PHP for the World Wide Web Visual Quickstart Guide
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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 4.02Customer Rating: 3
Summary: So far so good with one minor hiccup
Comment: I just purchased this book and although it says it covers PHP3 & 4, it managed to leave out one minor detail which took me about 2 hours to figure out. Chapter 2 covers variables. While I have some programming background in ASP and JavaScript, I am new to PHP. I am aware of how variables work. This book referenced variables as $variable which isn't a problem for PHP4. However I am using PHP4.3.2 which defaults register_globals=Off. Variables cannot be reference in this manner. It took me a couple of hours surfing php.net and other resources to figure this out. One I made the change to register_globals=ON, the code in the book worked just fine with no errors. Needless to say, it has slowed my progress down a bit, but I am still pluggin my way through. I have one other PHP book, but it is geared toward Dreamweaver MX and requires almost no hand coding. In order to learn the language, I felt the need to learn to hand code first. So far this book lays it all out nicely. The tips are worth reading a second time. I just wish they had mentioned the register_globals bit. It would have saved me a few hours and got me to bed at a decent hour.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: Clear Presentation
Comment: This is the third PHP book I read and covers PHP versions 4 and 5. I worked through all its examples without any problems. Somebody reviewing it said there were errors, but I did not find them using PHP V4.3.2. Following the examples were a lot easier than in other computer books, like Visual Basic 6 by Petroutsos, which I had to abandon three years ago for lack of error-free exercises.
The VQS format appears to waste a lot of space, but it has its advantages. There is never any doubt what the script has to be, because it is repeated in its entirety even when only a few lines change. Some books cut this short, and give frugal explanation for what the clear script should be. In the end, one often wastes time in such cases.
I have the PHP Manual on my hard disk, and consulting it aids in extending the applications on hand. Once I learned the examples in the book, I was able to extend the scripts, make them more versatile and produce more attractive displays.
I started out stating it is my third book on PHP, and reading this book serves as an in-depth review. This book clarified some of the features I thought I learned before. This does not imply that one must have used other PHP books previously. It is an excellent first book on PHP. Of course, one should know some HTML before using this book.
Because of the VQS format I would like to rate this four and a half stars, even though the format improves on clarity. Even with this view, the book deserves five-stars.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: This guide to PHP is a great intro -- PLUS online discussion
Comment: Larry Ullman provides a clear and excellent intro to PHP in this 2nd edition. I am a beginnning programmer and I have found this to be not only a really clear introduction, but also a reference manual as I go along.
Plus, the author has created an online discussion forum that is actually active and works.
From my somewhat thorough review, this is the best intro PHP book out there!
Joshua
Ogden Little Bags
http://www.ogdenlittle.com