PHP and MySQL Web Development (3rd Edition) (With CD-ROM)

Author: Will Shao Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The "bible" of PHP and MySQL web development! We have never purchased such an excellent programming book. This book is rich in information, easy to grasp, and provides the best examples compared to other computer books I have purchased. The language is simple and easy to understand." — Nick Landman "The books written by Welling and Thomson for Sams Publishing are the only indispensable books I have found. The language is clear and intuitive, and it never wastes my time. The book is well-structured. The chapters are appropriately sized, and the titles are clear." — Wright Sullivan, Chairman, A "This book combines PHP development with MySQL applications, providing in-depth and easy-to-understand analyses of both PHP and MySQL. It not only introduces the general concepts of PHP and MySQL but also comprehensively explains their web applications, including several classic and practical examples. This is the third edition, which has been fully updated, rewritten, and expanded, including the new features of PHP5 — the new object model, better exception handling, and SimpleXML; as well as the new features of MySQL5, such as stored procedures and storage engines. PHP is the acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, a widely used open-source (Open Source) multipurpose scripting language. It can be embedded in HTML and is particularly suitable for web development. However, the functionality of PHP is not limited to this. It can also be used as a server-side scripting language, command-line scripting, or even a client-side GUI application development language. Today, PHP can run on all mainstream operating systems and most web servers. Its ease of use, high performance, close integration with the Apache web server, and a large number of application building blocks make it one of the leading web application development languages. MySQL is a very fast, robust relational database management system (RDBMS). It is a database that allows you to efficiently store, search, sort, and retrieve data. The MySQL server can control your access to the data, ensuring that only authenticated users can access it. Therefore, MySQL is a multi-user, multi-threaded server that uses the industry-supported standard database query language SQL (Structured Query Language). Since 1996, MySQL has been officially released, but its development history can be traced back to 1979. Today, MySQL has won the Reader's Choice Award from the Linux Journal magazine. Written by Laura Thomson and Luke Welling, this third edition of PHP and MySQL Web Development (Chinese edition: PHP and MySQL Web Development Guide) has been published. Just as Thinking in Java is a "bible" for Java, this book is a treasure trove for database-oriented web application development using PHP and MySQL. The language is easy to understand, and the structure is clear and logical. It introduces step-by-step how to use PHP and MySQL for database-oriented web application development: PHP language, MySQL server, e-commerce basics, security issues, and practical examples. This provides a reasonable learning curve for entry-level programmers who want to engage in PHP and MySQL web development. The PHP introduced in this book is the newest version, 5.0. It provides a detailed introduction to the history and current state of PHP, as well as its features and functions as a procedural and object-oriented language, including an introduction to the new features of PHP5, such as improvements in object-oriented programming. This is basic introductory knowledge for readers who are not familiar with object-oriented languages. The MySQL introduced in this book is also the newest version, 4.0. Considering that readers may be unfamiliar with database theory, the book also includes two chapters that provide a detailed introduction to relational database fundamentals and SQL language. When introducing MySQL, the authors also follow a learning curve that gradually deepens from simple to complex. First, they introduce the features of the MySQL database, then advanced applications of MySQL, which are closely related to real-world development, including an in-depth introduction to the MySQL permission system, a comprehensive analysis of MySQL security issues, and some performance optimization problems that developers often struggle with. After providing a detailed introduction to PHP and MySQL, the book moves into the most distinctive and valuable part: the practical section. What applications can be created by combining PHP and MySQL? The answer is clear: e-commerce. Before diving into e-commerce website development using PHP and MySQL, the authors provide a detailed introduction to the basic features of e-commerce websites and the security issues that need special attention. In the section on e-commerce security in this book, readers can learn almost all website security concepts and techniques. This is an invaluable manual for website developers who are not yet experienced. In the practical project examples, the authors, with years of development experience, provide several representative examples: shopping cart, content management system, web-based email management system, email list manager, web forums, and more. All these examples are highly practical. Imagine an inexperienced developer joining an e-commerce website and starting their career. As they work and study this book, what would they say? "Wow, the content of this book is exactly what I'm working on! Thank God!" In addition to developers, the authors also consider the problems that system administrators of e-commerce websites might encounter: setting up and maintaining the system environment. In the appendix of the book, the authors provide a detailed introduction to how to install, configure, and even compile PHP and MySQL on mainstream operating system platforms. Because PHP and MySQL are open-source, companies may need to customize these tools and platforms, and the content of the appendix of this book provides exactly the help that system administrators need in this regard. Throughout the book, the content is extensive, the style is rigorous, and theory is closely integrated with practice. It includes detailed conceptual explanations as well as complex and complete example codes, allowing readers to easily apply the theoretical knowledge they have learned. For this reason, the book is suitable for a very wide range of readers. For beginners, this book can serve as their textbook and reference book. For PHP and MySQL experts with extensive experience, this book is also an excellent reference manual, making it suitable for PHP programmers at all levels. Of course, the book does have some shortcomings. In my opinion, the authors should consider including some comparisons of PHP and MySQL collaborative development with today's most popular J2EE platform and .NET platform. Such comparisons would help businesses and developers choose the appropriate platform and tools. Perhaps, this content will be included in the upcoming fourth edition.