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Head First PHP & MySQL: A Brain-Friendly Guide 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Lynn Beighley (Author), Michael Morrison (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 244 ratings

If you're ready to create web pages more complex than those you can build with HTML and CSS, Head First PHP & MySQL is the ultimate learning guide to building dynamic, database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL. Packed with real-world examples, this book teaches you all the essentials of server-side programming, from the fundamentals of PHP and MySQL coding to advanced topics such as form validation, session IDs, cookies, database queries and joins, file I/O operations, content management, and more.

Head First PHP & MySQL offers the same visually rich format that's turned every title in the Head First series into a bestseller, with plenty of exercises, quizzes, puzzles, and other interactive features to help you retain what you've learned.

  • Use PHP to transform static HTML pages into dynamic web sites
  • Create and populate your own MySQL database tables, and work with data stored in files
  • Perform sophisticated MySQL queries with joins, and refine your results with LIMIT and ORDER BY
  • Use cookies and sessions to track visitors' login information and personalize the site for users
  • Protect your data from SQL injection attacks
  • Use regular expressions to validate information on forms
  • Dynamically display text based on session info and create images on the fly
  • Pull syndicated data from other sites using PHP and XML
Throughout the book, you'll build sophisticated examples -- including a mailing list, a job board, and an online dating site -- to help you learn how to harness the power of PHP and MySQL in a variety of contexts. If you're ready to build a truly dynamic website, Head First PHP & MySQL is the ideal way to get going.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9781449328504
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1449328504
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    O'Reilly Media
  5. Publication date
    December 22, 2008
  6. Part of series
    Head First
  7. Language
    English
  8. File size
    68.2 MB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lynn Beighley is a fiction writer stuck in a technical book writer's body. Upon discovering that technical book writing actually paid real money, she learned to accept and enjoy it. After going back to school to get a Masters in Computer Science, she worked for the acronyms NRL and LANL. Then she discovered Flash, and wrote her first bestseller. A victim of bad timing, she moved to Silicon Valley just before the great crash. She spent several years working for Yahoo! and writing other books and training courses. Finally giving in to her creative writing bent, she moved to the New York area to get an MFA in Creative Writing. Her Head First-style thesis was delivered to a packed room of professors and fellow students. It was extremely well received, and she finished her degree, finished Head First SQL, and can't wait to begin her next book.

Lynn loves traveling, cooking, and making up elaborate background stories about complete strangers. She's a little scared of clowns.

Michael Morrison is a writer, developer, toy inventor, and author of a variety of books covering topics such as Java, Web scripting, game development, and mobile devices. Some of Michael's notable writing projects include JavaScript Bible, 6th Edition (Wiley, 2006),Teach Yourself HTML and CSS in 24 Hours, 7th Edition (Sams Publishing, 2005), Beginning Mobile Phone Game Programming (Sams Publishing, 2004) and Java Unleashed (Sams Publishing, 1997). Michael is the intructor of several Web-based courses, including DigitalThink's Introduction to Java 2 series, JavaBeans for Programmers series, and Win32 Programming series (www.digitalthink.com).

In addition to his primary profession as a writer and technical consultant, Michael is the founder of Stalefish Labs (www.stalefishlabs.com), an entertainment company specializing in games, toys, and interactive media. When not glued to his computer, skateboarding, playing hockey, or watching movies with his wife, Masheed, Michael enjoys hanging out by his koi pond.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CB30Y2S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (December 22, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 22, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 68.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1156 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 244 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Michael Morrison

    Michael Morrison

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    Michael Morrison is a writer, developer, toy inventor, and author of a variety of software technology books and interactive web-based courses. In addition to his primary profession as a writer and freelance software developer, Michael is the founder and creative lead of Stalefish Labs, an interactive entertainment company. Stalefish Labs has produced the board game Inc. The Game of Business, the social/trivia card game Tall Tales: The Game of Legends and Creative One-Upmanship, and numerous mobile apps. Most recently, the mobile app Muster (http://www.muster.io) makes it considerably easier to plan social gatherings.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Lynn Beighley

    Lynn Beighley

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Lynn Beighley is a fiction writer stuck in a technical book writer's body.

    She spends most of her time writing tech books, or writing novels, or traveling.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
244 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this PHP & MySQL book to be a great learning resource, particularly as a self-paced tool for beginners, and appreciate how it helps understand basic concepts. The book receives positive feedback for its style and physical condition, and customers find it engaging and fun to read. However, customers disagree on how easy it is to follow the learning structure, and some report code errors in the examples. Additionally, the content quality receives mixed reviews, with one customer noting it's far out of date with current PHP.

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60 customers mention "Learning material"54 positive6 negative

Customers find this book to be a great learning resource, particularly suitable for beginners and as a self-paced tool, with one customer noting its effectiveness in teaching PHP and MySQL basics.

"...Head First successfully attempts to deliver an extremely educational book while being fun and modernistic...." Read more

"This book can teach you dynamic web development using PHP and MySQL quickly...." Read more

"...Great reading: you just have to know how to skim through lower-level material and spot your target. Great book!" Read more

"...In all this was a helpful book. There are some errors in the book's code as well as the downloadable code online. Mostly with sticky forms...." Read more

12 customers mention "Fun"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and interesting, with one mentioning it keeps them on their toes.

"...attempts to deliver an extremely educational book while being fun and modernistic...." Read more

"...But, that's the only problem. The book keeps you on your toes and noticed as you went along in the book they left stuff out of the instructions..." Read more

"...Still, the book was entertaining and kept me interested and coding in my first experience with the language...." Read more

"...The Head First series by O'Reilly is fantastic. It makes the content interesting and presents it in way that is simple, but not dumbed down...." Read more

11 customers mention "Php knowledge"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate how the book helps them understand PHP and MySQL basics, with one customer noting it provides a good starting point for developing web-based applications.

"...It mixes PHP and SQL together teaching you the basics of what you need...." Read more

"While this pretty much goes over the basics of PHP and MySQL, a subject that I had broached more than 8 years ago, the shine on -this- particular..." Read more

"...The good news is that PHPMyAdmin has vastly improved, so you don't need to type in that code anymore -- but it makes you worry what other things wo..." Read more

"This book help me understand the basic of PHP and MySQL...." Read more

5 customers mention "Style"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, with one noting its modernistic approach and another describing it as a nice visual helpful guide.

"...to deliver an extremely educational book while being fun and modernistic...." Read more

"...Headcase PHP and MYsql is a nice visual helpful book. However it is more of another PC book with examples for a PC computer...." Read more

"Whimsical, informative, humorous...." Read more

"...right now and it's more in line with how I learn: organized, linear, neat, tidy. Head First is good, don't get me wrong...." Read more

4 customers mention "Sturdiness"4 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the book's sturdiness, noting it arrives in very good condition, with one customer mentioning its solid principles.

"...really corny, but once you get past that you can learn some pretty solid principles and easy exorcises that you can apply to a lot of web..." Read more

"This book was exactly what I ordered, excellent condition, and great delivery time!..." Read more

"Book was in very good condition.. Perfect as far as I was concerned...." Read more

"I love this book great for PHP and in great condition" Read more

57 customers mention "Ease of understanding"38 positive19 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's clarity, with some finding the topics easy to understand and appreciating it as a friendly introduction to programming concepts using PHP, while others report difficulty following the learning structure.

"...For me, the most impressive thing about this book is it's attention to detail - on more than one occasion I've wondered why something was done in a..." Read more

"...For beginners I can't stress this enough how easy this book is and how well it explains everything...." Read more

"There are only a few things that are important and the popped out in this book right away: How to post a form with data and how to take the posted..." Read more

"...I gave this book four stars because there were problems with setting up the environment which could of been avoided if they gave more attention to..." Read more

7 customers mention "Code errors"0 positive7 negative

Customers report multiple instances of code errors in the book.

"...In all this was a helpful book. There are some errors in the book's code as well as the downloadable code online. Mostly with sticky forms...." Read more

"...to the level of a beginner (which I wanted), but it has too many errors in the details for a beginner to actually follow along...." Read more

"...I found that the code for the examples had errors and I needed to use the accompanying web site to resolve the errors and get it working...." Read more

"...book (or its companion repository) doesn't work as expected and returns errors." Read more

3 customers mention "Content quality"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's content outdated, with one customer noting it was published in 2008.

"...to programming concepts using PHP, however, the content seems to be outdated as some examples outright don't work...." Read more

"...I like other Head First books, but this one is too outdated (2008) to recommend...." Read more

"Although I generally like Head First books, this one is so far out of date with current PHP that I can't recommend it...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • airbrushtutor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best beginner's PHP + MySQL Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I've purchased around 6 or 7 books on PHP (for beginners) and each book has a common pattern where i get to a certain point and nothing else makes sense. I put down that book and pick up the next and re-learn what a variable is and learn about associative arrays, then they jump into checking if GET variables are set, but i don't even know what they are yet??
    Head First PHP & MySQL pulls you into the pool fully dressed and forces you to get typing in a way that no other book even comes close to. It's easy to sit back and write a bad review that there's mistakes, parts that are difficult to learn etc - but if you review this book relative to what is out there - the others just can't compete. Head First successfully attempts to deliver an extremely educational book while being fun and modernistic. It is made up of several long, hands-on php/ mysql tutorials that do a great job of showing you how to apply top to bottom php coding. For me, the most impressive thing about this book is it's attention to detail - on more than one occasion I've wondered why something was done in a certain way and I turn the page to find that the detail has been answered! This is what I think helps the book to distinguish itself as the best 'how-to PHP' guide on the market.
    I strongly recommend this if you would like to learn PHP, however I would also strongly suggest that you buy yourself a beginner's PHP book to accompany it, that isn't tutorial based, such as PHP for Absolute Beginners (Expert's Voice in Open Source).
    I'm mid-way through Head First PHP and stopped doing the tutorials just so i could write this review. In fact i found a free version of this book somewhere online and liked it so much that i went ahead and bought it on amazon because i felt the value I received was well worth the money.. plus it's like having a little PHP bible next to me:) Strongly recommended:)
    9 people found this helpful
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  • James s
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Students
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I'm a Web Design student, and I got this book for a database class I had to take a little while back. Unfortunately my instructors style of teaching didn't fit my style of learning (in other words I don't learn PHP from a 60 page powerpoint slideshow...). So a friend recommended me this book so that I can just teach it to myself. I gotta say I am very happy with it. For beginners I can't stress this enough how easy this book is and how well it explains everything. I mean the "humor" that the book tries to push is really corny, but once you get past that you can learn some pretty solid principles and easy exorcises that you can apply to a lot of web applications. It mixes PHP and SQL together teaching you the basics of what you need.

    Now this book is not a standard textbook that covers every single component of PHP and SQL but more of learning through some basic exorcises. I personally don't like the soulless and dry text book style books that just present everything in the most boring way. This book tries to mix it up and be a little less serious which in my opinion makes it easier to take in. If you are looking to learn basic PHP/SQL applications then I would highly recommend this book. The more advanced programmer may not find it as helpful however.
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  • Redjr
    4.0 out of 5 stars You can learn PHP with this book
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    This book can teach you dynamic web development using PHP and MySQL quickly. I bought this book because I needed to learn PHP quickly for a site I planned to build. I was able to write scripts quickly using this book. I gave this book four stars because there were problems with setting up the environment which could of been avoided if they gave more attention to the setup. For beginners that never setup a local test environment, this will be very frustrating. But, that's the only problem. The book keeps you on your toes and noticed as you went along in the book they left stuff out of the instructions because at that point in the book you should know what to do. So you get weened off the hand holding for simple tasks such as creating a database. So, this is a great learning book. Don't get scared off by the setup. I found if you google WAMP and download the WAMP server, it will set the environment up for you. They should mention that in the book. If you're purpose is to learn PHP and MySQL, this book is the one to get.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • CGIsackson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Total Database Control with PHP
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    There are only a few things that are important and the popped out in this book right away: How to post a form with data and how to take the posted elements to the database. The book totally covered the necessities with a comical data-entry form.

    Great reading: you just have to know how to skim through lower-level material and spot your target. Great book!
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Christian Schacht
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gutes Buch für den Einstieg aber Bilder auf dem Kindle sind nicht optimal
    Reviewed in Germany on April 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ich habe jahrelange Erfahrung in der Softwareentwicklung speziell mit Java und möchte durch dieses Buch in die PHP Entwicklung einsteigen.

    Die offene Struktur und die Einbindung vom Leser gefällt mir außerordentlich an den Head First Buchern.
    Durch praktische Beispiele die Teilweise aufeinander aufbauen (jedoch nicht erforderlich erweise gelesen werden müssen) werden verschiedene Eigenschaften von PHP erklärt. Wenn man allerdings schon Erfahrung in der Softwareentwicklung hat fallen einige Problem schon vorab auf, die im späterem Verlauf des Buches dann zur Verbesserung der Beispiele bzw. Erklärung von anderen Eigenschaften von PHP genutzt werden.

    Mir hat das Buch als Einstieg sehr geholfen es kann aber auf keinen Fall mit dem Detailgrad des PHP Manuals mithalten - Erklärt aber vieles einfacher und weniger steif.

    Das Buch besteht aus sehr vielen Bildern bzw. Skizzen und Diagrammen, die auf dem Kindle schwer zu lesen sind. Die Zoofunktion war da hilfreich obwohl einige Bilder mit Text trotzdem schwer zu lesen sind.
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  • Carlo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book about php, learning by doing
    Reviewed in Italy on March 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book, i love it! Absolutely never boring because u learn by doing real projects more and more complicated. Very good!👍
    Report
  • Andrew K
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best PHP book for beginners!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent for beginners. However it is not good for reference as it explains everything in terms of projects so if you want to loook up particular functions, chances are you will not be successful. You lear about arrays,, variables, sessions, cookies and so on, by doing excercises. There are brief explanations of these at the beginning but the methord the book uses is to teach you as you do.

    This is the first book that enabled me to have a PHP scrpt that connects to a MySQL Database. I first used code from the book, then modified it to do other things and finally I could write my own code. For a beginner, I can't think of a better book than this one. You will be able to see the application growing. It has a large community of aspring programmers or O'reilly, so you can askl questions on the forums if you are stack.

    It's a hilarious way of learning. You start with a problem then you solve it in stages and even the code is arranged that way. Along the way problems are introduced and solved. You get involved by typing code so you learn by doing. In this way you build up your knowledge adding concepts as you ascend. I can now create XML Feeds, after doing an excercise from this book.

    After you know how to program, you will hate the book, and that may be the right time to pass it to your young sister or the local council library.

    Conclusion: The best PHP book for beginners! It just can't be beat in that category, at least according to me!
    Report
  • Harry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love It , Just Awesome ! Great ! Thank You !
    Reviewed in India on February 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I Read some head first books lately from pdf downloads and i felt it okkk to buy a paperback this time . And Honestly not only i am just satisfied , but feels like just the great publisher to write such books . Must say so easy language , just being sure of being taking these type of books for learning/starter purpose only and not as kind of a reference books !

    And Yeah i am a Programmer too and have a little experience also and i am NOT A Beginner ! . Its not true that its only for beginner , so much fun !

    Love It
    Report
  • castro odhiambo
    5.0 out of 5 stars I received what i ordered
    Reviewed in Canada on June 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Delivery was on time and the condition of the book is excellent.
    Report

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