PHP: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

Book excerpt: Essential Skills--Made Easy! Learn how to build dynamic, data-driven Web applications using PHP. Covering the latest release of this cross-platform, open-source scripting language, PHP: A Beginner's Guide teaches you how to write basic PHP programs and enhance them with more advanced features such as MySQL and SQLite database integration, XML input, and third-party extensions. This fast-paced tutorial provides one-stop coverage of software installation, language syntax and data structures, flow control routines, built-in functions, and best practices. Designed for Easy Learning: Key Skills & Concepts--Lists of specific skills covered in the chapter Ask the Expert--Q&A sections filled with bonus information and helpful tips Try This--Hands-on exercises that show how to apply your skills Notes--Extra information related to the topic being covered Tips--Helpful reminders or alternate ways of doing things Cautions--Errors and pitfalls to avoid Self-Tests--Chapter-ending quizzes to test your knowledge Annotated Syntax--Example code with commentary that describes the programming techniques being illustrated