Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL
Book review by Diana F. ArsenaultThe true power behind any web site, containing massive amounts of data, is the database where the information is saved. An example would be Amazon.com or Ebay.com. Much smaller web sites also utilize database applications. This book was written for web developers who want to learn how to create and manage database applications.
A database is a collection of related data. It can consist of something as simple as an address book or consist of a collection of millions of records.
A database management system is a set of components for constructing and manipulating a database. MySQL has a well deserved reputation for speed and is the DBMS of choice used in the book. MySQL is an open source database management system.
There are numerous situations where a database management system should be used. A few example situations are listed below:
1. When more than one user needs to access the data at the same time.
2. A large amount of data that must be searched quickly.
3. Adding, deleting or modifying data is a complex process.
When the database is created, you need a way to get the data out of the database whenever there's a request for it. The open source scripting language PHP is popular for use with a MySQL database.
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is similar to languages such as C, Perl, Fortran and Java. PHP is a scripting language that's usually embedded or combined with HTML and has many excellent libraries that provide fast, customized access to database management systems.
This book may sound very technical but it's really easy to read and understand. I could recommend this book both to new webmasters who only know HTML and to seasoned programmers in C or Fortran.
The basics of PHP are presented in an easy to understand format that's easy to pick up and put into use. Database usage and management is the most empowering talent that a webmaster can have. The time invested learning this part of web management is time well spent.Web Database Applications with PHP & MySQL
Hugh E. Williams & David Lane
Published by: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
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Sebastopol, CA 95472
(800) 998-9938
www.oreilly.com <http://www.oreilly.com/>
Price: $ 44.95 US