Web Database Applications with PHP, and MySQL
Web Database Applications with PHP, and MySQL by David Lane and Hugh E. Williams
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Number of Pages:
- 582
- ISBN:
- 0596000413
- Product Group:
- book
- Publisher:
- O'Reilly Media
- Publication Date:
- March 19, 2002
- BooksForGeeks.com ID:
- 1220
Web Database Applications shows Web developers how to build rich Web database applications using two leading open-source technologies, PHP and MySQL. The authors also assume use of the Apache Web server, which is by far the most common PHP scenario. Both PHP and MySQL are introduced from scratch, although this is a fast-paced book best suited to at least intermediate developers.
After a brief discussion of Web database applications, the authors offer a rapid tour of PHP essentials, including loops, expressions, functions and common mistakes. Next comes a quick-start guide to MySQL, focusing mainly on the SQL language itself. The following chapters tackle connecting to MySQL and other databases, implementing user-driven queries and enabling writing as well as reading data. There is a useful chapter on data validation, both on the client and the server and excellent coverage of another crucial subject: security and authentication. This looks at the fundamentals of HTTP authentication and examines security features in both Apache and PHP, identifying weaknesses and explaining pros and cons. The closing chapters form a detailed case study, an online wine store, with complete code available for download. It embraces user management, a shopping cart, searching, ordering and delivery, covering many key topics in the process. At the back of the book are appendices on a range of issues, including installation, Web protocols, database modelling and session management.
Web Database Applications is tightly-focused, packing in lots of solid technical information without wasting words. It does not pretend to cover all the potential uses of PHP, and the screen shots will not win prizes for design, but it's a great handbook for building robust, secure database applications with these popular technologies. --Tim Anderson
Reviews for Web Database Applications with PHP, and MySQL
-
Obsolete and not fit for purpose!
Rated out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010
I am a complete newcomer to PHP and MySQL and I bought this book only a few weeks ago upon recommendation. I tried following the newest version of the Mac Installation Guide dated 30 June 2004 (!) but, as I suspected, I immediately ran into difficulties. The very first line asked me to open NetInfo Manager from Applications, Utilities, but, of course, as I found out, Mac Os X Leopard now has this function on Directory Utility. This was just the beginning of my confidence being slowly eroded as to the usefulness of this book. When I got to the next part about choosing which server version of MySQL to download where it states that:
If you choose Server version 4.1 or later, then the material in this book that
relies on the standard MySQL library can't be used at the time of writing.
I wrote an email to Hugh E. Williams asking his advise on 6th March 2010 as it stated on the books website that he was available to help. It is now the 17th March and I am still waiting for a reply!
I tried to gather the information required from various online resources but eventually gave up after numerous frustrating hours spent going round in circles.
I have now sent the book back to Amazon requesting a full refund and have since ordered "Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites" by Robin Nixon and I am hoping that this will be a more up to date equivalent.
In 2004, when this book was published, it may have been the most brilliant book on the subject but as far as I'm concerned now, this book is not fit for purpose and you have been warned! If I could have given this book zero stars I would have. -
Excellent but Dated!
Rated out of 5 stars, August 12st, 2009
This book is very well, and clearly , written.However, when attempting to use the examples , the PHP versions often conflict with the MySql versions.
This excellently written book could do with an update! -
What's PEAR got to do with it
Rated out of 5 stars, October 12th, 2008
I wholly concur with the comments of D.Lloyd "TVT". I bought this book with the intention of building a website using PHP and MySQL only. I don't want or need PEAR. Not a good book. Steer well clear if you are looking for a book on PHP and MySQL. -
Should have been called "Pear and MySQL"
Rated out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2008
How annoying! Yet another book that professes to be about PHP, but is in fact about an extension of PHP which I for one don't really want to use. I don't need PEAR for my site. I am quite content with native PHP Mysql support. I want a book that explains the ins and outs of that.
This book assumes you will be using PEAR. All the DB stuff is done using PEAR. Native PHP MySQL support doesn't get a look in.
Also, this book assumes you will want to use templates. I don't I keep my php apps as lightweight as possible, so templates are not needed for me.
In my mind, a good learning book will teach you the basics you need to get the job done, and leave you in a better position to explore the extensions etc for yourself, or with the help of dedicated reading matter. Had this book set out to teach you PEAR, I am sure it would have been pretty good. But it didn't. It set out to teach PHP. And it failed. -
Doesn't really lead by example
Rated out of 5 stars, October 12th, 2005
It's a good and thorough book, and as far as it goes or any other book goes on this subject I would recommend it. There are however some caveats to this. The first is that there is a huge chunk in the middle which just lists a whole bunch of functions. It is essentially a reference section in the middle of the book. They do the same for MySQL as they do for PHP. So what are we upposed to do with this? Read amd memorise the whole lot?
It would have been a lot more helpful to bash through and construct a database application (which is what this book is about actually) and explain the code and have a reference section or a pullout at the end.
I now regularly use phpfreaks.com for their tutorials as this is what they do. Take a chunk of useful code, break it down bit by bit, line by line. when properly structured this is a much better way of learning as one really digests the commands and syntax. Just reading an incredibly dry list of commands and functions or being expected to do this is pretty unreasonable. I am still looking for that book that has a complex web application project that includes nearly all of the fnctions and syntax of PHP and MySQL where the reader is led through and comes out of the other end with a thorough understanding of all that is involved.
Summary: great reference book with an example of a web application towards the end of the book.