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PHP @ Web Programming
Programming Shed : Programmer Store & Resources |
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PHP Index - PHP Book :
Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3
by Craig Hilton, Bjorn Borud, Jeff Willis Paperback: 624 pages Dimensions (in inches): 1.16 x 9.18 x 7.37 Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co ISBN: 0201657716; 1 edition (December 17, 1999) PHP3 is a powerful and flexible scripting language that integrates well with the open-source Apache Web server. Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3 explores how to use PHP3 to access databases for sophisticated Web applications. While it falls short of a comprehensive look at the topic, it does illustrate many of the key concepts and compatible SQL databases. The book begins with quick overviews of PHP, Linux, and selected SQL databases. The focus is on PostgresSQL (an open-source derivative of the pioneer Ingres SQL product) and MySQL (a smaller and more simplified database). The database coverage is brief, however, and offers only a very general look at the database engines. At several points in the book the reader is directed to online documentation for further details. A concise and orderly tutorial of the PHP3 language follows with simple code examples that illustrate major concepts such as variables, classes, and functions. From here the author presents some examples of database access from PHP3. This discussion continuously builds on a sample application to illustrate new concepts, which is organized well enough to allow quick topical reference. The bulk of the book is a PHP3 language and function reference replete with examples for each entry. If you're unfamiliar with basic database concepts, you'll find this text is a bit incomplete; but it does work well for database aficionados looking to tap into PHP3. --Stephen W. Plain Topics covered: PHP3 history, PostgresSQL, MySQL, embedding PHP code in HTML, SQL queries, run-time graphic generation, and login authentication. Book Info: Provides everything you need to understand and work with PHP3. Presents essential background information and clear explanations of PHP3, PostgreSQL, MySQL, HTML, LINUX, and other relevant database and internet technologies. Softcover. CD-ROM included. From the Inside Flap: A good beginning makes a good ending. We began developing Internet database applications several years ago. We tried most of the commercial database products. We found that the learning curve, coupled with seemingly endless product upgrades, worked together to discourage our efforts. (Just keeping our network running was hard enough, let alone trying to juggle an off-site database development environment!) Within a week of discovering PHP3, we were converts. Could anything really work this well? We found the learning curve to be gradual. The performance statistics were comparable to everything else we were using. And it is open source! As the proverb suggests, "a good beginning" does indeed make for "a good ending." The robust syntax of PHP3, its broad database connectivity, and the worldwide user support base were strong factors in our adoption of PHP as one of our development standards. To see for yourself, take a 30-minute "test drive" by logging onto php123. You will need the ID available on the CD. Turn to Chapter 3 in the book and type in "Example 1." Then run your example. Your real-world application example is worth ten thousand words. We think you will be as pleased as we were with what you find. No excuses, jump to php123 now! For readers who are already PHP3 users, we hope you will find this book useful as a comprehensive reference guide. We included virtually every important function, with sections on syntax and user functions. We omitted detailed examples on certain arcane or highly specialized functions that we felt would not be useful in the average development effort. For the most part, the Language and Function Reference contains examples the authors have developed to demonstrate actual working snippets of logic. These examples are not a reprinting of the on-line technical documentation! The book emphasizes applications using PostgresSQL and MySQL, two powerful database management systems. This is not to say that PHP3 can't use Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and Microsoft SQL Server—quite the contrary, all are supported at the native access levels by PHP3. We had only so many pages to work with, and since all database functions are similar, we have not included detailed examples of these in this book. Examples are found on the Readers Only web site. Suggestions or additions? We welcome and encourage your feedback. PHP3 is a collective effort and this is a collective book. The acknowledgment section gives lists of people whose collective efforts have built and continue to maintain PHP3, and of others who have been so helpful in this bookIs preparation and development. So, what is PHP3 anyway? In short, PHP3 is a server-side programming environment that lets you mix HTML and script code. The scripting language resembles C and Perl. Because PHP3 was specifically designed to be a server-side scripting language for web servers, it offers a vast array of functions and behind-the-scenes magic to make common tasks easy. Read on. From the Back Cover: Hundreds of thousands of web developers have discovered the ease and power of PHP3 and PostgreSQL. Together, they form an integrated, robust platform for building industrial-strength, interactive, server-side database applications for the web. Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3 provides everything you need to understand and work with PHP3. This complete resource presents essential background information and clear explanations of PHP3, PostgreSQL, MySQL, HTML, Linux, and other relevant database and Internet technologies. A step-by-step tutorial walks you through the process of building PHP3 applications, featuring a series of increasingly sophisticated applications that focus on such vital topics as creating run-time generated graphics, database integration and design, and login authentication. You will also find a comprehensive reference to the syntax, grammar, and function library of PHP3, organized both alphabetically and by type of function. This reference incorporates numerous working examples that demonstrate proper use of PHP functions and can be pasted directly into your own applications. The accompanying CD-ROM provides everything needed to install PHP and PostgreSQL under Red Hat Linux. Readers may also log onto a private web site where all the real-world database applications found in the book can be built from an Internet connection. Whether you are just learning web-based development and PHP3 or are already developing sophisticated applications, Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3 is an accessible and essential guide to this powerful web development environment. About the Author: Craig Hilton is founder and Chairman of Central Data Corporation, an international research and development holding company. Previously, he was a principal research investigator for the U.S. Department of Defense and a project manager at Rockwell International's Space Division. He has also served as Computer Department Chair at Lake College in Florida. Educated at Occidental College and the California Institute of Technology, Craig holds a master's degree in computer studies. Jeff Willis is President of Web Holdings, Inc., a research and development company with offices in South Carolina. He was Technology Director of ComData Corporation and served as Technical Director at Central Data Corporation. Jeff received his master's degree in computer engineering from Clemson University. Customer Reviews Reviewer: Tom Socha from Tempe, AZ Got the book yesterday and loved it. Though they rave about the almost 600 pages in this book, there is actually only 152 pages of actual "tutorials." This is broken into 8 major categories. Though 152 pages seems little, it is so well written that by the time you finish the tutorials, you are on your way. The rest is a function reference, but a very well written one, not just a rehash of some man pages. Each function entry has an explanation of what the function does, the function and syntax, and then several examples written out (not just pieces of code, but entire examples) for you to put into you webpage. In a nutshell, this is finally THE book to start with for non-programmers and programmers, housewives, babies, small dogs..anyone that wants to learn PHP quickly. I recommend getting the "MySQL New Riders" book and " Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3" (this one) for anyone wanting to learn (and quickly I might add) how to use this language. I have bought just about every PHP book out there and this is the first one to actually spoon-feed the information in a way that you will learn PHP in a night (well, I stayed up most of it.) Reviewer: Steven Christenson from Minneapolis Cruel and unusual that this should be my first book devoted to PHP. If you believe that finding the errors in a book's example code to get them to run is a sure way to engrain the program syntax into your brain forever, then you'll love their "teaching style" in this beauty. I guess I've never understood serious syntax problems in this age of cut and paste but I've never been more suspicious that authors were just typing off the top of their heads than I have been with Building Database Applications on the Web Using PHP3. And I didn't use their CDROM to install PHP, PostgreSQL or Apache, but I don't see how their second example program can work unless Apache is given file creation and overwrite privileges--security anyone? Frankly, I'd feel cheated if I picked it up at a Half Price Books chain. I'm sure I'm among the _not_ surprised that these guy's PHP expert web site is dead. Run now, run fast, run hard and be _very_ afraid of this heartless waste of innocent wood pulp by Craig Hilton and Jeff Willis. Reviewer: A reader from Austin, Texas I have bought a number of the PHP books around. This one was about the third or fourth that I bought, but it is by far the worst. The few chapters of actual content are quite good, but as people have noted, they have a lot of errors and are often badly edited or presented. The bulk of the book is a function reference. I did not mind the function reference in Core PHP Programming. At least Leon wrote his own examples for functions and added something beyond just stealing from the online manual. In this book, the function reference is just a rip off to bulk up the page count. Reviewer: A reader from USA I was very disappointed with this purchase, wish I could return it. The book is disorganized, and the code is full of errors. |
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