PHP Book to Buy?

[grandsp5]

Ok I looked through a bunch of the threads people posted on PHP books, the good ones, etc. I am wondering if they are for me though. What would you reccomend for a person with just about zero experience with PHP, very willing to learn, and with a good deal of experience in other languages like Java, C++, and AS.

[Jubba]

i suggest this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764535617/qid=1062701758/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-0587907-8571218?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I'll explain why later

[λ]

recommendation: take all the PHP tutorials you can find.

Seriously, I think you'd be able to learn PHP without spending any money at all. Just take a look at the PHP tutorials in the sticky, and once you've learnt the basics, perhaps browse thru the function reference at www.php.net.

the tutorials at http://www.devshed.com/Server_Side/PHP are especially good IMO :)

Especially if you already know C or AS, as the syntax in PHP is very similar to those languages.

[grandsp5]

yeah I saw that earlier. Ok thanks ill look into it. I like the visual learning thing rather than text too.

[grandsp5]

Well I think I would like to have a book, if for nothing else than it is something to blame when my script doesnt work. I really would try your approach njs, but in a couple of weeks my life is going to get very very busy and I would like to be able to browse a book just to look up things fast and learn in spare time. I taught myself AS without anything but that took me a good part of this summer. As for the tutorials I will check them out. Thanks for the help..again

[Jubba]

well in reality if your script doesn't work its your fault. Not the fault of the book because all of the scripts in the book work. Honestly you don't need about book. I bought the book that I recommended earlier and its definatly good at teaching the basics and from there I just studied the manual and learned the different libraries of functions. Good luck, and check the sticky post in this section for more tutorial sites about PHP and if you have any specific questions then let me know.

[grandsp5]

I think I will do that then. Once I have a grounding in the basics, i should be able to teach myself pretty easily. thanks

[awligon]

Very true, you've obviously got talent, and the ability to learn, just get some dr pepper and cheez-its and go to it. Buying a book is a good idea in my opinion though. It's something you can have in front of you, plus, if you teach yourself, a lot of times, you will miss very basic information that could really help down the road. ie.. SELECT DISTINCT; I wrote an entire f'ing script to do what that one word does. So, I think you should get and read a book first. I posted a book that I got that I like called web database apps w/ php and mysql by oreilly. It's great and example oriented with an online code library. Jubba don't know shizznit! :bad: :bad: :bad: :bad: Just kidding, listen to him... 'that's the guy who cracked the irs mainframe'. :beam:

[grandsp5]

ok. will do awligon. and thanks for the compliment :)