looking for a good PHP book

pythone

Hello

I am a newbie who wants to start learning PHP.
I have been programming for over 15 years so I don't need a book just for beginners.
Could anyone refer me to a good PHP book that starts for beginners but quickly works its way to the more advanced stuff?

thanks

Chris_Evans

I found it is better off looking at sites, but that's my opinion. I've learnt a lot from them:
- phpbuilder.com
- phpfreaks.com
- php.net
- mysql.com
- thecomputersite.com (mine - so I didn't learn anything from this 😛)
- and finally, this board!

I believe PHP Freaks have their own book that they've written that is being sold on amazon... if you buy it then that's great! 🙂 They're very good at writing over there so it should be good.

csousley

I have 'PHP and MySQL Web Development' published by SAMS in 2001. Not a bad book, not a great one either. From what I understand there is an updated version that is a litter easier to read now.

On the back of the book it rates itself as 'Intermediate-Advanced', I would probubly agree. Maybe lean a bit more toward the intermediate side though, at least this version.

gunhoe86

once you've learned the basics, i recommend

The PHP Cookbook

its an entire book of practical problems and questions people have submitted that have been answered and solved and explained very well in this book.

this forum has helped me more than anything

~JOSH

planetsim

PHP is a simple language, to be honest once the basics are learnt the only place to be is the Manual.

However ive read a small portion when someone wanted me to recommend a book.

Build Your Own Database Driven Website Using PHP & MySQL - By Kevin Yank, is quite good and still a popular read.

You may wanna read the latest book for PHP thats there, http://www.sitepoint.com/books/ they havent made many but they have had very good quality books. There latest by Harry Fuecks is extremely popular at the moment (more aimed at the intermediate/advanced user)

Steveo31

Ya... the cookbook is pretty thorough in it's examples. I would highly suggest it.

🙂

phpprogrammer

hai,

i can suggest phpblack book is good

regards
bvsureshbabu

azunoman

I use an online book service. This way if I don't like one book or one book does not explain it, I can simply look at another book. Also one can copy and paste the code examples.

safari

for minimum membership, it's $14.95 but the first two weeks are free. And no I am no assoicated to safari. Just a php newbie...looking for all the help I can get..

Drakla

Best thing ever is downloading the .chm of the php manual from the php website and just keep a link to it around. It's like a 3rd limb to me.

I also got the Php and MySQL Web Development 2nd Edition, as a gift. If I hadn't learnt as much php as I have and was coming in from C++ (which I did) I think it would have been pretty handy to have.

But honestly, get the .chm, sit down and just write yourself some little test programs and you'll be up to speed in no time.