PHP 6 and MySQL 5 for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide

I really wanted an O'Reilly book covering PHP and PostgreSQL since that's the format of reference I prefer. I have several years of web-development under my belt in perl, ASP and Javascript and am now starting a project migrating an ASP & MS SQL Server site over to PHP and PostgreSQL. I say this so you can take my review in context.

What this book does very well is review, review, review. I believe as a beginner's walk-through of PHP and MySQL, this would be an excellent choice. But I would caution experienced programmers who prefer reference texts or want to jump into advanced concepts. I suspect you'll find that php.net's documentation and some example scripts easily found on the Internet will get you started.

The money I spent on this book served as the impetus to get me started. The book provided the framework and answered some basic questions about PHP: Does it support sessions? Yes. Cookies? Here's how. How do I connect to a database? Something like this, here are some URLs of other examples. And so on. However, because it's a learning text with a heavy review format, it takes a lot of scanning and parsing to find what you are looking for if you are not willing to follow along with each example's laborious construction.

On the one hand, this is probably the only PHP book I'll buy and in that regard, it was a success. On the other hand, I almost wish I had saved my money and just dug into php.net instead. Hence the three-star rating and warning for experienced web-devs.

But if you are a beginner and don't have a concept of variable handling, sessions, cookies or how to connect to databases, this is a sure bet.

Fantastic book

I would rate myself as having intermediate programming skills, but I was new to PHP. This book was great, it's good for an intermediate level and it's a no nonsense kind of book. Everything you learn how to do in this book is a practical application that if you are a web designer/developer you will most likely need to know at some point in time. The intro is short and sweet, and the author never goes on to long about one topic. Once a topic is learned it is used throughout the book. I have had the book for about 2 weeks now and I am almost done reading it and getting ready to apply some knowledge to my next project. The two chapters on SQL were also great, its like getting two books in one.

I can't recommend this book enough; it was so nice to get a book that actually teaches practical things at a fast pace. The layout shows a lot of repetitive code, but in some ways this is good since it only takes you a moment to glance at the code and recognize where the new code is, and how it applies to what you have already learned, as it is in red and the old code you have learned in early chapters is black. I like this because when books only show the new code you need to be in front of a computer to see how it all fits together, with this book you can just site on the couch and analyze the code as a whole.

Really good book, now I want to pick up his advanced PHP book by Larry Ullman.

I bought this book and since I started reading it, it's done nothing short of amaze me with how clearly and efficiently it teaches the important basics of PHP and MySQL web development. Most books tend to get bogged down on details such as escape sequences; this book mentions these asides when they should be mentioned, explains how to work with them, and moves on without boring the reader.

I'm a programmer in college with more of a C/C++ background. I picked up this book on Tuesday night having coded exactly two PHP scripts in my lifetime, and with no experience with MySQL. By midday Saturday (today) I launched a website for my dorm, coded from scratch.

As I said, this is simply an amazing book. A must-have for any budding web developer!

This is a GREAT book. It is straight forward and very easy to follow. Larry explains the MySQL queries and PHP coding very clearly. His examples walk you through creating your own scripts. He also explains every script very well in the book. His website is a great addition to this book. He has all of the scripts up on the site, as well as a forum for help with scripts.

However, the only gripe I have is that it is not written for a beginner. It does kind of require experience with a programming language. I, myself, know JavaScript and had a few troubles with the scripts. However, a beginner could still pick up this book and learn everything. It might take longer and more thought, but it would still be possible.

There are some parts in this book that are unclear, also. Some of the scripts were hard to decipher with his explination. However, these problems were easily overcome with help from my webhost.

Overall, this is a GREAT book. I would recommend it to anyone who has at least some background with programming. I would also recommend it to any beginner who has the patience to sit and contemplate the different concepts. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars, was that it might be hard for the beginner to pick up.

I'm a PHP/MySQL developer with around 7 years of experience. I felt I knew a lot of what was in this book, but it was good to see the "layering" of concepts, where each new concept built on the previous one.

There were a lot of suggestions that influence how I'm developing sites now. I'd have liked a little more on the MySQL optimization, but there are plenty of other books for this.

Overall, if you're not an expert, I think there will be plenty to learn. If you're knew to PHP/MySQL, this is a great resource to walk you through the basics of building some robust applications.

If you aren't already somewhat familiar with PHP and MySQL, you should start with Larry's other two books, then bring your knowledge of PHP and MySQL and learn how to integrate them for your applications.

I have read and tried to follow dozens of books on the subjects and Ullman's stand head and shoulders above the rest because of the methodical, step by step teaching method he uses.

If you don't have at least a working knowledge of HTML, you need to get it before starting any of the three books. I don't recommend Elizabeth Castro's HTML compared to some of the other HTML texts I have used.

Good Luck on your idea!

It's no surprise that this book ahs been offered in the 'Gold Box', a place where amazon.com usually tries to sell of shelf warmers such as this book.

This edition of 'PHP and MySQL For Dynamic Web Sites" only covers the previous versions of PHP, namely version 3 and 4. However version 5 has already been released and thus the book is no longer up-to-date.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, and I was not disappointed. However, after having had the book and read it, I have found that it has grown somewhat stale.

My programming skills when I bought this book were basic PHP programming, no knowledge of MySQL at all, and moderate-to-advanced HTML skills. This book assumes you have a working knowledge of basic HTML, very basic knowledge of PHP, and no knowledge of MySQL. Anyone who fits this general bill will benefit greatly from this book in a very short time. His explainations are clear and thorough, his examples are very well explained, in the manner of other Visual QuickStart/QuickPro books.

The shortcomings of this book are based on his attempting to teach a lot in a short time. He doesn't mention OOP, a staple of PHP5. His discussion of MySQL, while quite detailed, only discusses the most basic features of the system; anyone attempting to learn PHP & MySQL on a professional level will definitely need to learn more about MySQL than he teaches.

There are two aspects of this book, though, that I thought were stellar. Firstly, he spends an entire chapter discussing MySQL database optimization. Understanding this topic well will save many developers from encountering large headaches in the future, and his discussion is clear and thorough. Secondly, his discussion on regular expressions (POSIX, not PERL) is quite good, and is in fact the only chapter in this book I still regularly refence.

If you are looking to quickly learn PHP & MySQL in order to program a small site, and you don't intend to program much again, or if you are looking to learn PHP & MySQL and don't mind needing to buy another book later, this book is for you.

This book is really amazing. I knew many languages before reading this book (Java, C and others), but I was a novice in php, and I needed to do a project in my university that involves php and mysql. This book teaches you very quickly how to build solid php programs that interacts with mysql, and its examples are practical and not theoritical like many other books. I totally recommend it!

Aboujouj83
We Discover!

I don't usually rate books but after finishing Larry's I felt compelled to. I am in the closing pages now and must say it is hands down the best book I've read on PHP and MySql. I really bought this book to try and understand PHP-Nuke (a content management system) and the coding behind it. Now when I look through the php files for nuke I don't feel so lost and confused. If you get stuck on anything in the book, there is a very nice forum where Larry himself often visits and answers questions.

Bottom Line: Very efficient code and coding style, Excellent descriptions for every page (including the WAY he explains them), very useful project files (creates a basic e commerce site!), and superb support. You will not be dissappointed.

I have this book and only on chapter 3 but I have learned a ton. If you don't get what he is saying or you get an error just go to the website for the book and go to the forums and he will help you. There are a few errors in the book, but it is at the website, so if I get an error then I go to the errata section and normally it is in there. THis is a great book, do not pass this one by. If you are trying to learn PHP and MySQL get this book!

I've been creating web pages with HTML and CSS for several years. First as a diversion, then for work, friends, etc. I had the need to use a data base for a project. I bought a couple of books and stumbled through it with PHP and MYSQL. Never really "got it" just got through it.

When I picked this book up it HAD STUFF IN IT I NEEDED! It helped me do the things I needed to do in the real world. I'm not a full time web developer, and this book helped me understand the code and how it works.

I would say it is a GREAT buy for the new to moderate user.

I'm currently using this book to learn PHP and MySQL. All was well until I reached the MySQL chapters. I initially thought I was just dumb as a brick, because I just wasn't grasping the stuff in the Advanced MySQL chapter. However, after doing a bit of Googling, my thoughts have changed a bit. I wasn't grasping the material because the author does a HORRIBLE job of explaining things about MySQL, particularly the more complicated JOINs. I found a few MySQL JOIN overviews via Google, and everything was crystal clear.

So, PHP-wise, I think it's great. The MySQL chapters need some work though. It's still a good book, but have Google nearby during those chapters.

After programming for a year in PHP I still use it to give me ideas or find some 'neat rrick' I either forgot about or did not know.
When I first started programming it was not easy. Then I found this book.
You can use the examples to amke your first login/user page for your site...simple.
Advanced techniques and a good feel for mysql is an added bonus.
I would say this is the first book you should get for PHP.

Like alot of you who look at ratings before buying a book, I must say that this book matched all previous ratings. This book gets you going quick! I am very impressed not only with the author but also with PHP! I say, dont take my word for it..try it and see if you too will not rate this book high!

Great for begginers. I personally think it's good for begginers but still there are some functions that aren't explaind that well. there are some moments when you can find yourself frustrated.also some parts are too summarized and some too expanded.
I won't recommend it so much. You should buy another
book that edited better.

I just got this book and want to say that it nicely steps you through programming in php/mysql but doesn't treat you like an idiot. If your a "learn by doing" person like me, this book is great.

What more is there to say. I decided a year ago that I wanted to start a webdesign / web programming business, and quickly came across the need to understand PHP and MySQL. Right now, I feel confident enough to actually start building applications or using opensource scripts that I adapt myself.

Larry takes a clean and crisp approach to teaching you from scratch up to an adequate level. And the accompanying website is GREAT!!! The forum is frequented by other readers and the man himself, so if you ever got stuck you need not worry. Buy this book if you're serious about learning PHP and (in a lesser degree, but still quite useful) MySQL.

This is a excellent book, very easy to follow and learn php! plus mysql!

With the help of loads of examples and demo script to explain useful functions in php.

It's the first time I see the writer will answer the question on their web site! You can ask him if you got any problem with php and mysql, responese time is excellent!

This is a A++ recommanded book. I have recommanded all of my friend who interested in computer programming to buy it.

PS : computer program experience not required!

Don't know about you out there, but I hate reading boring long theoretical technical texts. i also didn't come from programming background, but IT networking/security. This book was absolutely great for these reasons:

1. no long page upon page babbling by author
2. real hands on action oriented tasks with quick exciting results
3. minimal text, maximum practice with excellent explanations
4. integration of PHP with MySQL for optimal value and practical world
5. Downloadable scripts to validate against your work for accuracy
6. All chapters and hands-on work are aligned to the most frequently
encountered practical real world needs, to plug-n-play for your web
site [...]

I got this book because I was taking a course in LAMP development and couldn't find a copy of the textbook. I figured this book would be a nice temporary reference, until someone got the textbook (the WROX book, "Beginning PHP, Apache, MySQL Web Development") in stock. It turns out that even after I got the class text, I almost exclusively used this book. It has a nice index and a lot of tabular references which make finding information quite easy. It's perfect for my style of learning, where I like to experiment and just turn to the text when I need to look something up. In my opinion, it's much better than the WROX title. It *was* written for PHP 3 & 4, and MySQL 3 & 4, but virtually all of the material is still accurate and relevant.

I am one of the most impatient programmers on the face of the earth. In fact, I have been in professional services for years because it takes to long to realize results with traditional programming. Web development has sucked me back into the fray, and I enjoy the immediacy of the langugages involved. Code it -- look at it! Works perfectly for me! However, I am now a senior analyst, and nothing in my job description calls for these skills.

As the new director of technology (website guru) for my professional association, I found myself at a loss. I know HTML, and a smattering of java, but knew nothing about PHP, CSS, real JAVA programming or MySQL, which are the basis for our group's website. I took over in January of 2006, with a major symposium scheduled for March 2006. Everything and it's grandmother needed to be released on that site, which had been neglected over the past year (the old DOT was sent to Iraq!). In short order, I needed to know it all and do it all. This same review will be used for the Java and PHP/MySQL books. THESE BOOKS ARE A LIFESAVER! From building forms in HTML (I had never had to do this before), to creating style sheets, to writing java code to manipulating the MySQL database with PHP files, I have found the instructions so clear and easy to use that when I am in a hurry, I can just do stuff. Later, I can go back to the book to understand what I did, how it was actually done, and why it was successfully. When I really take my time, the tutorials are invaluable.

Obviously, I recommend this book. Novices will be led gently by the hand; the more experienced will find better ways of doiing things, and the impatient can get it done quickly. Excellent deal.

For the past 3 months I've trying to learn PHP & MySQL without any luck. After trying to understand books like:

1) Spring into PHP5 by Steven Holzner (bad learning format)
2) PHP5 fast&easy web development by Julie Meloni (simple but not with great depth)
3) and others

I've finally bought this book last week and been learning ever since. It's unfortunate I've been wasting my time and even feeling like fool for not understanding the concepts from the other books.

This book is amazing. I'm setting up my first big web project which includes a CMS (Content Mangement System) / Updatable Staff list and other things and I finally making it all happen. Thank to Mr. Ullman.

Thank you for giving me hope Mr. Ullman!

This book might have been good when it was written, but it hasn't been updated. The lessons written for PHP 3 don't work on PHP4.1 or higher and the accompanying web site isn't very much help.

As an experienced php developer, I found this book to be very solid for those who already have a clue about both MySQL and php. In spite that the author tried to introduce both thoroughly, if you don't have an idea as to how programming/scripting languages work, you might find yourself a bit at odds with what the author is explaining.
As already mentioned by another reviewer, the book completely igonores php5's OO-model which is a bastion of php5.
Nonetheless, I think this is one of the best books I've read that goes a long way to introduce and expand upon the symbiotic relationship between php and MySQL. Very good, solid book if you are novice/intermediate or advanced developer looking for a handy reference. Good, knowledgeable author.

An excellent book for web developers who have basic php and sql skills to mould these into being able to develop fully dynamic web sites. Larry Ullman takes the reader through the basics of web page development, php and MySQL before guiding the reader, step by step through fully worked example code that combines everything together. Examples are given for a number of fully functioning sites, and well as discussing other important issues such as security, sessions and cookies.
Overall an easy book to read, with a number of important issues covered for dynamic and efficient web sites.

I can't give this book any less than 5 stars. It saved my life... well, my grade. I'm a computer science major in university and without this book I wouldn't have been able to finish my web programming final project. I only really used this book as a reference, but it has easy to follow examples and all the information you need to know about using PHP with MySQL. I can't recommend this book enough. Its easy to understand, well-organized, and very practical.

As a beginner to PHP and MySQL, this book really did it for me. I'm not sure how more experienced programmers would look at it, but it served its purpose for me. If you want to teach yourself PHP and MySQL, this is the book for you! It teaches you the basics of PHP and MySQL seperately, then combines the two explaining how to make great web sites!

This is a superb book for all levels of programming ability. I have had to use many reference and "how-to" books in the past, and this one is head-and-shoulders above all the rest.

It covers pretty much all the main things you need to know about PHP/MySQL -- enough that it allowed me to set up a huge Web site for a new client using PHP/MySQL technology. I am not a programmer per say, either - I just had minimal programming background when I picked up this book.

In addition to its thorough content and lack of errors (I can't tell you how many other programming books I have encountered that have crucial typos in the actual code examples!), this book is extremely well organized and well written. It was such a pleasure to read that I took it with me on vacation - and actually read it! PHP/MySQL is a great technology, and this books brings it all together nicely.

As a bonus - all the codes used in the book are available for free download, and, even better, you can communicate with the author (and other PHP/MySQL programmers) via an online forum! Larry Ullman helped me troubleshoot a problem I was having with MySQL - and the simple advice he offered has become useful in other situations as well.

I can't recommend this book enough. I am extremely critical of books and writing in general (my formal educational background is in copy editing!), but I can honestly say that this is the only PHP/MySQL book I own, and the only one I need!

I have a read a few books on PHP prior to purchasing this one. Although I have used them to successfully cut and paste my way to a dynamic website, they didn't actually teach me PHP. They were more of a "write this to do this" type of book. However, after reading this book I now feel that I have a true understanding of PHP & mySQL. When I began reading this book I was relatively new to programming. I was enrolled in a JavaScript class so I had some experience under my belt but you could very easily learn from this book with no experience at all (except knowledge of HTML/XHTML is needed). The lessons are written well and I never felt lost or overwhelmed with information. I have a few of the Visual Quickstart series books (HTML by E. Castro, Photoshop 7, CSS and DHTML) and I find them all very well written and an easy way to learn. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn PHP. A Great Book! An incredible value!

This book has one major fault which brings down its readability. It has the code in a box, but then describes the code in step-by-step instructions. This step-by-step repeats major portions of the code, so you're getting the same thing twice, spread out over various pages. Real ugly. The step-by-step approach works well for Castro's HTML book, but not for a real programming book.

Over the years I have been reading Larry's books. I have been hooked from his first book. This book like his others start out with the basics and then jumps into the advanced stuff. It also contains a lot of real world examples that someone could use for thier site right now. As always I truely recommend this book to people that are beginners thru advanced. I have always used his books as reference guides as well. This is a must buy and is worth every cent.

Although I have some background with programming (Basic, Pascal, COBAL) and desktop db business applications, I had been somewhat intimidated by the idea of server-side programming.

I can only tell you that I did in fact take this book one chapter at a time, sometimes re-reading some sections several times, and marking-up certain parts with a hi-liter and a red pen. I followed the tutorials, downloaded the scripts from the book's associated website, and even got help directly from the author at his website's forum.

Don't misunderstand me, that I marked-up the book, did homework, and asked questions was a reflection of how the book did engage me - AND TAUGHT ME. The book is well written, methodical, detailed, and its intended audience seemed to be someone with my background (pretty fluent in HTML, handy with CSS, has a basic understanding of databases and programming concepts, and who enjoys the learning process under a good professor).

This book will get you started and on your way - correctly. It was the perfect launch site for me (once you get through this book you will be in a good position to evaluate what you need to learn next). As for me, this book (alone) taught me to write programs/scripts to login users, develop MySQL databases, write database reports, do user input forms and process them at the back-end updating the database tables, sessions, cookies, etc. etc.

Select this book. Your php output will be, primarily, html markup. So if you don't know HTML - spend some time with that first -- along with CSS (I recommend CSS The Missing Manual by David S. McFarland).

I purchased this book having absolutely zero PHP or MySQL experience. I had just finished reading a book on HTML and CSS (my only coding experience by the way) with the intention of creating a dynamic web site but first needed to learn how to do it.

Larry's book was EXTREMELY HELPFUL in teaching a total beginner such as myself how to read, write and understand PHP and MySQL scripts. Not only are the scripts and exercises in the book easy to learn, they are also incredibly practical and transferable in terms of customizing for use on personal projects. There are all kinds of wonderful scripts that can be reused hundreds of times once they have been written.

By far, one of the greatest things about this book, is that the author, Larry Ullman has an online forum which he moderates and personally answers questions from all the people who have purchased one of his many books.

I have not read any of Larry's other books yet, but I can honestly say that his teaching style in this one is absolutely fantastic and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a desire to learn PHP and MySQL!!!

I give this book 100 stars!!!

I have had this book lying around the office for about a year, but never opened it because I program with Coldfusion, not php. But recently I have been working with a MySQL database and needed to read up on it. I had already read "Teach yourself MySQL in 10 minutes a day" and found that to be a bit confusing. I don't think it lays enough groundwork. So I thought, what the heck I'll read the chapters on MySQL in this book. They were excellent! The author lays the groundwork and gets you up to speed in just two chapters. The book is worth the price for just the sections on MySQL.

I'm a professional programmer but was new to Php and MySql. This book answered all my questions and allowed me to create a sophisticated php page with a database backend in just a couple weeks. I designed my page layout and then just worked on it as I read the book learning the needed techniques. He covers everything I needed. You can't go wrong with this book.

One of the other readers provided a glowing review of this book. I can only second those thoughts.

Having spent 2 years working on learning PHP and MySQL and having purchased 5 other books on PHP-MySQL, I can say without a doubt that Larry Ullman's book is a gem, well worth buying. It may take a beginner awhile to complete the entire book, but there is no doubt that anyone with beginning to intermediate computer skills can learn PHP-MySQL from this book if you take the time.

Without listing the other books that I no longer even open, I would suggest that you put this book at the top of your choices if you are hoping to learn PHP-MySQL. It will take you well into intermediate to advanced skill levels in short order. Congratulations to Mr. Ullman. (P.S., I have no conflict of interest and decided to write this review because I was so impressed with the book).

This is the best PHP and MySQL learning tool I have ever picked up. In fact, it's the best learning *anything* tool I have ever picked up. Larry Ullman teaches PHP and MySQL in a way that makes it very, very easy to understand. He has made most of the other PHP and MySQL references I have seen look embarrassing. I found this book to be better than the short course I did on PHP and MySQL, which was 20 times more expensive.

If you're wanting to learn PHP and MySQL, I can not recommend this gem more highly.

Easy to read and understand, this guide can help both beginners and experienced people in writing web sites using php and mysql.

I read the first 40 pages of the first book on PHP (by Larry Ullman) and was intrigued. I was on the path of ASP at the time and found the author's descriptions very enticing. Later on, I switched server support and became a devout PHP user. I bought this book and have not found a single chapter dry. I have tried about 20 different paths for learning PHP and this book is truly an eye opener. It's very straight forward. I guess it hit me right at the correct time. I already know OOP and a little bit of the PHP basics. This is where you, as new student, should also be. If you know hard languages like Java or C++, then this book will be a breeze. I suggest reading this first, then moving on to another advanced afterwards.

Some of the code in this book no longer works with newer versions of PHP. Also, it doesn't cover the object oriented additions in PHP 5. Wait until these are added before buying this book.

If you're a beginner, get this book. Read the rest of the reviews for more info. Their all accurate.

Due to time constraints, I have to learn PHP in a big hurry, with this book, it's all coming together in my head and from there to the web where I can see the fruits of my labor come to life!

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting (or needing) to learn PHP and MySQL. It's written in a straight forward easy to grasp language and the visuals are superb. This is a must for any web developers library.

Thanks Larry, another GREAT book!

Great book. Well written and organized. Presents useful concepts with a step-by-step procedure on how to do it. Out of 10 books that I have on PHP, this one is getting tattered from all of the use it gets. I constantly go back to it for referencing items.

Mr. Ullman's book is perfect: it has everything from installation (if necessary) of PHP & MySQL, to step by step progression to creation of dynamic web sites with ample explanation and tips. Beautiful Mac OS X screenshots.

Not only the book is easy to follow, topics layed out nicely with ample illutrations, furthermore, Mr. Ullman even has a web site dedicated for this book. The website has errata section updated regularly, has a forum where one can post his/her questions -- Mr. Ullman answers most of them! All the scripts can be downloaded if need be -- though I think it is best to physically type in each script and learn from mistakes.

In short, I got hooked on this book. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone interested in creating dynamic web sites.

Yes, that's right, this is one of my favourite books!
I have to thank Mr. Ullman for this wonderful book. I didn't finish it yet, but I could find everything I needed in my projects so far.
Everything is described so it can be easily understood by everybody. It teaches both PHP and MySQL separately, then together! Too many useful things to list here...
Maybe I will write another review after I finish it (if I have time :), but I am pretty sure I will like it even more!
I have read many computer books, yet this is one of the best: everything very concise to get you started right away! My unbiased advice is to buy it, you'll like it!
After all if you don't like it, you can always return it...Hope this review will help.

I noticed that there is a new edition that covers PHP 5 so you might want to check for the most recent edition.

I liked the book for the clear explainations of the code presented and tips that go along with each section. While experienced programmers might enjoy just seeing code, I appreciate the explainations that accompany the examples. Coming in with no knowledge, a reader will be able to learn a good foundation of skills.

I didn't know much about web development beyond html, and this book turned out to be exactly what I needed to get my start in dynamic website development. I like the format of the book, which does a good job of visually showing step-by-step, one concept at a time. There are a few errors (which are corrected if you check the website), and this is my only criticism of the book. It is very thorough.

I have been out from the html league for quite some time and I needed to catch up with the new kids on the block. PHP, I didn't know a thing about it or how to implement with html. A friend of mine, as a hobby he started to use php and he told me it was easy to use. I wasn't sure to how to use it until I bought this excellent book. It explains it like if you were on class. Easy examples that every programmer should do as practice and change a few things to get the full experience. Every exercise will be a prerequisite to do the next one. I have fun and learn. As an extra, you can learn mySQL and essential tool to put php together.

This is a really good book on PHP/MYSQL. It really helps the beginner go from A-B very quickley and easily.

I think the scripts are pretty awesome and well commented

PHP 6 and MySQL 5 by larry ullman is one of the best book I've read in my life , the book contain 17 chapters , covering topics for beginners to advanced topics and it is explain the most common web application examples like (develop user registration , build message board , e-commerce website) .

the book covers the fundamental details in very quick way and specific which is makes the reader build the web application in very short time .

the great thing about this book , it discuss the new improvement mySQL and unicode which is help non-English developers.

After reading this book, I can very quickly set up dynamic web sites built upon a MySQL database. In one weekend I created a new website that displays information from a database. The next weekend I built in a content management system so my client could update it on their own. I'm very impressed with the quality of this book series and the author, so much so, that I will likely purchase the other books by Ullman as reference. Well done.

When I first started reading this book, I thought that it was going to be another one of these things that I get through the first 40 or so pages, try a couple of the examples and throw it on the pile of worthless computer books I've tried to this point.
How mistaken I was. After getting a thrd of the way through this book, I realized the attention to detail the author has put into it. I love it and would recommend it along with any of the "Head First" series of books.
One thing I am impressed with is the errata section on the companion wesite which is an indication to me that the authors and editors take into consideration the users experience once the book is purchased.
So many times I've been to an errata guide on a publishers website only to find 10 or 11 listings in regards a 700+ page book.
I realize that in technical books such as these, there are going to be editing errors. However it is also true that with technical books such as these, even the smallest editing error can make a huge difference. It seems that other books don't include extensive errata guides in fear that their books will be percieved by the buyer to be improperly edited or else that the errors are to frivolous to point out.
The problem however is when I follow along with the code and the code doesn't work as expected, I question whether it was my fault, or the fault of the code presented to me. With the marvelous job done by the authors on editors on this book, I know exactly when the problem is with me or the sample code. Too many other books overlook this issue.
I highly suggest this book.

It's actually kind of fun to work your way through this book. It is definitely a beginner's book with reference scattered through the tutorials, but I am learning a lot very quickly from this book. After every section I feel like I have accomplished something and made one more step toward mastery of PHP and MySQL.

Larry Ullman deserves credit for making a dry and complex topic interesting and learnable. Thanks.

First off, I'm an outright dullard when it comes to coding. Let's be clear about that. But I'm smart enough to know a good thing when I find one. This book is just such a thing. Not just because of what's inside the book, which is excellent. And that it's well-written and easy enough for a simpleton such as myself to follow. But also because there is a companion web site to the book with a forum that the author moderates himself. The author doesn't know me from Adam (scout's honor), but he's spent the past three days walking me through a snag I encountered while installing MySQL and PHP on my computer. I am truly humbled by how generous the author has been with his time. And how well he explains things. These are all abundantly clear in the book. It's just surprising that he's so committed to making sure his readers understand the material he covers that he would also devote so much time to fielding questions from the book's forum. I've purchased many Visual Quickpro Books over the years; there isn't a finer one on its respective subject than this. In my opinion that is. And I'm just a dullard. Don't be one too. If you're new coding dynamic websites, buying this book would be a smart first step.

Larry Ulman is an excellent writer and makes this book VERY easy to learn from. I am 18 years old and making thousands with new interfaces I have designed solely from learning the practices Ulman talks about in this book. Trust me people, this book is an investment that will shoot right back into your wallet in the thousands.

This is a great book. Like most other reviews have started: I've been programming for 20 years and have modified my share of existing perl, php, javascipt, etc.. But now I want to create my own php program with mysql backend. This book has gotten me on the road to success. It's easy to understand and practical. If I had to make one negative comment, it's that redundant, unrelated code takes up a lot of space in this book.

PHP AND MYSQL For Dynamic Websites--2nd Edition
By Larry Ullman
Published by Peachpit Press, ISBN: 0321336577
Reviewed by Steven Mullins-HuNTUG member

Covering PHP 5 and MYSQL 4.1
I have been trying to work through using MYSQL for a long time and this has been the book for me. I finally have a clean install and a working directory tree. I can not say enough about how this book talks through the workings of MYSQL. The back of the book even has a step by step guide for installing both PHP and MYSQL.

As with most books this one has tons of code and references for those of us that are still new to coding or use another language. The literal walk through and understanding that is given has made this book a real joy to read and learn with. Starting with the basic scripts all the way through handles and variables and Magic Quotes this has been a great learning tool. The way everything is broken down and explained is nice to have when your wondering what is really happening. This was truly fun to read.

Now for the best part MYSQL. There is a reason it's called MYSQL, it should be yours and yours alone. Cut and dry it is what you make it to be. This book shows you the steps from designing a database to basic security of your data. I had never even heard of Hidden Form Input until I read this book. This even goes through the steps to sort information on forms. Even the new features of MYSQL are covered in this book for those of us looking for a reason to upgrade. The final steps are the must haves for all of us like managing files and upload of data, to the cookie and password management. This book has been a true helper and was very clear on the how and why of what your doing with the software.

This book has earned its place on the shelf of my computer desk and will be there for a long time to come, or at least until third edition.

This book gets a 5 out of 5 rating.

Larry Ullman does a good job in this book. He said it right. This book is a crash course in PHP and MySQL. He explains the topics very well, but you may want to buy his other two books before you buy this one.

This book has been extremely helpful to me. I have a degree in computer engineering, so I'm no stranger to programming/development, but I've never had any experience with PHP nor MySQL.

Needless to say, this book has provided me with all of the tools necessary to achieve the goals I had set out to accomplish. I've been using it as more of a reference guide than a "straight-through" lesson in PHP/MySQL. For this use, there is plenty of code and screenshots to use as a reference guide. It's been easy to look in a section and determine if that was what I needed or not.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in producing more advanced (and therefore actually USEFUL) websites.

This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine when I expressed interest to him that I wanted to build a web site using PHP and MySQL. I thought that this book would get me started, but then I would have to fend for myself.

Right now the book sits right next to me, the spine of it incredibly bent. This book is just amazing! It starts you off with brief descriptions of the subjects covered, then dives right in. All of the syntax is carefully explained and easy to understand.

The book progresses smoothly from beginning topics to very advanced subjects, complete with three whole chapters of example web sites -- Content Management, User Registration, and E-Commerce.

The reason I use the book so much is that it is a superb reference manual. The index is very thorough and whenever I need information on a topic, I can usually find it in this book.
One of the things I like best about this book is the support web site. This site has a very detailed errata section. In addition, there is a support forum for this book where the author actually answers the questions you pose for him. He explains everything as smoothly as he does in the book.

I definitely got my money's worth out of this one. I am now well versed in PHP and MySQL (amongst other things). This is a must for anyone wishing to pick up PHP and MySQL.

It gets you into PHP/MySQL enough to the point where you can get help on your own online for the problems you'll encounter. The book gives a good introduction on PHP and MySQL to get a grip on the subjects, but does not really go deep into the topics. A great book, but I was left desiring more.

This is another excellent book in the "Visual Quick Start" series of books. I have other books on the subject, but I find myself always going back to this one to learn new ideas, and just for reference. Examples are really helpful. Enjoy!

This is a great book for those that are willing to learn and are generally competent PC users (not really for absoloute beginners). This book has taught me a great deal and helped me to create the dynamic website I wanted.
I also got great assisstance at the author's website from himself and others there willing to help.

I've tried many PHP books. This one seems to be alright, it does explain smoothly how to start coding in PHP utlizing mySQL database. It has helped me design acomplish one of the big projects PHP+mySQL projects - procreative.ca. I also use some of the examples shown in the book to teach my students. If you are planning to get to know PHP in more detail i would recommend you also get PHP Core which is far more detailed.

This is a great book for a beginner. I had no experience with PHP or mySQL before reading this book, but in 1 week i finished the book, and within 3 days later, had a complete online parts inventory management system setup. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to start out in PHP/mySQL.

This is a great book. The author's clear, concise writing style and practical code samples make this book as informative as it is enjoyable. If only all tutorials/tech books were written like this one! I'll definitely check out future books by Mr. Ullman before I consider others.

Of all the programming books in all of the different programming languages I've studied, this book is by far the best I have ever read. It is very well written and easy to follow.

Most computer books I've read either do not give enough detail (in an effort to 'keep it simple' I suppose) or give you every single nuance of the language making it very difficult to know how to get started. This book strikes just the right balance.

Very clear and consise and great examples that you can easily translate to work you're doing.

I already have half a dozen ideas for some sites I'm working on now.

One minor (actually major) quibble. Could we have at least used current HTML standards in the examples in the book? I mean tables have been depreciated for at least a couple of years now...

I'll keep it brief since "Customer" nailed it with their review already, but wanted to say with this book and the free manuals on PHP and MySQL I was up to speed and developed my first dynamic web site in a matter of weeks, reading and learning part-time at night.

I wanted to go a bit further than just basic PHP and MySQL as part of a current personal project; researching and learning about open source CMS, web applications and web application frameworks, and how it all fits together.

This is definitely not for someone new to programming or relational databases. The pace is fast which works well if you already know those things but need to know how to do them in PHP and mySQL. Those new to either of those two concepts should probably look for something more basic

One of the best and easy to understand book. The author is very helpful as well. He is a serious author, who wants to please the readers. So for those who might not like his present books, be sure to check his future books. :)

I am about half way through the book, and as the title says - very new to PHP. So far I have found the book very useful and easy to understand, 80% of the time. The other 20% is just my ignorance to the subject matter. The author suggests that if you feel a slower pace might help, to try his other book "PHP for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide," which goes at a more "tempered pace." I felt this might behoove me but when I found the book at Borders Books they only had the second addition which was copyrighted for 2004, the book before us is copy 2008, and I believe the easier version Mr. Ullman referred to only went to PHP 4. Perhaps that is the latest version of that book, and maybe it would not make that much difference about the versions. I did read them side by side and I believe he is right if you are a total beginner, as it seemed to be a little more hand-holding and pedantic with the details. I did not buy it however, as I feared there might be a newer model. Back to PHP 6 and MySQL 5, I will add that I am the type that does a lot of reviewing and checking up on these purchases, especially since I am having to self-teach on every subject from Dreamweaver and Photoshop to CSS and PHP, so I think it's accurate to say that I found this book always the top rated, and thus purchased it. I tend to lean toward the Head First series on the programming subjects, because they are perfect for the "real" beginner, but there was not an offering exactly like PHP & SQL from Head-First, , and as I say the Larry Ullman book always popped up as the book of choice in this subject. So far, it has been very helpful and I have no real complaints. Good job Mr. Ullman.
Richard Seymour
Boston, MA

I used to have the old version of this book as well as PHP4 & MySQL 4.1. I was in limbo, at the time I upgrade my version of MySQL 4.1 to MySQL 5.0. The current and stable version of MySQL has a lot of changes and added new features. It is not easy to just move to this new version without good knowledge of the old version and a good reference
to the new/current one. Currently, I am in chapter 8, enjoying it and learning it the right way. Thanks Larry great job!
John Anthony
Web Designer & Applications Programmer

We had to hire a programmer to construct a MySql database and construct the PHP code to complete the site project. Time was critical.
After the job was done, however, I had the time to teach myself the basics of MySql, especially, and enough PHP to modify the new code, or at least understand what was done.
I am still going through the book as time permits, but the book is an excellent starter, and gets you through the basics with excellent examples, well-written explanations and plenty of screen prints to show you what you should see onscreen. I really like the MySql section. I would highly recommend this book to anyone anxious to get up to speed on MySql and PHP.

This book was an excellent introduction for someone like me, a professional programmer with no web programming experience, to get started. The project being carried through the book was broad enough to cover a diverse set of topics, and the code examples permitted exploration and experimentation. It doesn't cover object-oriented PHP, but that can be picked up later. I don't think the book will serve as a reference later, but it provides a lot of pointers to other reference information, including the web site associated with the book.

this book was great. the author explained everything very clearly and was easy to follow. I read and understood everything the first time through. I now use the book as a reference and it also does the job there for basic to moderate PHP.

I've bought and begun so many technical books that just had me bored or baffled in a few pages. This book is a refreshing change! Larry Ullman is a very talented writer/teacher who not only has a thorough knowledge of his subject, but also has the skill to communicate that knowledge in such a way that he doesn't talk down to you or leave you in the dust. Although I'm not too far along in the book, I can tell that this is going to give me a good grasp of PHP and MySQL, something I haven't found in a lot of online resources I've tried. It's rare that I feel this way about a technical book, but every time I pick this book up and read a bit more, I am more and more glad I chose this book over some of the others. Another excellent part of this purchase is that the author has made himself available to answer questions. How great is that? It's like getting access to a professor for a fraction of the cost of taking a class. I plan on buying other books from this author as needed.

If you want to write PHP coded webpages...this is the book for you. SQL is a pretty common backend for the data that PHP sites use, so having both in one book is ideal. I have a PHP book and an SQL book, but I use this combined book MUCH more frequently than either of those. It is a great resource for learning from the ground up, or for a more advanced programmer it is a good reference guide. It has many full examples that are explained throughout, so it is easy to see EXACTLY what they are talking about.

I have learned a lot with this book by looking at the examples provided. The technic provided in this book helps you to undrestand the code and reasons for using certain functions. Also it has the URL of all of the examples in which you can download and play with them to help yourself better undrestand PHP. Once you complete reading the book and experementing PHP with the book examples then you may download PHP manual from offical PHP websites and learn more functions to tuneup your codes. Reading this book helps you to better undrestand PHP manual.

This book is amazing. I say that being an HTML programmer entering into the world of PHP and mySQL. The steps are simple, well thought out, and current to today's technologies. Not to mention, there is an onlineforum with the author, Larry Ullman, as moderator which he is usually online and ready to assist with any questions within his book. Fantastic buy and the best beginner to intermediate PHP/mySQL book out there... Period.

Start with this book, it will teach you everything you need to know about PHP-MySql. This is the best book I purchased and I purchased about 7 or 8 others. Don't waste your money on others, get this FIRST.

This book is great for people new to working with php and mysql together. Larry shows the functions then shows practical examples of how they work. The double reinforcement really helps the reader to understand a lot easier. It is a great reference book. Buy it if your new or want a handy reference guide.

I coded a bit in PHP briefly quite awhile ago. I grabbed this book and really enjoy the layout and tone. The author clearly tells how to accomplish tasks and the code follows closely as well. Well done book.

And the overwhelming positive reviews found here only add to the disappointment.

I will admit that the book gives a very good first impression. Sadly, after the initial reading and usage, it quickly becomes obvious that the book falls short in most critical areas.

Each and every line of code is repeated (and explained) over and over again, very redundant and annoying. Not only that, but the layout is very hard to read or follow.

Unfortunately, the book's contents do NOT make up for its weak presentation. For a 600+ page book, surprisingly little content (to accommodate all the repeated code) , making this book absolutely useless as a reference.

The worst part of this book is just how impractical it is. It teaches you the VERY basics of web programming as a concept (it doesn't even touch on the subject of OOP). Otherwise, just think of it as a detailed PHP lexicon. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, and most certainly not to someone who's at all serious about web programming.

I give this book 2/5 because I did end up learning something from it. The author is obviously knowledgeable and writes beautifully, I will not shy away from his other books, just proceed with caution.

If you want to know how to set up an interactive web site where you want to set up a MySQL database and have internet users interact with that database through PHP code, and also learn how to implement security measures, and learn all of this in a step-by-step build up fashion from the first to the last chapter, then this is the book for you. You learn because you are literally forced to try out the code, FTP it to your site, and try it out.

If you don't have a domain name, along with the domain services offered by domain server entities, you will need to do that first before giving this book a try. I know that you can install Apache and MySQL on your local machine, but it's just not the same. There are certain things that this book will not tell you, simply because of the different ways that technical issues and procedures are set up in the different domain services out there.

Extremely well written, good learning curve, the author knows and explains the problems that you'll encounter in real life, rather to babble about some useless theory.

Highly recommended!

I don't understand why the same exact code needs to be repeated twice on the same page, every page. It's not only a waste of space, it's distracting and difficult.

The whole book could have been printed with less than half this number of pages. I'll work through it when I get the time and PATIENCE.

Shees.

This book is a complete waste of money. You can find all the material covered here for free online. The book is difficult to read because of all the author's tips, the small size of the letters in the text, and because the text in each page is divided in two columns wich is absurd. buy something else instead.

Larry Ullman's extensive experience as a developer and writer shows. This book is very well structured and builds upon itself intuitively to the reader. The exercises are pragmatic. The only thing that he might have touched upon in this book is OOP--fortunately his book PHP 5 Advanced: Visual QuickPro Guide covers the subject extensively.

This book also provides several key reference tables that I go back to often, e.g., MySQL data types (pg 110...got that memorized). So, the ongoing value is there. There have been a few times where the index didn't point me to the page I was looking for even though I know it's in the book somewhere.

I noticed that Larry's next book is on AIR (has his enthusiasm shifted, or perhaps it's just that he's covered PHP from every conceivable angle at this point??). While I'm sure he'll shed valuable light on AIR, I look forward to his return to PHP prose.

On a side note, Larry makes himself tirelessly available to his readers on his forum and via email. That's pretty extraordinary, too, I think, yet I'm bewildered how he finds the time.

Larry Ullman's "PHP 6 and MySQL 5 for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide" is great because it can be applied to real world websites. Mr. Ullman does a fine job in conveying the finer points of PHP.

This is an excellent book. All the codes works! I recommend to buy it. It is worth for the money.

I liked this book as an entrance to PHP and to lessen the somewhat steep learning curve of web site scripting. This book does that great! However, I don't like that the author seems to get lazy and doesn't fully explain an admin page that a user will get automatically redirected to when they log in with the correct username and password. "For the sake of brevity" is used too much. While sometimes this is fine and it can be figured out, the author really needs to elaborate on some permission and security issues with password authorization in PHP. There is really no mention on whether it can even be done with PHP and MySQL alone. Overall good book but I really wish Larry included at least one fully functional example.

When I started trying to learn PHP on my own via web tutorials a few months ago, I almost gave up. Actually, I DID give up. But then I saw this book and decided to give PHP one more shot...

Larry Ullman does a fantastic job of explaining things as basic as what PHP is and why you would use it, to more intermediate-level things like login scripts, etc.

There are plenty of examples in the book, and the last few chapters basically walk you through the creation of a dynamic website. I have also found it to be a useful reference guide for quick look-ups.

Although it says on the back to be from beginner to advanced, I would just say beginner to intermediate. It gives the reader a great starting point in PHP and makes it easy to continue learning more advanced topics, but does not cover them.

Overall, it is a great book and I would not be creating dynamic web simulations today if it weren't for this book. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone interested in learning PHP and MySQL.

This is a great book, easy to understand and use as a reference guide through my first PHP/MYSQL creations. The supporting website is informative and the supporting forums are very helpful, Larry (the author) has replied to my posts a few times which led to fixing my problems quite easily. Well done Larry and thanks for your support!

If other tech book writers could learn to write like Larry Ullman does, we'd all be a hell of a lot smarter. I picked this up as a complete newbie to php, with some sql experience and found it very easy to use, but also very informative. I have used it as both a learning php guide, and also as a quick reference to re-check my syntaxes and code use. The book contains useful and intelligent examples, backed up with great support from the publisher and the author. I count this as one of the best investments in a book I have ever made.

The book itself is very helpful. I wish that tutorial books such as this would present the bottom line code first and then go back and explain. This one presents several different versions of a certain script, then improves on them in future chapters. I would have preferred doing it the best way the first time.

Also, another reviewer mentioned that the binding was faulty. Mine was as well. The very first time I opened it, the back of the pages tore from the spine. It's been a pain to use, but I really needed the information and didn't have time to send it back. Since I used it extensively and highlighted important info, I'm probably pretty much stuck with it now.

Excellent Book. It's not to slow yet it never assumes that you know how to do something. It goes step by step through every php and sql command, explaining how it works and when to use it and then it gives simple examples to follow up to see how it commands works.
I hightly recommend this book.

Despite treating this book with care, the binding began seperating from sections of the book after a few months, and now, after only five months or so, whole sections of the book are falling out. I basically agree with the concensus as far as the content goes, but what is the good of it if the book is falling apart, and so soon after I bought it. I expect a book to stay in one piece for years, not a few months. Another case of a business which cuts corners to make more money at the expense of their integrity.

At first, I was a little apprehensive about the book - I was thinking it was a repackaged 'Teach Yourself in 5 seconds a day' kind of thing where you end up flying throughout through the content without really learning anything. I needed to actually learn this topic and I needed to do it quickly - I bought this book on a Monday and had a MAJOR project for my Database Systems class due Friday night at midnight.

I got started writing every piece of code in the book and finished on Wednesday. By Thursday, I had extended it with the functionality I needed to complete this project and it looked and worked GREAT! I went from zero to hero in just under a week with this book. All the code works and everything is downloadable from the book website!

I'll definitely be buying more of Larry's books in the future!

PHP and MYSQL for dynamic websites for Larry Ullman is another member of Visual Quick Pro Guide series that gives you a fast efficient way to learn. The book covers PHP 5 and MYSQL 4.1 for beginners, intermediate and advanced users.
The introduction of the book gives you a fast definition for some important terminology about dynamic websites, what is PHP, why use PHP, how it works and what is MYSQL.
The first chapter is an introduction to PHP language, the basic Syntax, sending data to browser, writing comments, variables, strings, numbers, constants and quotation marks.
The second chapter covers the programming with PHP such as creating forms and validating forms data. The next chapter covers dynamic websites.
Chapter 4 and 5 covers SQL and MYSQL. And using PHP with MYSQL is covered in chapter 7.
The following chapters covers different related issues such as web application developing, cookies, sessions, security, CMS example and ecommerce example.
The book is good start for beginner to learn web developing with PHP and SQL.

This book has a ton of practical tips and examples for the real-world usage of PHP and MySQL. It is not the book to get for a basic introduction to the languages, or for an in-depth tour of esoteric constructions. Where it excels is its coverage of a broad range of issues relating to installation, layout and security of your website; database design, layout and manipulation; and lots of particular examples of PHP to solve intermediate-complexity problems. For one small example, every security cheat-sheet says you should strip_tags when processing most form inputs, but how many discuss the problem of making sure the data really came from your own form, not someone else's?

The examples are not just a grab-bag of esoterica, like the " Cookbook" series. They build up as solutions to problems which arise in the course of implementing the usual examples (shopping cart, CMS, etc.). The real "value-added" is that Ullman goes beyond the basics necessary to get a minimal example running. He then goes into the practical follow-on problems that most books never mention.

Minor quibbles:
(A) It uses two-column layout. This makes some of the code nearly unreadable, as the listing comes out almost vertical.
(B) There does not appear to be a companion website of the code.

I have a shelf of PHP and MySQL books, sorted from "shouldn't have bought" to "check first". This one goes directly into the check-first end! Considering the time and frustration saved, it's worth far more than the price.

I knew a tiny bit of php prior to reading this book, but this has really helped me. The book covers all the useful stuff and is definitely worth the money. I use it now mainly as a reference guide when building web applications, but it is still very useful.

My only criticism is that it doesn't cover any object oriented programming.

A good buy

Book in New condition as stated and expedient delivery.

I can only recommend the books of Larry Ullman. A year ago I started with PHP for the world wide web (second edition) and now this book. I personally think this is the best sequence when you are completely new to PHP (and when you don't have a programming background).
As said, the book is excellent. With each page you learn more and more and it keeps beeing understandable. And when you don't understand it at all you can ask in the forum and the author will help you on the way.

The book is awesome, it is very relavent, and both easy enough to understand and sufficiently technical at the same time. The purchase experience was great, book got here in time with no hastles or worries. Most impressed!

Written in the book is everything you need to know about PHP. I should have bought this book when i was a newbie or lets say this book should have existed when a was a newbie 3 years ago.

Kudos to the author of the book!

I gain great experience in learning PHP/MySQL using the book. I love it very much. Now, I have adequate knowledge and skills to develop a web application.

This book is well worth the money. It does a great job of covering the use of php, mysql, and web deisgn in general. I knew a little bit before starting with this but it has increased my knowledge greatly. I only noticed a couple of typos in the code, nothing I coudn't figure out in a couple of minutes. If you can only buy one book, this is it!

I like this book. The postage packaging was good. That was good business.

Thanks a lot

Franklin

This book helped me a lot with the basics. And it freshens up your html-knowledge. Well written and easy enough to follow. Still it left some unanswered questions.

Very good starter book on PHP and MYSQL. It really explains the interaction of PHP with the MYSQL database. I already have my website in progress.

But not for a seasoned programmer either. Luckily I fit that description! I found the book useful and the examples were easy to follow. Can't say I always understood but it has given me a better understanding of PHP and how it works with MySQL. I was able to adapt the code in most instances for a project I am working on. Although I would of loved to have seen more in the ecommerce example, such as how to add custom options to products (i.e. size/color/qty) as well as adding coupon codes to the checkout. I still am clueless as to how to do this and will need to outsource this portion :(.

As a beginner in the PHP & MySQL world, this book provided everything I needed to go from nothing to a fully functioning dynamic site within days. Great examples, and most importantly he covers security concerns as well as best-practices for keeping everything running smooth.

I was also happy that he answered my questions on his support forum within 24 hours of posting. I'm very happy I bought this book, it's been a great learning experience.

I will be ordering more books from this author in the future, and if you are looking to extend your knowledge of dynamic websites, this is certainly a great first step.

As a whole, the Visual Quickstart and QuickPro guides are a great series, and this title - now in its second edition - is no exception.

Ullman provides an excellent overview of PHP, from the basics of the language to advanced features such as implementing shopping carts and using PHP to send email. Ullman's writing style, combined with the easy-to-follow design that this book shares with the rest of the series, make this text easy to follow and learn from.

In addition to PHP, Ullman also covers MySQL development - a necessary secondary skill for PHP developers - over the course of several chapters.

The final three chapters of the book are essentially labs that allow readers to pull together the skills learned through the rest of the text into actual sample applications, including an e-commerce site and a content management system. This seemingly obvious step of creating a practical, realistic site is missing in the vast majority of texts, which leave it up to the reader to pull together the information gleaned in the rest of the book, and they alone would make the book worthwhile.

The book also provides an excellent appendix that provides step-by-step instructions for downloading and configuring PHP, MySQL, and the Apache web server. Here again, many authors seem to think that this is a simple and intuitive process and tend to skip it altogether, leaving readers not left in the dark, unable to even get started, because the software isn't working. Ullman never makes this assumption, and instead makes sure that he covers all of this bases.

Given the popularity of PHP, the market is flooded with books on the topic, but I would never hesitate to recommend this one above the rest, and think that this is the one PHP book every new developer should have on their shelf.

This is a great book for beginners. Each new idea is immediately followed by an application/example. If, like me, all you know is that you need to learn both together, pick this book up. If you already know PHP and want to expand your knowledge to use MySQL, a few chapters you can skip, but this is still recommended for you.

My only complaints would be the lack of information on necessary functions for most programming purposes. I had to search online for information on obtaining the length of an array in PHP and how to easily insert a value from an array in with text being displayed through echo or print or into a string like I would in Perl.

Nonetheless, this has been a great book to get me to start using PHP and MySQL, though you will want to get a book devoted solely to PHP after you make your way through this book.

This book feels like an entire course on PHP and MySQl. It skips right past beginner concepts and assumes you know a fair amount of php. Luckily, I do, but the book can be a bit challenging. All in all, I love how thorough it is in covering intermediate and advanced topics. The writing is fairly easy to read (though 1/3 of the book's 600+ pages are code.) I looked through several books and found this one the most helpful.

The web applications you can build with a good knowledge of PHP and mySQl will knock your socks off.

Very, very, very good book. I couldn't be happier. The last example chapters are great, and I like the way he dedicated an entire chapter to error handling. The author is very friendly and happily provides help. I have been very happy with all the visual quickstart and quickpro books I've purchased.

If want to learn how to start writing PHP and setup a MySQL database and you have a good understanding of html and how databases work, then this book is for you.

The book explains the structure of PHP scripting and hooking into a MySql database, using practical examples. There are also plenty of references to useful sites as well.

My only criticism would be that in setting up the ecommerce example at the end, I was left wanting to take the site to the very end, but I guess it needed to stop somewhere, but there are additional scripts available to download to do that yourself.

The other useful thing about this book is the book's forum. Larry and friends actually answer your questions!

Well worth the cost!

I've been reading / learning computer languages for quite a while now and this is one of the best books I've come across. The examples build on each other, and are easy to understand. There's no w