PHP is a rapidly growing web technology which enables web designers to build dynamic, interactive web applications, incorporating information from a host of databases, and including features such as e-mail integration and dynamically generated images. PHP4 added tons of features to make web application development even easier, and this book will show you how to make the most of the language's powerful capabilities.

This book is a complete tutorial in PHP's language features and functionality, beginning with the basics and building up to the design and construction of complex data-driven websites. Fully working examples in the book include a directory-style web search engine, a mailing list management system, a web-based file editor, and a graphical online shopping mall guidebook.

What does this book cover?

Here are just a few of the things you'll find covered in this book:

• Complete tutorial in the PHP language



• Installation guide and troubleshooting tips



• Introduction to relational databases and MySQL



• Practical worked examples throughout, including a detailed case study



• All code written for both Windows and UNIX systems



• Detailed language reference included

Who is this book for?

Anybody who knows HTML can use this book. If you've done any programming, that will be useful, but it's not a requirement. You can run all of the code on either a Windows or UNIX (e.g., Linux) system, and the book explains how to set up a web server and database in both of these environments.