[web] PHP book
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A friend of mine runs a site using PHP and now I'm hooked on trying to learn it. I need to find a good book that can teach me PHP, so I was wondering if anyone could give me the name of some books that are good to learn from.
Whatever book you get make sure it's recent enough to not be using old methods where register_globals is turned on!
I've seen too many books and people still using it even on production websites since they are too lazy to update their code or version of php running on the server for that matter!
In versions of PHP prior to 4.2, the register_globals setting in php.ini was set to On by default. This setting tells PHP to create ordinary variables for all the values supplied in the request automatically. In the previous example, the $name = $_GET['name']; line would be completely unnecessary if the register_globals setting were set to On, since PHP would do it automatically. Although the convenience of this feature was one aspect that helped to make PHP such a popular language in the first place, novice developers could easily leave security holes in sensitive scripts with it enabled.
I've seen too many books and people still using it even on production websites since they are too lazy to update their code or version of php running on the server for that matter!
In versions of PHP prior to 4.2, the register_globals setting in php.ini was set to On by default. This setting tells PHP to create ordinary variables for all the values supplied in the request automatically. In the previous example, the $name = $_GET['name']; line would be completely unnecessary if the register_globals setting were set to On, since PHP would do it automatically. Although the convenience of this feature was one aspect that helped to make PHP such a popular language in the first place, novice developers could easily leave security holes in sensitive scripts with it enabled.
Web Application Development with PHP and MySQL
Also, best to go to the bookstore for an hour or two and read / skim over a few of the available books. The determining factor may be between the available code samples included, which may include something you are actually tryign to make - saving you some time.
Also, best to go to the bookstore for an hour or two and read / skim over a few of the available books. The determining factor may be between the available code samples included, which may include something you are actually tryign to make - saving you some time.
PHP & MySQL for dummies is a good beginner's book.
It can also be used as a reference; it's very straight forward, quite detailed and it covers pretty much all the basic features of procedural PHP.
It can also be used as a reference; it's very straight forward, quite detailed and it covers pretty much all the basic features of procedural PHP.
Both the PHP as the MySQL online manual are so good that you don't need a book, if you are already familliar with programming in general. I would just read/try the introductionary tutorials and then pick up a relatively simple open source app based on PHP/MySQL and start hacking away at it. Something like a simple guestbook for example. Or a photo album. Something that you'd like working on.
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