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wich php book to buy
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 1:00 am
by Andrus
hey everyone, i got the whole summer ahead of me, and limited comp time thanks to "access control"
i was gonna pick up a book on php for some reading over the summer,(i hate harry potter)
wich should i buy, i want to learn not just php but mysql too?
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 4:25 am
by m3mn0n
click
That one is great for beginners wanting a solid foundation for PHP learning.
Here is one which will take your PHP programming to the next level...
click
It's a very good book. I highly recommend it.
Don't forget to google some reviews of a book before you buy it. =)
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 5:14 pm
by Andrus
ya i wanted poeple reveiws, not generated reveiws for money
thanks
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 10:05 am
by grim_fandango
i have the visual quickstart book
it's okay for beginners, but if you want to get more advanced in php, you better get another book
i like this one, though i havent finished reading it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 33-1577521
and here's a sorta non-commercial review:
http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?si ... ad&tid=169
and btw, amazon.com reviews are not bad, read the user's review, not the editorial's
the Wrox book might be good too
php.net manual is also very helpful and not hard to understand
and sometimes, reading php.net will get you faster result than reading books, it's a great reference site
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 11:15 am
by redhair
Andrus wrote:ya i wanted poeple reveiws, not generated reveiws for money
thanks

Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 11:41 pm
by m3mn0n
Andrus wrote:ya i wanted poeple reveiws, not generated reveiws for money
thanks
I bought both thoses books and have read them cover to cover 3 times each. Because i provide a link to amazon the review is tainted?

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 1:54 pm
by Andrus
sorry, i was looking for books that you programmers liked,
sorry for the confusion
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 2:26 pm
by SBukoski
I personally got started with the PHP 4 Bible written by Tim Converse and Joyce Park. I think that is an excellent book for beginners and those who are just having fun with PHP. I know there is also a 2nd Edition that came out in 2002 (the original came out in 2000).
Here's a link for it on Amazon.com for reference purposes only (I'm not claiming to support or dislike Amazon.com)
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0 ... 10-7353668
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 3:24 pm
by nielsene
I also started with the PHP4 Bible listed above. Was decent. I've also used the Wrox Pro PHP book and their PHP Web Services book and Ulman's Advanced PHP book. (Purchased Ulman's cheifly for the section on PDF generation, then decided I didn't like either of the PHP PDF libraries and do the whole PHP produced LaTrX which I then compile to PDF instead.) Purchased the Wrox mainly to see how they handled some simple CMS systems and XML.
All the books were decent books, but the ones I bought for a paticular topic I found unsatisfying. The PHP 4 Bible I would still recommend for a beginner PHP programmer regardless of experience with other languanges. Ulman's advanced book rubbed me the wrong way. I found several examples of bad advice (there was a section that heavily promoted security through obscurity, for instance). The Wrox Pro/Advanced books I would recommend to some with decent PHP experience who want a little help with learning to do larger projects. If you already have large application experience in other languages you won't find them as useful...
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 10:13 pm
by m3mn0n
Andrus wrote:sorry, i was looking for books that you programmers liked
I'm a programmer and I like thoses books. I don't see any confusion on my part...just a wee bit on yours.
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 7:00 am
by macewan
Currently reading through php black book by peter moulding
on
amazon
I really like its style of teaching.
////////////////////////////
Started with php essentials by Julie C. Meloni
on
amazon.
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:16 am
by Sinnix
I started with "Professional PHP Programming" by Castagnetto, Rawat, Shumann, Scollo, and Veliath. My print is from 2000, but there may be a more recent copy out there. For fear of being accused of being an Amazon agent... I will not supply the link.

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:49 am
by redhair
I started of with this great book:
*** **** * ****
And this one shortly after:
**** *****
Now i use the web...or this forum
This is not spam..my signature however...plz go and click it, it's free!

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:55 pm
by McGruff
I've got to an intermediate level in php with just the manual and other resources freelly available on the inernet - not least help on this forum. I still think it's pretty amazing that you can learn a whole new skill like that.
Books can be deadly in skilled hands

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 1:28 pm
by m3rajk
the three i've been using are from oreilly.
isbns: 1565926811 1565926102 0596002114
cheapest place i've found for techbooks:
http://www.bookpool.com
even living in ma and having sales tax, it's been cheaper for me than other sites