Murach's PHP and MySQL (3rd Edition)

"I can't count how many PHP books I have purchased over the years trying to learn the language. Murach's was the first book that helped me grasp the concepts and got me onto actually scripting in PHP."

That's what one developer posted on the first edition of Murach's PHP and MySQL. Now, this 3rd Edition does a better-than-ever job of delivering the skills you need to develop database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL, the way today's top web professionals do.

Section 1 is a quick-start course that shows how to use the latest versions of PHP, MySQL (or MariaDB), and the Apache web server to build your first PHP applications. Right from the start, you'll learn to create applications that conform to the MVC pattern, so they'll be easier to maintain as they grow. In addition, you'll learn how to create applications that prevent SQL injection attacks and guard against XSS attacks.

Section 2 takes you deeper into PHP by covering the skills you'll use every day, like how to work with form data, dates, arrays, sessions, cookies, functions, objects, regular expressions, and exceptions. Likewise, Section 3 dives into MySQL, teaching you how to design and create a database, as well as how to access and maintain database data from your PHP programs. Finally, Section 4 teaches you important web programming skills like how to secure web pages, send email, upload files, and process images.

Along the way, you'll find out how to take advantage of PHP 7 enhancements like scalar data type declarations and improved error handling, as well as new operators and functions.

Complete sample applications and chapter exercises provide training support throughout. A great choice for any developer who wants to master PHP without a lot of frustration and unnecessary expense.

Along with the great organization, ease of learning, and thorough coverage of the technologies and programming practices, this book is simply a pleasure to read. Any developer/techie/geek should enjoy it. A solid 5-star rating all the way. --Jeff Salter

Without a doubt, this book qualifies itself as a very practical book on learning PHP in the shortest time. I would thoroughly recommend this book to all budding PHP web developers out there, including ASP.NET developers who wish to diversify into PHP. --Jason Ong

Compared to the stack of other PHP/MySQL titles on the market, I found Murach to be one of the easiest and fastest books to teach the subject. It effectively compresses the key amounts of information required to understand PHP programming and competently execute a solid PHP application from scratch. --Mike Riley

Joel Murach is the oldest son of publishing pioneer Mike Murach. Joel has been writing and editing books about computer programming for over 20 years now. During that time, he has written extensively on a wide range of Java, .NET, web, and database technologies. He has had best-selling books in all of those categories! In his books, you can see his clear approach to teaching any subject.

Besides being a successful author, Joel is also a very talented musician. He writes and performs for his band, Joel Murach and the Low Rollers with regularity in the Bay Area.