Good PHP and MySQL book?
 

Im looking for a good PHP and MySQL book, I have a PHP book atm and its very lacking in the MySQL chapters, so any sugestions will be welcomed.

And please dont start spamming with www.mysql.com and www.php.net etc, theres a large difference between websites and books one such difference being you cant take a website with you to the bog and on train journeys, comprende?

I'm being deadly serious when I say PHP/MySQL for Dummies. It won't break the bank and will get you started in no time.

Yeh I looked at that, I also looked at
this

I need something which will explain how to fully use mysql with PHP, my current book is kinda bad at that, missing out a lot of the syntax rules heh.

Can't comment on the other but PHP/MySQL for dummies is one I actually have and it really is well written. To be honest it sounds perfect for what you want.

Surely there isnt that much to say? I would have thought you needed to learn the PHP commands that interface with the DB. The rest would be learning SQL.

The later can be extremely quick, or extremely hard depending on how in depth you go. SQL supports a lot of operations most people have never even seen before.

I suspect your book covers the initial interfacing in PHP? And perhaps you would be wise to just go for a book on SQL ?

My 2 cents.

I've got the O'Reilly Web Database book, it's not bad, although I'd wait for a second edition before getting it.

A few of the examples in the book won't work with a "out of the box" PHP setup (for register_globals reasons mainly). It's not exactly a major problem, but it can be a bit annoying.

It's very strong on the theme of the book - setting up an e-commerce style site using PHP/MySQL. But I'm not sure how good it is if you are going for more general usage. Personally I'd get a more general PHP book (O'Reilly's Programming PHP is good) and then a more general MySQL book. The actual PHP MySQL functions are a doddle to use and there's not that much you need to know about them.

I have the O'reilly SQL book, so SQL commands aint the problem, im just lacking how php interfaces with SQL as my PHP book is utter crap :/

Not on the MySQL interface, no. A dozen or so lines of code pretty much covers that and that includes error trapping :)

It does go into basic DB design and PHP basics as well, the central theme takes you through to a PHP frontend for a MySQL DB with user login and session tracking. Not rocket science but it's still a useful book (although I hadn't done any PHP when I bought it so I may have found it more useful than someone who had).

I know you said about www.php.net, but once you've got to grips with the basics do not understimate its use! User comments on most commands give several working examples for just about any function imaginable (as well as all the pitfalls). Its a really, really good resource.

Re: Good PHP and MySQL book?
 

BUT YOU CANT COPY/PASTE FROM THE BOG EITHER!!!!!123
(disturbing mental image intentional)

Re: Re: Good PHP and MySQL book?
 

I tried to copy and paste using my pen the other day, the humilitation :(

Most of my learning is done on the bog :/ its so much easier to concentrate :/

get a book by kevin yank from www.sitepoint.com - it is all you will ever need.

You mean "Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL"? :)

I seem to recall that you mentioned accessibility in another thread? A major rule is to always Name Your Links, so that users don't have to click them to find what they are :)

Anyway, that's by-the-by.

I read reviews of various PHP books before buying my own ones, and apparently that O'Reilly one actually has syntax and other errors in the example code. Annoying!

I picked up PHP from "Beginning PHP4" from Wrox. It came very highly recommended. It turned my web-designing ass into a half decent PHP/MySQL coder in a short time!

The new Wrox book about using PHP & MySQL in a live project . Looks very interesting. But Professional PHP Programming . Is probably more relevant.

M.

That's almost as bad as an unnamed link. :)

i cannot stress enough that if you are new to php/mysql this is all you will need. disregard anything else that has been said here.

read the first 4 chapters here, by the end of that you should be able to code php as well as 90% of the people on this board, if not better. get and read the whole book and it will be well worth your time.

And I can't stress enough that Beginning PHP4 (with MySQL) is the only book you'll ever need :P

M.

that book is the equivalent of the 1st 4 chapters of the other book. i don't have any php books. but as far as i know, the kevin yank book takes you into advanced principles too, such as oop and database abstraction.

"As far as you know"? It seems you've read neither book? Therefore I continue in my recommendation, of a book which also delves into some more advanced principles too.

But you could be right, as Rit already has some PHP knowledge and your recommendation is for "intermediate or advanced Web designers looking to make the leap into server-side programming".

But after teaching myself from "Beginning PHP4" by Wrox, I can only recommend Professional PHP Programming by the same people.

M.

The PHP manual itself provides its own MySQL chapter, tis where i learnt from.

Valid. The online PHP manual, with user notes, is just superb. It rarely fails me.

M.