PHP and MySQL Web Development teaches the reader to develop dynamic, secure, commercial Web sites. Using the same accessible, popular teaching style of the first edition, this best-selling book has been updated to reflect the rapidly changing landscape of MySQL and PHP.

The book teaches the reader to integrate and implement these technologies by following real-world examples and working sample projects, and also covers related technologies needed to build a commercial Web site, such as SSL, shopping carts, and payment systems.

The second edition includes new coverage of how to work with XML in developing a PHP and MySQL site, and how to draw on the valuable resources of the PEAR repository of code and extensions.

The programming approach of Luke Welling and Laura Thomson is procedural, neglecting the object-oriented capabilities of PHP almost entirely. It's a valid choice, as most PHP code is written in procedural style. As well, they've chosen to build their software around PHP 4.3, which doesn't have as much object-orientation capability of the new version 5 release. Some readers may lament the lack of up-to-date coverage, but others--perhaps serving sites from hosting services that run well-proven PHP 4.x--will appreciate that the authors took time to revise their PHP 4.3 code samples (which should, in most cases, be backward-compatible), rather than writing PHP 5 code for its own sake. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to program with PHP 4.3 (and its predecessors) and store data in a MySQL database. PHP coverage is extensive, covering all capabilities from basic form-handing to Web Services, while MySQL coverage is limited to the essentials of database setup and administration. Elaborate applications--such as a PDF generator and a content-management system--are written in a way that invites learning and adaptation.