PHP by Example : 9780789725684

If you already have a good understanding of HTML, and now you want to make
your Web pages do more, then this book is for you!

This book is written to teach Web designers who have never programmed before
or who have little experience programming how to program in PHP. Along the
way, you will pick up important concepts such as object-oriented programming
and the creation of database-driven Web sites. If you are a Web designer and
you want to increase your skills and knowledge of Web programming, this book
is an excellent place to start.

This book will lead you through explanations of all the concepts involved in programming
Web applications in PHP. You will learn to write your own Web programs,
and, because a constant emphasis is placed on important coding
practices, your code will be high quality. To an employer, high-quality code is an
important skill that all programmers should have. Understanding coding style
and other common practices will also make you more productive, meaning you’ll
spend less time correcting errors and more time getting work done.

Finally, by reading this book, you will catch hints related to Web programming
that will bring you much closer to being a knowledgeable PHP programmer,
rather than just a beginner. Being self-taught, I’ve spent many, many hours in
discussion groups, chat rooms, and mailing lists—not to mention browsing PHPrelated
Web sites, articles, and the PHP Manual—to learn PHP and the tricks of
the PHP community. The hints and tricks I have learned have been interspersed
as appropriate throughout this book. Needless to say, the tips you will find in this
book would take months to learn about on your own—especially because a lot of
the time you don’t even know specifically what you’re looking for.