PHP and MySQL for Dummies (For Dummies)

This book was very interesting to read. At the time I read this book I had only knowledge of HTML and was interested in learning PHP. This book was a total disaster in some respect, it baffled on to very complex terms right at the start for someone who has never learnt a scripting language before, not the way to go. I obviously learnt a few things out of it, including variables and loops, and the likes - but after that Janet went onto explaining very complex code. But, for me, I want a book that gets right into the code and let me actually code something instead of just showing me the code without a clue of, a) how to use it and b) where to put it.

Lastly, the MySQL chapters weren't descriptive enough to understand but despite the fact it was explained in early chapters of the book, I'd rather learn the basics of PHP before being taught SQL queries and the MySQL facility.

The way I learnt PHP in the end is doing so over the Web, and learning it by producing something with what I understood already, which is the best practice for most people learning scripting languages alike of PHP. PHP is very easy and logical, and obviously this book author makes it seem too easy in her description of what PHP is, before actually being disappointed with this book.

I'd stay completely away from the 'for Dummies' books, absolutely a waste of money, although very affordable prices.

Has it's uses... (0/0 people found this helpful)

...Good for killing flies, propping tables or pressing flowers.

While this has some genuinely good points (which aren't worth buying the book for alone), there are too many things here to throw off newcomers to PHP & MySQL.

The example applications are poor and mostly unrealistic. While it can be a difficult subject for a newbie to take on, the book tends to patronise rather than educate. If you need the softly, softly approach then this might be a book for you. If you're looking to hit the ground running (as is the way with most web designers/developers), I'd personally suggest looking at the Sam's range or any of the New Riders publications.

After thumbing through a friends copy of this book, I was amazed to see that some of the example code wouldn't run on a number of PHP-enabled machines (needing many code modifications to work).
This might be good if you're a fast-learner as you can fix these issues.

Having said that, a number of people have used the sections from this book to look further into aspects. One thing a reader might gleam from this book is an idea of the terminology and the uses that PHP has for everyday applications.

Worth getting if it's on a special offer, gift voucher or present - I'd think twice about spending your own money though as I doubt it'll offer the value that many people look for from training guides.
That is to say, don't expect to be writing the next Amazon, Ebay or Play after reading this book.
Maybe the worlds most basic pet shop site though!

Fanstastic (1/2 people found this helpful)

I know No HTML or PHP coding, and i mean the max i know is < b > etc etc.

I have started an online business and this book gave me the information I needed for creating dynamic pages, connecting to databases and so on and so forth. All the examples in the book can be downloaded from www.janetvalade.com which i found very useful, each file she creates you are allowed to use on your own without having to add any information apart from your database credentials.

The book starts with the very basics, telling you how print simple statements like "it is raining" using the echo" " functions. It then progresses with using if statements and conditionals, functions and other parts of the PHP code which are useful. The book then goes into in depth information on how to build a MYSQL database with PHP MYSQL queries, it tells you how to DROP, CREATE, UPDATE, DELETE etc which i personally found useful

The book then carries on and shows a live running example on what PHP applications can be used for, giving a useful example of a online catalogue and a Members only Area which is what i use. The code can be edited to your needs, for example i added a user level to the database and extra code to the top of every page that disallowed entry depending on the user entry (if you want that code, please email me at dominic.langmead@college-downloads.co.uk and i will send it to you).

The online catalgoue is also very useful, i added it to my site then removed it for the paypal alternative. Janet Explains what she is doing in her coding examples with #number which is explained on the pages after, very useful i must say.

With the help of this book i have been able to create a fully dynamic site within 3 weeks, okay, its not the best read of all, and not fantastic examples, but her pet shop model is easy to follow and edit, whether it be Dreamweaver, Notepad or Publisher that you may be using.

Overall i would recommend this book to anybody who is having some problems creating what you need, Janet also refers to some free PHP sites that help, although personally i prefer this book as the free sites are harder to follow and understand.

I hope my review helps you.

Dom,
Seadogs

Unclear (1/1 people found this helpful)

Frustratingly unclear and cluttered in it's approach. The worst book of it's kind that I have encountered. Look elsewhere

Not Enough Practice (7/7 people found this helpful)

I am usually a fan of the for dummies series but this book disappointed me. I couldn't beleive how bored and annoyed I was when trying to learn something from it. Trying to remember some of the stuff was so hard because there was no practice to reinforce it into my brain. Very disappointed.

PHP and MySQL for Dummies (For Dummies)

Janet Valade

Reader Reviews:

Somewhat okay, but was confusing at the time... (0/0 people found this helpful)

Has it's uses... (0/0 people found this helpful)

Fanstastic (1/2 people found this helpful)

Unclear (1/1 people found this helpful)

Not Enough Practice (7/7 people found this helpful)

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