This is an "ok" book for web developers.It has some nice features if you can get past the amount of errors in the coded examples and the sometimes confusing and contradictory explanations.There is very little discussion of basic concepts, therefore, I would not recommend this book for anyone who does not have some programming background.The title, PHP 5 fast & easy web development, is indicative of the book's contents.It provides a series of potentially useful PHP scripts that you can adapt to develop database interactive web pages (emphasis is on the MySQL database).However, like the 2nd edition of Julie Meloni's "PHP fast & easy web development," this book is plagued with coding errors which are not only annoying, but also make understanding the various features of PHP more difficult.
The book starts with instructions on how to install PHP, Apache and MySQL.The remainder of the book consists of a series of increasingly complex scripts, detailed step-by-step.For the first half of the book, the examples are relatively easy to read and carefully documented.However, halfway through the book, segments of code begin to appear without adequate explanation, and as the book progresses, it becomes more a cookbook of code to retype rather than a clear explanation of what the code mean.Instructions about where to insert new lines of code are difficult to follow.In addition, some explanations appear contradictory, which adds to the confusion.The errors in the coded examples are excessive.I can understand a few typos, but lines of code that are substantially different or are missing completely can be found in every chapter.This is unacceptable and unprofessional in a book that is supposed to help you learn a new programming language.
Product Description
Don't spend your time wading through manuals to learn PHP 5. Spend it doing what you do best-creating web pages! With "PHP 5 Fast & Easy Web Development" you can get up and running with PHP 5, Apache, and MySQL with ease. By the time you're finished, you'll be able to display dynamic content, build your own contact management system, create custom reports, work with XML, and much more. Less time, less effort, more results!
About the Author
Julie Meloni is the Technical Director for i2i Interactive, a multimedia company located in Los Altos, CA. She's been developing Web-based applications since the Web first saw the light of day and remembers the excitement surrounding the first GUI Web browser. She is the author of several books and articles on Web-based programming languages and database topics, and you can find translations of her work in several languages, including Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, and Polish.She is the author of "PHP Fast & Easy Web Development, 2nd Edition" (Premier Press, 193184187X).
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