Re: [PHP] book quest
On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 5:29 PM, Jim Lucas li...@cmsws.com wrote: On 9/28/2011 3:26 PM, Bastien Koert wrote: On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Kirk Bailey kbai...@howlermonkey.net wrote: The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php I had great success with Wrox PHP Programming and PHP Essentials by Julie C. Meloni The latter is dated, but was clearly written. PHP Essentials (first edition) by Julie C. Meloni was the first book about PHP that I ever bought. I did not find it very useful. The second book was Core PHP First Edition by Leon Atkinson. It was more like an encyclopedia/dictionary with some decent examples. Around 2001 I started participating the general mailing list. I haven't bought another book on PHP since. PHP.net manual, the php-general mailing list and the wonderful members of this list, and Google have provided answers for all the questions I have ever needed to ask since. Jim Lucas Is there something wrong with the PHP.net manual? Or you just want something physical to be able read any where and stay unplugged? If the latter and there's nothing wrong with the official manual, try downloading the chm or single html file and print as you go. No need to lug around thick that manual/reference ;) Regards, Tommy
Re: [PHP] book quest
I'm a newbie in PHP technology and what I started with PHP was googling for PHP + ~tutorial ~getting started which results as this page http://www.google.com.vn/search?aq=fgcx=wsourceid=chromeie=UTF-8q=PHP+%2B+~tutorial+~%22getting+started%22 From that list, I can have almost all kind of beginner stuff for a newbie ^_^ Regards, Nam On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 5:20 AM, Kirk Bailey kbai...@howlermonkey.netwrote: The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php -- Nam
Re: [PHP] book quest
Is there something wrong with the PHP.net manual? Or you just want something physical to be able read any where and stay unplugged? If the latter and there's nothing wrong with the official manual, try downloading the chm or single html file and print as you go. No need to lug around thick that manual/reference ;) Regards, Tommy I'm not the original poster, but I have a response to this: I didn't find that there was anything wrong with the PHP.net manual, except that it wasn't a book about learning to program. It's a fantastic reference guide; if I can't remember what order the inputs to that one function go in, it's my first resort. But I prefer to read paper for learning theory, and I find it more useful to flip through pages trying to find something I half remember than to click through links. Put simply, I like to learn the basics from books rather than web pages. -Andy -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On 2011-09-29, at 8:53 AM, Andy McKenzie wrote: Is there something wrong with the PHP.net manual? Or you just want something physical to be able read any where and stay unplugged? If the latter and there's nothing wrong with the official manual, try downloading the chm or single html file and print as you go. No need to lug around thick that manual/reference ;) Regards, Tommy I didn't find that there was anything wrong with the PHP.net manual, except that it wasn't a book about learning to program. It's a fantastic reference guide; if I can't remember what order the inputs to that one function go in, it's my first resort. But I prefer to read paper for learning theory, and I find it more useful to flip through pages trying to find something I half remember than to click through links. Put simply, I like to learn the basics from books rather than web pages. -- And as the OP said, something that they can carry around - websites don't always cut it on the morning commute! (Although I hope the OP wouldn't smoke anything!) I too prefer books, as they are usually organized as a training course, starting you with the basics and walking you through a logical progression of learning, as well as giving real-world lessons and experience. Not saying that php.net is or isn't, but more often than not, the manuals that come with software are organized by sections or features, and do not give you the basics from which to start. It's no good to start with This is the drawing tool, if you don't know how to create a canvas to draw on. Reference books/sites are good once you know the basics on proper techniques, best practices and sensible workflows, and you can now expand into the full features that the software can offer. Plus, they can target your skills and desired learning - am currently researching Drupal, and have found some books that teach the basics on using it within its limits, and then others that teach how to build your own modules and plugins. Depending on what you are looking for, you can quickly target the skills you need to learn. And, is easier to make your notes in the margins on a piece of paper! Having said that, one of the main books I used for PHP was Apress' Beginning PHP and MySQL, which is now in a 4th edition: http://www.apress.com/9781430231141 It provided a logical approach to both technologies and how to integrate them, all in one book. Then get one that focuses on security. O'Reilly has one (or more), but the one I picked up was Securing PHP Web Applications: http://www.amazon.ca/Securing-PHP-Applications-Tricia-Ballad/dp/0321534344 and was a good read. I just wish book publishers offered an upgrade path if you bought an earlier edition, the way software publishers do! Perhaps that will be the greatest advantage an iPad or Kobo will have over paper. George Langley Multimedia Developer
Re: [PHP] book quest
On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 10:12 AM, George Langley george.lang...@shaw.cawrote: On 2011-09-29, at 8:53 AM, Andy McKenzie wrote: Is there something wrong with the PHP.net manual? Or you just want something physical to be able read any where and stay unplugged? If the latter and there's nothing wrong with the official manual, try downloading the chm or single html file and print as you go. No need to lug around thick that manual/reference ;) Regards, Tommy I didn't find that there was anything wrong with the PHP.net manual, except that it wasn't a book about learning to program. It's a fantastic reference guide; if I can't remember what order the inputs to that one function go in, it's my first resort. But I prefer to read paper for learning theory, and I find it more useful to flip through pages trying to find something I half remember than to click through links. Put simply, I like to learn the basics from books rather than web pages. -- And as the OP said, something that they can carry around - websites don't always cut it on the morning commute! (Although I hope the OP wouldn't smoke anything!) I too prefer books, as they are usually organized as a training course, starting you with the basics and walking you through a logical progression of learning, as well as giving real-world lessons and experience. Not saying that php.net is or isn't, but more often than not, the manuals that come with software are organized by sections or features, and do not give you the basics from which to start. It's no good to start with This is the drawing tool, if you don't know how to create a canvas to draw on. Reference books/sites are good once you know the basics on proper techniques, best practices and sensible workflows, and you can now expand into the full features that the software can offer. Plus, they can target your skills and desired learning - am currently researching Drupal, and have found some books that teach the basics on using it within its limits, and then others that teach how to build your own modules and plugins. Depending on what you are looking for, you can quickly target the skills you need to learn. And, is easier to make your notes in the margins on a piece of paper! Having said that, one of the main books I used for PHP was Apress' Beginning PHP and MySQL, which is now in a 4th edition: http://www.apress.com/9781430231141 It provided a logical approach to both technologies and how to integrate them, all in one book. Then get one that focuses on security. O'Reilly has one (or more), but the one I picked up was Securing PHP Web Applications: http://www.amazon.ca/Securing-PHP-Applications-Tricia-Ballad/dp/0321534344 and was a good read. I just wish book publishers offered an upgrade path if you bought an earlier edition, the way software publishers do! Perhaps that will be the greatest advantage an iPad or Kobo will have over paper. George Langley Multimedia Developer @Andy and George From the layout of the official manual, whilst it doesn't have the traditional method of explaining as textbooks, to me, it does however progress as you mentioned: Installation and Configuration - same as any PHP book I've seen though the other books may not explain all different methods and/or different platforms as the official. +1 Language Reference - Basic Syntax - Types - Variables - Constants - Expressions - Operators - Control Structures - Functions - etc... @George, As for morning commute, if you're driving, you shouldn't be reading anything. :) That's why I mentioned 'print'. Printing as you read/progress means carrying less than entire book. Any decent book will range in about 400+ pages. Another good side to printing as you go is that a thick book wouldn't seem overwhelming for beginners as to how much information they have to digest and absorb, especially someone who is new to IT and not used to reading thick books/manuals. As for the book giving real world experiences, that's only to give you small idea of what you _may_ encounter. Personally, I find that too broad and in depth to encompass in a book unless it's a(n) auto/biography. A good example to that is accessing database. How do you explain to someone new which he/she should use and why: straight access via client library, ODBC, PDO, abstraction/wrappers, ORM, and/or any combination there of. Although this requires some understanding of PHP, I don't recall any book hinting or briefly explaining all the possible methods of DB access. A long time ago, I wrote an abstraction wrapper that would allow me to access any DB that PHP supports and allow simultaneous connections to same and/or different DBs because my need was there. That same wrapper would allow DB specific operations too. IIRC, this was long before various PDO drivers, namely MS SQLServer, were available and became popular.
[PHP] book quest
The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Kirk Bailey kbai...@howlermonkey.net wrote: The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php I had great success with Wrox PHP Programming and PHP Essentials by Julie C. Meloni The latter is dated, but was clearly written. -- Bastien Cat, the other other white meat -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Kirk Bailey kbai...@howlermonkey.net wrote: The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php I agree with Bastien -- I've had great luck with the PHP books. Beginning PHP4 has a permanent place on my shelf, even though PHP4 is outdated. Beginning PHP5.3 hasn't quite supplanted it as a concept book, but is my go-to for here's a way to solve this particular problem using a new version of PHP book. -Andy -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 19:13, Andy McKenzie amckenz...@gmail.com wrote: I agree with Bastien -- I've had great luck with the PHP books. Beginning PHP4 has a permanent place on my shelf, even though PHP4 is outdated. Beginning PHP5.3 hasn't quite supplanted it as a concept book, but is my go-to for here's a way to solve this particular problem using a new version of PHP book. I'm still waiting for the day when folks on this list get together and say, let's put all of our notes together, as beginners and intermediates, and put together a book for the newcomers, from the newcomers, by the newcomers, who can relate to them without the taint of overexperience. If properly presented, it would not only be easy to shop to publishers, but it could also be one of the first truly collaborative publications to exist on biological remnants. -- /Daniel P. Brown Network Infrastructure Manager http://www.php.net/ -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP] book quest
I agree with Daniel. I would be willing to contribute to that type of collaborative initiative. Best, Christopher Lee -Original Message- From: paras...@gmail.com [mailto:paras...@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Daniel Brown Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 7:24 PM To: Andy McKenzie Cc: php-general@lists.php.net Subject: Re: [PHP] book quest On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 19:13, Andy McKenzie amckenz...@gmail.com wrote: I agree with Bastien -- I've had great luck with the PHP books. Beginning PHP4 has a permanent place on my shelf, even though PHP4 is outdated. Beginning PHP5.3 hasn't quite supplanted it as a concept book, but is my go-to for here's a way to solve this particular problem using a new version of PHP book. I'm still waiting for the day when folks on this list get together and say, let's put all of our notes together, as beginners and intermediates, and put together a book for the newcomers, from the newcomers, by the newcomers, who can relate to them without the taint of overexperience. If properly presented, it would not only be easy to shop to publishers, but it could also be one of the first truly collaborative publications to exist on biological remnants. -- /Daniel P. Brown Network Infrastructure Manager http://www.php.net/ -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited. -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On 09/28/2011 06:23 PM, Daniel Brown wrote: On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 19:13, Andy McKenzie amckenz...@gmail.com wrote: I agree with Bastien -- I've had great luck with the PHP books. Beginning PHP4 has a permanent place on my shelf, even though PHP4 is outdated. Beginning PHP5.3 hasn't quite supplanted it as a concept book, but is my go-to for here's a way to solve this particular problem using a new version of PHP book. I'm still waiting for the day when folks on this list get together and say, let's put all of our notes together, as beginners and intermediates, and put together a book for the newcomers, from the newcomers, by the newcomers, who can relate to them without the taint of overexperience. If properly presented, it would not only be easy to shop to publishers, but it could also be one of the first truly collaborative publications to exist on biological remnants. Why are you waiting for the day Dan? Just do it! -- Thanks! -Shawn http://www.spidean.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] book quest
On 9/28/2011 3:26 PM, Bastien Koert wrote: On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Kirk Bailey kbai...@howlermonkey.net wrote: The best book for a beginner? No, don't tell me php.net, I hear that one already, and while it is indeed good, I want something in a dead tree edition I can canny around and smoke as needed. -- end Very Truly yours, - Kirk Bailey, Largo Florida kniht +-+ | BOX | +-+ think -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php I had great success with Wrox PHP Programming and PHP Essentials by Julie C. Meloni The latter is dated, but was clearly written. PHP Essentials (first edition) by Julie C. Meloni was the first book about PHP that I ever bought. I did not find it very useful. The second book was Core PHP First Edition by Leon Atkinson. It was more like an encyclopedia/dictionary with some decent examples. Around 2001 I started participating the general mailing list. I haven't bought another book on PHP since. PHP.net manual, the php-general mailing list and the wonderful members of this list, and Google have provided answers for all the questions I have ever needed to ask since. Jim Lucas -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
