This is a pretty accurate table of contents, give or take a sub-heading or two. Each chapter also has a summary, quiz questions, and one or more activities.

PART I: Getting Up and Running
Walks you through the installation and configuration of MySQL, Apache, and PHP. You'll need to complete the lessons in Part I before moving on to the remaining lessons, unless you already have access to a working installation of these technologies. Even if you don't need to install and configure MySQL, Apache, and PHP in your environment, you should still skim these lessons so that you understand the basics.

Chapter 1: Installing and Configuring MySQL

• Current and Future Versions of MySQL
• How to Get MySQL
• Installing MySQL on Linux/Unix
• Installing MySQL on Windows
• Troubleshooting Your Installation
• Basic Security Guidelines
  • Starting MySQL
  • Securing Your MySQL Connection
• Introducing the MySQL Privilege System
  • The Two-Step Authentication Process
• Working with User Privileges
  • Adding Users
  • Removing Privileges

Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Apache

• Current and Future Versions of Apache
• Choosing the Appropriate Installation Method
  • Building from Source
  • Installing a Binary
• Installing Apache on Linux/Unix
  • Downloading the Apache Source Code
  • Uncompressing the Source Code
  • Preparing to Build Apache
  • Building and Installing Apache
• Installing Apache on Windows
• Apache Configuration File Structure
  • Directives
  • Containers
  • Conditional Evaluation
  • ServerRoot
  • Per-Directory Configuration Files
• Apache Log Files
  • access_log
  • error_log
• Additional Files
• Apache-Related Commands
  • Apache Server Binary
  • Apache Control Script
• Starting Apache for the First Time
  • Check Your Configuration File
  • Starting Apache
• Troubleshooting
  • Already an Existing Web Server
  • No Permission to Bind to Port
  • Access Denied
  • Wrong Group Settings

Chapter 3: Installing and Configuring PHP

• Current and Future Versions of PHP
• Building PHP on Linux/Unix with Apache
  • Additional Configuration Options
  • Integrating PHP with Apache on Linux/Unix
• Installing PHP Files on Windows
  • Integrating PHP with Apache on Windows
• php.ini Basics
• Testing Your Installation
• Getting Installation Help
• The Basics of PHP Scripts
  • Beginning and Ending a Block of PHP Statements
  • The echo Statement and print() Function
  • Combining HTML and PHP
  • Adding Comments to PHP Code

PART II: PHP Language Structure
Predominantly devoted to teaching you the basics of the PHP language, including structural elements such as arrays and objects. The examples will get you in the habit of writing code, uploading it to your server, and testing the results.

Chapter 4: The Building Blocks of PHP

• Variables
  • Globals and Superglobals
• Data Types
  • Changing Type with settype()
  • Changing Type by Casting
  • Why Test Type?
• Operators and Expressions
  • The Assignment Operator
  • Arithmetic Operators
  • The Concatenation Operator
  • Combined Assignment Operators
  • Automatically Incrementing and Decrementing an Integer Variable
  • Comparison Operators
  • Creating More Complex Test Expressions with the Logical Operators
  • Operator Precedence
• Constants
  • Predefined Constants

Chapter 5: Flow Control Functions in PHP

• Switching Flow
  • The if Statement
  • Using the else Clause with the if Statement
  • Using the elseif Clause with the if Statement
  • The switch Statement
  • Using the ? Operator
• Loops
  • The while Statement
  • The do...while Statement
  • The for Statement
  • Breaking Out of Loops with the break Statement
  • Skipping an Iteration with the continue Statement
  • Nesting Loops
• Code Blocks and Browser Output

Chapter 6: Working with Functions

• What Is a Function?
• Calling Functions
• Defining a Function
• Returning Values from User-Defined Functions
• Variable Scope
  • Accessing Variables with the global Statement
• Saving State Between Function Calls with the static Statement
• More About Arguments
  • Setting Default Values for Arguments
  • Passing Variable References to Functions
• Testing for the Existence of a Function

Chapter 7: Working with Arrays and Objects

• What Is an Array?
• Creating Arrays
  • Creating Associative Arrays
  • Creating Multidimensional Arrays
• Some Array-Related Functions
• Creating an Object
  • Properties of Objects
  • Object Methods
  • Constructors
• Object Inheritance

PART III: Getting Involved with the Code
Consists of lessons that cover intermediate-level application-development topics, including working with forms and files, restricting access, and completing other small projects designed to introduce a specific concept.

Chapter 8: Working with Strings, Dates, and Times

• Formatting Strings with PHP
  • Working with printf()
  • Specifying a Field Width
  • Argument Swapping
  • Storing a Formatted String
• Investigating Strings in PHP
  • A Note About Indexing Strings
  • Finding the Length of a String with strlen()
  • Finding a Substring Within a String with strstr()
  • Finding the Position of a Substring with strpos()
  • Extracting Part of a String with substr()
  • Tokenizing a String with strtok()
• Manipulating Strings with PHP
  • Cleaning Up a String with trim() and ltrim() and strip_tags()
  • Replacing a Portion of a String Using substr_replace()
  • Replacing Substrings Using str_replace
  • Converting Case
  • Wrapping Text with wordwrap() and nl2br()
  • Breaking Strings into Arrays with explode()
• Using Date and Time Functions in PHP
  • Getting the Date with time()
  • Converting a Timestamp with getdate()
  • Converting a Timestamp with date()
  • Creating Timestamps with mktime()
  • Testing a Date with checkdate()

Chapter 9: Working with Forms

• Creating a Simple Input Form
• Accessing Form Input with User-Defined Arrays
• Combining HTML and PHP Code on a Single Page
• Using Hidden Fields to Save State
• Redirecting the User
• Sending Mail on Form Submission
  • System Configuration for the mail() Function
  • Creating the Form
  • Creating the Script to Send the Mail
  • Formatting Your Mail with HTML
• Working with File Uploads
  • Creating the File Upload Form
  • Creating the File Upload Script

Chapter 10: Working with User Sessions

• Session Function Overview
• Starting a Session
• Working with Session Variables
• Passing Session IDs in the Query String
• Destroying Sessions and Unsetting Variables

Chapter 11: Working with Files and Directories

• Including Files with include()
  • Returning a Value from an Included Document
  • Using include() Within Control Structures
  • include_once()
  • The include_path Directive
• Testing Files
  • Checking for Existence with file_exists()
  • A File or a Directory?
  • Checking the Status of a File
  • Determining File Size with filesize()
  • Getting Date Information About a File
  • Creating a Function That Performs Multiple File Tests
• Creating and Deleting Files
• Opening a File for Writing, Reading, or Appending
• Reading from Files
  • Reading Lines from a File with fgets() and feof()
  • Reading Arbitrary Amounts of Data from a File with fread()
  • Reading Characters from a File with fgetc()
• Writing or Appending to a File
  • Writing to a File with fwrite() or fputs()
  • Locking Files with flock()
• Working with Directories
  • Creating Directories with mkdir()
  • Removing a Directory with rmdir()
  • Opening a Directory for Reading with opendir()
  • Reading the Contents of a Directory with readdir()

Chapter 12: Working with the Server Environment

• Opening Pipes to and from Processes Using popen()
• Running Commands with exec()
• Running Commands with system() or passthru()

Chapter 13: Working with Images

• Understanding the Image-Creation Process
  • A Word About Color
• Necessary Modifications to PHP
  • Obtaining Additional Libraries
• Drawing a New Image
  • Drawing Shapes and Lines
  • Using a Color Fill
• Getting Fancy with Pie Charts
• Modifying Existing Images

PART IV: PHP & MySQL Integration
Contains lessons devoted to working with databases in general, such as database normalization, as well as using PHP to connect to and work with MySQL. Included is a basic SQL primer, which also includes MySQL-specific functions and other information.

Chapter 14: Learning the Database Design Process

• The Importance of Good Database Design
• Types of Table Relationships
  • One-to-One Relationships
  • One-to-Many Relationships
  • Many-to-Many Relationships
• Understanding Normalization
  • Problems with the Flat Table
  • First Normal Form
  • Second Normal Form
  • Third Normal Form
• Following the Design Process

Chapter 15: Learning Basic SQL Commands

• Learning the MySQL Data Types
  • Numeric Data Types
  • Date and Time Types
  • String Types
• Learning the Table Creation Syntax
• Using the INSERT Command
  • A Closer Look at INSERT
• Using the SELECT Command
  • Ordering SELECT Results
  • Limiting Your Results
• Using WHERE in Your Queries
  • Using Operators in WHERE Clauses
  • String Comparison Using LIKE
• Selecting from Multiple Tables
  • Using JOIN
• Using the UPDATE Command to Modify Records
  • Conditional UPDATEs
  • Using Existing Column Values with UPDATE
• Using the REPLACE Command
• Using the DELETE Command
  • Conditional DELETE
• Frequently Used String Functions in MySQL
  • Length and Concatenation Functions
  • Trimming and Padding Functions
  • Location and Position Functions
  • Substring Functions
  • String Modification Functions
• Using Date and Time Functions in MySQL
  • Working with Days
  • Working with Months and Years
  • Working with Weeks
  • Working with Hours, Minutes, and Seconds
  • Formatting Dates and Times with MySQL
  • Performing Date Arithmetic with MySQL
  • Special Functions and Conversion Features

Chapter 16: Interacting with MySQL Using PHP

• Connecting to MySQL with PHP
  • Using mysql_connect()
  • Executing Queries
  • Retrieving Error Messages
• Working with MySQL Data
  • Inserting Data with PHP
  • Retrieving Data with PHP
  • Additional MySQL Functions in PHP

PART V: Basic Projects
Consists of lessons devoted to performing a particular task using PHP and MySQL, integrating all the knowledge gained so far. Projects include an address book, a discussion forum, and a basic online storefront, among others.

Chapter 17: Managing a Simple Mailing List

• Developing the Subscription Mechanism
  • Creating the subscribers Table
  • Creating the Subscription Form
• Developing the Mailing Mechanism

Chapter 18: Creating an Online Address Book

• Planning and Creating the Database Tables
• Creating a Menu
• Creating the Record Addition Mechanism
• Viewing Records
• Creating the Record Deletion Mechanism
• Adding Subentries to a Record

Chapter 19: Creating a Simple Discussion Forum

• Designing the Database Tables
• Creating the Input Forms and Scripts
• Displaying the Topic List
• Displaying the Posts in a Topic
• Adding Posts to a Topic

Chapter 20: Creating an Online Storefront

• Planning and Creating the Database Tables
  • Inserting Records into the store_categories Table
  • Inserting Records into the store_items Table
  • Inserting Records into the store_item_size Table
  • Inserting Records into the store_item_color Table
• Displaying Categories of Items
• Displaying Items

Chapter 21: Creating a Shopping Cart Mechanism

• Planning and Creating the Database Tables
• Integrating the Cart with Your Storefront
  • Adding Items to Your Cart
  • Viewing the Cart
  • Removing Items from Your Cart
• Payment Methods and the Checkout Sequence
  • Creating the Checkout Form
  • Performing the Checkout Actions

Chapter 22: Creating a Simple Calendar

• Building a Simple Display Calendar
  • Checking User Input
  • Building the HTML Form
  • Creating the Calendar Table
• Creating a Calendar library

Chapter 23: Restricting Access to Your Applications

• Authentication Overview
  • Client Authentication
• Apache Authentication Module Functionality
  • File-Based Authentication
  • Database File-Based Access Control
• Using Apache for Access Control
  • Implementing Access Rules
  • Evaluating Access Rules
• Combining Apache Access Methods
• Limiting Access Based on HTTP Methods
• Introducing Cookies
  • The Anatomy of a Cookie
• Setting a Cookie with PHP
  • Deleting a Cookie
• Restricting Access Based on Cookie Values
  • Creating the Authorized Users Table
  • Creating the Login Form and Script
  • Testing for the auth Cookie

Chapter 24: Logging and Monitoring Web Server Activity

• Standard Apache Access Logging
  • Deciding What to Log
  • Logging Accesses to Files
  • Logging Accesses to a Program
• Standard Apache Error Logging
  • Logging Errors to a File
  • Logging Errors to a Program
  • The syslog Daemon Argument
  • The LogLevel Directive
• Managing Apache Logs
  • Resolving Hostnames
  • Log Rotation
  • Merging and Splitting Logs
  • Log Analysis
  • Monitoring Error Logs
• Logging Custom Information to a Database
  • Creating the Database Table
  • Creating the PHP Code Snippet
  • Creating Sample Reports

Chapter 25: Application Localization

• About Internationalization and Localization
• About Character Sets
• Environment Modifications
  • Configuration Changes to Apache
  • Configuration Changes to PHP
  • Configuration Changes to MySQL
• Creating a Localized Page Structure

PART VI: Administration & Fine-Tuning
Devoted to administering and tuning Apache and MySQL. It also includes information on virtual hosting and setting up a secure Web server.

Chapter 26: Apache Performance Tuning and Virtual Hosting

• Scalability Issues
  • Operating System Limits
  • Performance-Related Apache Settings
• Load Testing with ApacheBench
• Proactive Performance Tuning
  • Mapping Files to Memory
  • Distributing the Load
  • Caching
  • Reduce Transmitted Data
  • Network Settings
• Preventing Abuse
  • Robots
• Implementing Virtual Hosting
  • IP-Based Virtual Hosting
  • Name-Based Virtual Hosts
  • Mass Virtual Hosting

Chapter 27: Setting Up a Secure Web Server

• The Need for Security
  • Confidentiality
  • Integrity
  • Authentication
• The SSL Protocol
  • Addressing the Need for Confidentiality
  • Addressing the Need for Integrity
  • Addressing the Need for Authentication
• Installing SSL
  • OpenSSL
  • mod_ssl
• Managing Certificates
  • Creating a Key Pair
  • Creating a Certificate Signing Request
  • Creating a Self-Signed Certificate
• SSL Configuration
  • Starting the Server

Chapter 28: Optimizing and Tuning MySQL

• Building an Optimized Platform
  • Using the benchmark() Function
• MySQL Startup Options
  • Key Startup Parameters
• Optimizing Your Table Structure
• Optimizing Your Queries
• Using the FLUSH Command
• Using the SHOW Command
  • Retrieving Information about Databases and Tables
  • Retrieving Table Structure Information
  • Retrieving System Status

Chapter 29: Software Upgrades

• Staying in the Loop
  • When to Upgrade
• Upgrading MySQL
• Upgrading Apache
  • Modifying Apache Without Upgrading
• Upgrading PHP

PART VII: Looking Toward the Future
Contains information regarding the upcoming major releases of PHP 5.0 and MySQL 4.1.

Chapter 30: Features and Backward Compatibility of PHP 5.0

• What's Wrong With PHP 4?
• The New Object Model
• Additional New Features
  • SQLite
  • XML Support
• So, When Should I Upgrade to PHP 5?
  • Backwards Compatibility

Chapter 31: Features and Backward Compatibility of MySQL 4.1

• Using Subqueries
  • Subquery Example for Time Tracking
• Internationalization Enhancements
• Additional New Functionality
• Looking Further Ahead to MySQL 5.0.