, and querying the database, you're learning tasks that will come in handy for future projects.
Not only do you get instructions for PHP and MySQL, but also advice on structuring code so that it's used effectively.
If you've never installed Apache, PHP, or MySQL or can't recall how to do it, the steps for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X are in the first chapter. Since the latest edition covers PHP 5, the author addresses the differences in PHP 4.3. When working on the first PHP script, there is no "Hello World!" for a change.
The early chapters provide a good overview of PHP and MySQL. By Chapter 4, the contents of the earlier chapters are integrated as the backend database connects to the Web page with PHP. The next chapters show how to use forms to manage, add, delete, edit, and search data. By midpoint, the reader has designed a database, organized it, created Web pages for the data, added administration pages, and administered the database. Yank also explains how to generate cookies and build a simple shopping cart.
The appendices include MySQL syntax, functions, column types, and PHP functions to use with MySQL. The book has an accompanying Web site that includes errata and four free sample chapters. Having edited a few tech books, I know how easy it is to miss things when you're working on different computer set ups and application versions. Check the site especially since it has the code from the book. When running into problems, compare your code to the code from the site.
One chapter has a challenge along with the solution (a couple of pages later, so you're not tempted to peek). Having a challenge like this in most chapters, I believe, would help cement the learning. Overall, it will make the purchaser happy.
The four free sample chapters give you a good idea of what the book is about and its style .
Highly recommended to beginnersJanuary 25, 2005 16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Before I read this book I knew very little about PHP and MySQL. I had dabbled a little in ASP many years ago but foremost I'm a designer so coding isn't always second nature to me. I started reading this book on the train to work and again on the way back; after 2 hours reading I had the confidence to try to build my own basic content management system!
At just over 250 pages the book is rather on the small side compared to a lot of the other books on the topic, but it really does contain all the essentials. It also encourages you to think for yourself and it really helped me understand how simple PHP and MySQL really is.
This book is very much aimed at the beginner who hasn't dabbled before so I doubt it's of much use to established PHPers, but to newcomers to the field I can't recommend this book enough.
A great overview of of a complex processJanuary 3, 2005 7 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a great book for someone getting started in serving up dynamic webpages. It provides an excellent introduction to PHP and MySQL (including installation) and how to make them work together. The power user will want to go on to other resources, but this one will get you over the startup hump.
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