Learning PHP: A Pain-Free Introduction to Building Interactive Websites (Paperback)

If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP is the book you need. With attention to both PHP 5.x and the new PHP version 7, it provides everything from an explanation of how PHP works with your web server and web browser to the ins and outs of working with databases and HTML forms. It's also packed with new material to reflect more modern features of PHP, and exciting enhancements with recent releases and the upcoming PHP 7.

Written by the co-author of the popular PHP Cookbook, this book is for intelligent (but not necessarily highly-technical) readers. Learning PHP guides you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master for professional web programming results. This book provides a hands-on learning experience complete with exercises to make sure the lessons stick.

Topics include:

• How PHP works with your web browser and web server
• PHP language basics, including data, variables, logic and looping
• Working with arrays and functions
• Working with databases like MySQL, Redis, or MongoDB
• Accessing APIs over HTTP
• Writing tests for your code
• Composer, command-line PHP, PHP frameworks, and features of modern PHP

This book offers the ideal classroom learning experience whether you're in a classroom or on your own. From learning how to install PHP to designing database-backed web applications, Learning PHP will guide you through every aspect of the language you'll need to master to achieve professional web programming results.