Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL, Third Edition

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Stop already… you’re writing a review, not adding another joke into the database. Sorry ’bout that. The book put me in a joke state of mind since it uses a jokes database as the content to Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP and MySQL.
This book is for those who like step-by-step directions accompanied by explanations of how things work. I learned many things using this approach, which is a stepping stone to creating dynamic Web sites.
Yank does a fine job covering a little of everything without overpowering the reader with too much. Anyone who has experimented with Perl, PHP, ASP.NET, MySQl, Access, some of them or all of them will like the book. Those who can write PHP and MySQL with little help are at a level beyond this book and it wouldn’t be a good fit.
I rarely ran into problems while following the examples. I’ve worked with other technical books and hit a brick wall at times requiring a call for help or serious research. While working with this book, I only got stuck once and immediately figured out the problem with a little research.
My brain jumbles whenever I try to create databases. It’s not able to function and compute as well as it does for other geeky concepts. Yank uses visual aids and avoids jargon when explaining the process of laying out the database tables.
All the necessary components of building a Web site using a database are covered. While adding data, viewing tables, and querying the database, you’re learning tasks that will come in handy for future projects.
Not only do you get instructions for PHP and MySQL, but also advice on structuring code so that it’s used effectively.
If you’ve never installed Apache, PHP, or MySQL or can’t recall how to do it, the steps for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X are in the first chapter. Since the latest edition covers PHP 5, the author addresses the differences in PHP 4.3. When working on the first PHP script, there is no “Hello World!” for a change.
The early chapters provide a good overview of PHP and MySQL. By Chapter 4, the contents of the earlier chapters are integrated as the backend database connects to the Web page with PHP. The next chapters show how to use forms to manage, add, delete, edit, and search data. By midpoint, the reader has designed a database, organized it, created Web pages for the data, added administration pages, and administered the database. Yank also explains how to generate cookies and build a simple shopping cart.
The appendices include MySQL syntax, functions, column types, and PHP functions to use with MySQL. The book has an accompanying Web site that includes errata and four free sample chapters. Having edited a few tech books, I know how easy it is to miss things when you’re working on different computer set ups and application versions. Check the site especially since it has the code from the book. When running into problems, compare your code to the code from the site.
One chapter has a challenge along with the solution (a couple of pages later, so you’re not tempted to peek). Having a challenge like this in most chapters, I believe, would help cement the learning. All in all, it’s a hit.
Title: Build Your Own Database-Driven Website Using PHP and MySQL, Third Edition
Author: Kevin Yank
Publisher: Sitepoint Pty Ltd.
ISBN: 0975240218
Date: October 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 359
Cover Price: USD: $27.97 CDN: 40.57
UK: 19.59