Learning PHP, MySQL, and Javascript [Anglais] [Broché]

Having developed for the Internet since the mid 1990s I have used a number of programming languages, beginning with Perl, which was the first tool I mastered. However I soon found that great though Perl was for developing with, at the time it didn't have the power I needed for ultra busy websites, and so the load averages of the servers I used was going through the roof. So I rewrote all the processor-intensive code in C and was able to substantially slow down our server acquisition rate. But while C is powerful, it takes a lot of coding to replicate even basic Perl functions. So when PHP came along I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that even though it is interpreted (that is, re-compiled each time it is run), it placed far less of a strain on the servers than Perl, and also took up far less development time. Since then I have used PHP in combination with MySQL for all my server side development. And with JavaScript gaining the XMLHttpRequest object, and hence the beginnings of Ajax, the three technologies are now my mainstays for web development. So when O'Reilly asked me to write this book I jumped at the opportunity. In it I have tried to take you from first steps, without assuming any prior knowledge other than basic HTML and maybe some CSS, through each of the technologies in turn, and along the way point out the shortcuts and pitfalls I have discovered, to give you the headstart I didn't have. I maintain an active discussion forum on the book's topics, which is linked to via the companion website at lpmj.net, and am always happy to answer any questions you may have. From the Back Cover Learn how to create responsive, data-driven websites with the three central technologies of PHP, MySQL, & JavaScript--whether or not you know how to program. This simple, streamlined guide explains how the powerful combination of PHP and MySQL provides a painless way to build modern websites with dynamic data and user interaction. You'll also learn how to add JavaScript to create rich Internet websites and applications, and how to use Ajax to handle background communication with a web server. This book explains each technology separately, shows you how to combine them, and introduces valuable concepts in modern web programming, including objects, XHTML, cookies, regular expressions and session management. Learning PHP, MySQL, & JavaScript will help you: * Understand the essentials of PHP and the basics of object-oriented programming * Master MySQL, from database structure to complex queries * Create interactive web pages with PHP and MySQL by integrating forms and other HTML features * Get a thorough grounding in JavaScript, from functions and event handling to accessing the Document Object Model * Use libraries and packages such as the Smarty web template system, The PEAR program repository and the Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI) * Learn how to make Ajax calls and turn your website into a highly dynamic environment * Find out how to upload and manipulate files and images, validate user input and secure your applications against being hacked * Develop best practices for error handling, user authentication and website usability Programming tips and exercises in each chapter will help you practice what you've learned. If you have a graphics or web design background and know your way around HTML, this book will have you building interactive websites quickly. Robin Nixon is computer journalist who has also developed numerous websites using PHP, MySQL and JavaScript. He has written over 500 articles and authored three books on computing. About the Author Robin Nixon has worked with and written about computers since the early 1980s (his first computer was a Tandy TRS 80 Model 1 with a massive 4KB of RAM!). During this time he has written in excess of 500 articles for many of the UK's top computer magazines. Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript is his third book. Robin started his computing career in the Cheshire homes for disabled people, where he was responsible for setting up computer rooms in a number of residential homes, and for evaluating and tailoring hardware and software so that disabled people could use the new technology--sometimes by means of only a single switch operated by mouth or finger. After writing articles for computer magazines about his work with disabled people, he eventually worked full time for one of the country's main IT magazine publishers, where he held several roles including editorial, promotions, and cover disc editing. With the dawn of the Internet in the 1990s, Robin branched out into developing websites. One of these presented the world's first radio station licensed by the music copyright holders, and was featured in several news reports on TV and radio networks in the United Kingdom. In order to enable people to continue to surf while listening, Robin also developed the first known pop-up windows. Robin lives on the southeast coast of England with his wife Julie, a trained nurse, and five children, where he also finds time to foster three disabled children, as well as working full time from home as a technical author.