RockDiesel

So I have finally decided to learn PHP and it is difficult for me to start off in coding without a nice book to guide me in the right direction. Does anyone have any PHP books that they would recommend?

mholt

The best out there, should be white and purple:

PHP & MySQL Web Development by Luke Welling and Laura Thompson

EXCELLENT book. From everything from beginning and variables to MX entries, FTP, GD, and PDF generaters.

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RockDiesel

thanks compu, ill look into it

nasaboy007

i didnt learn a book, i just looked at tutorials, etc online. www.w3schools.com helped me the most tho. after i got the basic syntax, i skimmed over some books from the library cuz i understood them better. try that.

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RockDiesel

i have looked at w3schools, but they don't help me as much because I can't sit and stare at a computer screen to read and learn. I need a book in my hands to learn from reading. Compu, i just got back from Barnes and Noble and I saw the booked and skimmed over it. I didn't have the money to buy it at the time, but it looked like it covered everything. I will probably end up buying it.

mch

Never forget about the good old PHP Manual.

Coolprogram

Hey man if you don't want to sit at a computer screen then just print it all out like i did.
lol
-Coolprogram

mholt

Trust me - buy a book. Learning online is actually, as a study shows, unhealthy for you... learning from a book is MUCH healthier, and more effective.

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axilant

I have not bought a book for programming or anything computer related except a networking book explaining the TCP/IP protocol, which it was a waste of money lol.

I know multiple programming languages, and im currently developing framework of my own AJAX in php/perl/ruby/python.

Buying a book is waste of money imo for things to do with the computer.

Most of the books are just words explaining functions and they give you an example image, and the code. They dont have live examples, you want to have hands on... and the only thing you do is actually learn online for hands on.

Google has it all for free
http://google.com/search?q=php
http://google.com/search?q=perl
http://google.com/search?q=ruby
http://google.com/search?q=python
http://google.com/search?q=xhtml
http://google.com/search?q=javascript

mholt

This book is NOT just example images and functions.

Half of it is practical examples that even come on a CD for you to try and experiment with. They build forums, shopping carts, a mailing list manager, etc.

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iNod

Nice way to showoff there :P
Personally I find python really boring.. If you are going to learn a language why not go straight to Delphi, C#, and C++??
Besides having your own iPod Firmware with your name and custom titles and custom games to showoff at your friends does help alot in the nurd department..

Anyways yah myself being like compuxp. I learn from books.. Except I bought that PHP Bible Book that has around 500 or so pages in it.. I can't seem to find it though. Strange how something so big goes missing..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...lance&n=283155
&
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...lance&n=283155
&
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...lance&n=283155

Well now I got 3 bibles.. I think I have a thing for religion.. But I have never been to church in my life. I just like the sound of "Bible"



iNod.

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aznchong91

I recommend you look at a short little tutorial on the net, then start looking through different examples. I think the best way to learn is through example, because 1) you can learn how to do stuff the conventional way, 2) you can learn some new function, 3) you can use the examples too, in your sites, if you are allowed.

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shanee86

I bought a book and it has more examples then anything else. And I don't really like that lol. I like for them to llist the funtions and lets me use them and try them out myself that is the best way for me to learn. But the book helped me a bit on some things but I knew the basic's of php kind of already and my book doesn't have the more advanced stuff and it doesn't cover everything I wanted to learn just basic's kind of so I will end up just going online and finding the rest or buying another book lol.

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aboujouj83

I strongly recommend PHP and MySQL for dynamic web sites Visual QuickPro Guide. I learnt PHP from that book in 2 weeks. It has great examples and an accompanion website where you can download the examples from. Check the feedback it has on Amazon. It's very good book.

Aboujouj83

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RockDiesel

I thank all you guys for your ideas and suggestions. Axilant, I already said above that I learn better from books, so buying a book for computer related things is not a waste of money for me. Maybe for you, but not me. I am glad you know multiple programming languages and are developing your own framework for AJAX. So many nerds around the world have boners for you after reading your post, so you should be happy that you have the power to turn so many nerds on. Once again, I thank everyone that made significant contributions and suggestions to the post. Thanks for the help.