This book is at least 8 years out of date. I do not recommend you purchase it!

The first edition of this book was one of the very first PHP books published, in early 2000. It is geared toward beginners, covering the same general set of information as PHP Fast & Easy, but with a different writing style and book structure. As with all of my books, this book was never intended to be the one and only PHP book on your bookshelf, but rather to provide a foundation for future studies.

• ISBN 1931841349, © Premier Press, 2003
• Download the source code.
• Translations: Chinese (Traditional), Polish

Previous Editions:

• 1st ed. ISBN 076152729X, © Prima-Tech 2000. Translations: Portuguese. Source Code.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Started with PHP

• Installing a Web Server
  • Working with Apache
• Installing and Configuring PHP
  • Installing PHP on Linux/UNIX
  • Installing PHP on Windows
  • Modifications with php.ini
  • Adding Database Support to PHP
  • Testing Your Installation
• Working with Other Web Servers
  • Installing on Microsoft IIS 4 (or Newer)
• Using PHP4

Chapter 2: Basic PHP Techniques

• An HTML Refresher
  • HTML Tags
  • Creating a Valid HTML Document
• Understanding How PHP is Parsed
  • Code Cohabitation and PHP Tags
  • The Importance of the Instruction Terminator
  • Escaping Your Code
  • Commenting Your Code
• PHP Variables and Operators
  • Variables and Value Types
  • Operator Types
  • Working with Arrays
  • User-defined Functions
  • Retrieving Values from Forms
  • Displaying Dynamic Content
  • Sending E-Mail

Chapter 3: Working With Databases

• Basic Database Information
  • The Importance of Unique Identifiers
  • What About Relationships?
• Understanding Database Normalization
  • Looking at a Flat Table
  • The First Normal Form
  • The Second Normal Form
  • The Third Normal Form
• Basic SQL Commands
  • CREATE
  • ALTER
  • DROP
  • INSERT
  • UPDATE
  • SELECT
  • DELETE
• Establishing a Database Connection with PHP
  • Connecting to a MySQL Database
  • Connecting to a PostgreSQL Database
  • Connecting to an Oracle Database
  • Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server
  • Using other Databases with PHP

Chapter 4: Creating and Populating Database Tables

• Create a Database Table
  • Step 1: Basic Table Definition
  • Step 2: Field Definition
  • Step 3: Connect to MySQL and Create the Table
• Inserting Data
• Select and Display Data

Chapter 5: User Authentication

• Basic HTTP Authentication
  • Configuring HTTP Authentication on Apache
• Database-Driven Authentication
  • Using PHP Authentication Variables to Validate Users
  • Using HTML Forms to Validate Users
• Limit by IP Address

Chapter 6: User Tracking and Session Management

• Cookies
  • Setting Cookies
  • Reading Cookies
• PHP4 Session Handling
  • Understanding Session Variables
  • Starting a Session and Registering Variables
  • Managing User Preferences with Sessions

Chapter 7: Advanced PHP Techniques: Web-Based Database Administration

• Planning Your Product Catalog
  • Developing an Administration Menu
• Safe and Secure Shopping
  • Becoming SSL-Enabled
  • Credit Card Processing and Store Checkout Procedures
• Creating a Basic Shopping System
  • Displaying Your Product Catalog
  • Counting the Cart Items
  • When It’s Checkout Time

Chapter 8: Advanced PHP Techniques: Working with Images

• Installation and Configuration Requirements
• Creating New Images
  • Pie Chart Example
• Working with Existing Images
• Expanding Your Image-Related Knowledge

Chapter 9: Advanced PHP Techniques: Working with XML

• XML Overview
• Creating New Images
  • Basic XML Document Structure
  • XML and Traditional Databases
• Preparing to Use XML with PHP
• Parsing XML
• Parse and Display Content from XML Files

Appendix A: Essential PHP Language Reference

• PHP Syntax
• Variables
• Operators
• Control Structures
• Built-In Functions
• Database Connectivity Functions
• Date and Time Functions
• Filesystem Functions
• HTTP Functions
• Mail Functions
• Mathematical Functions
• Miscellaneous Functions
• Network Functions
• PHP Version and Related Information
• Program Execution Functions
• Regular Expression Functions
• Session-Handling Functions
• String Functions
• Variable Functions

Appendix B: Getting Support

• Web Sites
• Mailing Lists