Message from Dean - May 8th 2007
I am currently testing out a new version of the APF Bridge Component - If you notice any errors within this demo store please drop me a line.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 005
EAN: 9781893115859
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 1893115852
Label: Apress
Manufacturer: Apress
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 450
Publication Date: 2000-12
Publisher: Apress
Release Date: May 04, 2009
Studio: Apress
Alternate Versions: Click to Display
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
No matter what language you are familiar with, this book will benefit you. Beginning with a rapid introduction to PHP's syntax and basic functionality, you will swiftly understand PHP. The book then steers you toward advanced issues, like PHP's role in database manipulation, sessions, and user interactivity.
Author W.J. Gilmore also examines how PHP can work with XML, JavaScript, and the Component Object Model (COM). He loads the book with practical examples and several projects that can be immediately incorporated on any website. The invaluable A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0 shows you how to make the most of PHP's powerful capabilities, regardless of your current scope of PHP knowledge.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
OK, on the upside: This book is very readable, very light. Some texts are so dense that they almost necessitate being read in 10-page increments. Thankfully, this book is comparably straightforward, and there is a lot of relevant content covered.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few typos and numerous instances of ambiguous code that could easily throw off beginning programmers. These include:
1.) Multiple instances where "-" (single minus sign) is used as a decrement operator, which will not work (i.e., $x-; whereas it should be $x--;).
2.) Page 68 - Presents the do..while loop in VB-style syntax (that is, with the do keyword followed by a colon and then line-separated statements, rather than with a C-style code block in {braces}). On the next page, the author then informs us that the VB-style syntax, which is offered for while loops and for loops, is actually not available for the do..while loop. So why was it presented that way on the previous ... Read More
Rating:  -
-- but I don't have the needs that a serious PHP programmer does. All the basics seem to be here, in the form of examples. An experienced programmer can skip over the bumpy parts and fill in the blanks.
And there are lots of blanks. Boolean operators are introduced on page 60, including both bitwise and short-circuit OR operators. It gives an example of short-circuit behavior, but never really explains what that means. (If you never heard the term, "a OR b" in the short-circuit sense means "if a is true the expression as a whole is already true, so don't even evaluate expression b", and don't create all the output and side effects that b would have created.) Likewise, p.216 shows a use of include() that doesn't mean what you probably want, but fails to explain why incorrect usage is incorrect. Escape tag configuration is set on p.20, but there never is a clear description of how escape tags interact with the code. The section on Javascript gives examples of files with that and PHP ... Read More
Rating: -
There are lots of errors in the code listings in this book, as well as a lot of typos in the text. This is not just annoying, but quite confusing. The concepts are explained well enough, but the errors really get in the way.
Rating:  -
Not for newbies to programming but if you know the basics
of html and javascript and basic database stuff but want the
heads up on PHP then this book is great !!!... Just the facts described short, sweet and to the point. Examples are perfect
without being overly complex. Good stuff.
Rating: -
A more appropriate title would have been 'An Introduction to PHP 4.0 for HTML Programmers'. The first five chapters cover basic programming concepts such as data types, conditional statements, functional programming, in arrays in very great detail. I found myself (a VB, C, and C++ programmer) skipping dozens of pages at a time. However, in addition to the basic theories, the book does do a good job explaining the various commands and functions PHP uses, although in a manner slightly more basic than I had expected.
Starting in chapter 6, however, Gilmore throws down new concepts fast and furiously. The quality of his explanations doesn't suffer, he simply covers more in a briefer period of time in a manner that a somewhat experienced programmer will easily understand.
On the whole, I was very impressed with this book. It does a fantastic job introducing PHP 4.0 and serves as a fantastic reference book as well.
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