There are a number of exercises included, which are invaluable--however, a couple of the examples are a little confusing (the running example of developing a PHP program for an Asian restaurant, for instance, isn't always the most clear-cut or well-suited for the concepts being discussed), but there's never any question as to why something works the way it does. With careful reading, an aspiring PHP programmer will have no trouble understanding the examples.
While this book does provide a good strong foundation for understanding PHP, and Sklar does an excellent job of identifying potential security holes or pitfalls that can commonly be written into PHP programs inadvertently, don't expect to be able to create elaborate, flawless programs--there's just not enough room inside of the book's 350 pages to cover every single command and library that PHP includes or understands. But, never fear--Sklar has conveniently suggested any of a number of additional volumes and websites where you'll find just about all the help you'll need. Plus there are any of a number of additional bonuses, including appendices that contain step-by-step directions on how to install PHP on your own web server.
So if you're not technically inclined but you'd like to give PHP a shot, either just out of curiosity or because you'd like to build an application or two for your website, Sklar's book provides the foundation you'll need and is a good way to get your feet wet. Plus, when you're ready to go a little bit deeper, he'll point you in the right direction. You can't go wrong using this volume as a starting point.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
So good, even I could master this? I 've got all the other HTML tools and programs (Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks MX package, Photoshop - only misisng a complete lack of uderstanding of anything CSS ort PHP or ASP.
Have you designed a site or a page with this? What, also, if I may, is the benefit of php over others? I see this site - blogcritics - is php-enabled (if that's the right phrase). Why?
Oh and I'm pretty sure I know the answer is, yes, but this book is good for Macs, too, right?
2 - Ryan Eanes
While I have not designed a full website with PHP yet, I have used it for a few domain-related tasks (e.g., using it to redirect one domain name to a lower-level directory, etc.)--that was PHP 3, however, and from what I understand v5 seems to be a little more robust and fleshed out than earlier versions.
I think really it's just a matter of what you're comfortable with. The book does, indeed, provide a strong enough foundation to begin dabbling with PHP, and will point you in the right direction when you're ready to learn more.
As to why PHP, I can tell you that, according to Zend (http://www.zend.com/why-php.php), PHP is present on over 42% of Apache web servers--the most common server running on the Web, and the use of PHP is still on the rise. Really it boils down to what you want to learn; while PHP and ASP and, say, JSP all have their strengths and weaknesses, so do C++ and C# and the like.
And yes, PHP is OS-independent--I have a Mac as well. PHP is a server-side language, so the commands all run on the server and not on the client's machine.
3 - Temple Stark
Cool, they may have a new customer. I need simple :)
Thanks for reply.
4 - Mac Diva
Temple, I hate to burst your bubble, but I doubt one can really understand PHP from reading even a good book. I've taken a couple classes, including an O'Reilly seminar. You might want to look into that. If you live in or near a city, there should be some available at colleges or related to computer stores or user groups.