INTRODUCTION

• What is PHP?
• A Brief History of PHP
• What Does PHP Do?
• Why PHP 5?
  • Overview of Changes in PHP5
  • Backwards Compatibility with PHP 4
• Is PHP Right for You?
• Who Should Read this Book
• How this Book is Organized
• Conventions in this Book
• More Stuff

PART I: GETTING STARTED

Chapter 1: Installing and Configuring MySQL

• Various MySQL Distributions
• Installing MySQL on Windows
  • Testing Your MySQL Installation
• Installing MySQL for Linux
  • Testing Your MySQL Installation

Chapter 2: Installing Apache

• Installing Apache for Windows
  • Configuring Apache on Windows
  • Starting and Connecting to Apache
• Installing Apache for Linux/UNIX
  • Configuring Apache on Linux/UNIX
  • Starting and Connecting to Apache

Chapter 3: Installing PHP

• Installing PHP for Windows
  • Configuring Apache to Use PHP
  • Testing the PHP Installation
• If You're Using Linux
  • Configuring Apache to Use PHP
  • Testing the PHP Installation

PART II: THE ABSOLUTE BASICS OF CODING IN PHP

Chapter 4: Mixing PHP and HTML

• How PHP is Parsed
• PHP Start and End Tags
• Code Cohabitation
  • The Importance of the Instruction Terminator
• Escaping Your Code
• Commenting Your Code

Chapter 5: Introducing Variables and Operators

• What's a Variable?
  • Naming Your Variables
• PHP Variable and Value Types
• What's an Operator?
  • Assignment Operators
  • Arithmetic Operators
  • Comparison Operators
  • Logical Operators

Chapter 6: Using Variables

• Getting Variables from Forms
  • Creating a Calculation Form
  • Creating the Calculation Script
  • Submitting Your Form and Getting Results
• HTTP Environment Variables
  • Retrieving and Using REMOTE_ADDR
  • Retrieving and Using HTTP_USER_AGENT

PART III: START WITH THE SIMPLE STUFF

Chapter 7: Displaying Dynamic Content

• Displaying Browser-Specific HTML
• Displaying Platform-Specific HTML
• Working with String Functions
  • Creating an Input Form
  • Creating a Script to Display Form Values
  • Submitting Your Form and Getting Results
• Redirecting to a New Location
  • Creating a Redirection Form
  • Creating the Redirection Script and Testing It

Chapter 8: Sending E-Mail

• Using an SMTP Server
  • SMTP­Related Changes in php.ini
• The Simple Feedback Form
  • Creating the Feedback Form
  • Creating a Script to Mail Your Form
  • Submitting Your Form and Getting Results
• A Feedback Form with Custom Error Messages
  • Creating the Initial Script
  • Adding Error Checking to the Script
  • Submitting Your Form and Getting Results
  • Saving the Values If You Make an Error

Chapter 9: Using Your File System

• File Paths and Permissions
• Displaying Directory Contents
• Working with fopen() and fclose()
  • Creating a New File
  • Appending Data to a File
  • Reading Data from a File
  • Sending File Contents via E­Mail
• File System Housekeeping
  • Copying Files
  • Renaming Files
  • Deleting Files

Chapter 10: Uploading Files to Your Web Site

• Check Your php.ini File
• Understanding the Process
• Creating the Form
• Creating the Upload Script
• Uploading a File Using Your Form and Script

PART IV: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MYSQL DATABASE

Chapter 11: Establishing a Connection

• Working with User Privileges in MySQL
  • Creating a New User
• Connecting to MySQL
  • Breaking Your Connection Script
• Listing Databases on a Server
• Listing Tables in a Database
• Creating a New Database
• Deleting a Database

Chapter 12: Creating a Database Table

• Planning for Your Tables
  • Basic MySQL Data Types
  • Defining Your Fields
  • The Importance of Unique Fields
• A Two-Step Form Sequence
  • Step 1: Number of Fields
  • Step 2: Define Your Fields
  • Starting the Table Creation Process
• Creating the Table Creation Script
• Create that Table!

Chapter 13: Inserting Data into the Table

• Creating the Record Addition Form
  • Creating the Record Addition Script
• Populating Your Table

Chapter 14: Selecting and Displaying Data

• Planning and Creating Your Administrative Menu
• Selecting Data From the my_music Table
  • Displaying Records Ordered by ID
  • Displaying Records Ordered by Date Acquired
  • Displaying Records Ordered by Title
  • Displaying Records Ordered by Artist

PART V: USER AUTHENTICATION AND TRACKING

Chapter 15: Database-Driven User Authentication

• Why Authenticate Anyone?
• Creating the User Table
• Adding Users to Your Table
  • Creating the User Addition Form and Script
  • Adding Some Users
• Creating the Login Form
  • Creating the Authentication Script
• Trying to Authenticate Yourself

Chapter 16: Using Cookies

• What's a Cookie?
• Setting Cookies
  • Counting Time
  • Setting a Test Cookie
• Using Cookie Variables
  • Using Cookies with Authentication

Chapter 17: Session Basics

• Before You Begin...Checking php.ini
• What's a Session?
• Understanding Session Variables
  • Starting a Session
  • Registering and Modifying Session Variables
• Managing User Preferences with Sessions
  • Starting a Session and Registering Defaults
  • Making Preference Changes
  • Displaying Changes

PART VI: CREATING YOUR OWN CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Chapter 18: Planning Your System

• Planning and Creating the Administration Menu
  • Logging In to the Administration Menu
• Defining the my_contacts Table
  • Modifying the Table­Creation Scripts
  • Creating the my_contacts Table

Chapter 19: Adding Contacts

• Creating the Record­Addition Form
• Creating the Record­Addition Script
• Populating Your Table

Chapter 20: Modifying Contacts

• Creating the Record-Selection Form
• Creating the Record-Modification Form
• Creating the Record-Modification Script
• Modifying Contacts

Chapter 21: Deleting Contacts

• Using the Record-Selection Form
• Creating the Record-Deletion Form
• Creating the Record-Deletion Script
• Deleting Contacts

Chapter 22: Working with Contacts

• Modifying Your Administration Menu
  • Showing the Number of Contacts
  • Displaying Today's Date
  • Showing the Birthdays in the Current Month
• Selecting Data from the my_contacts Table
  • Displaying Record List
  • Displaying Read-Only Record

PART VII: ADDITIONAL PROJECT EXAMPLES

Chapter 23: Managing a Simple Mailing List

• A Brief Word About Mailing List Software
• Developing a Subscription Mechanism
  • Creating the subscribers Table
  • Creating the Subscription Form
  • Testing the Subscription Form
• Developing the Mailing Mechanism
  • Creating the Newsletter Form
  • Creating the Script to Mail Your Newsletter
  • Testing Your Mailing List Mechanism

Chapter 24: Creating Custom Logs and Reports

• A Note About Apache Log Files
• Simple Access Counting with MySQL
  • Creating the Database Table
  • Creating the Code Snippet
  • Displaying the Count
  • Creating Your Personal Access Report

Chapter 25: Working with XML

• What is XML?
  • Basic XML Document Structure
  • Preparing to use XML with PHP
• Parsing XML with PHP
  • Parse and Display Content from XML Files

PART VIII: APPENDICES

Appendix A: Additional Configuration Options

Appendix B: Basic PHP Language Reference

Appendix C: Writing Your Own Functions and Objects

Appendix D: Database Normalization and MySQL Reference

Appendix E: Using SQLite

Appendix F: Getting Help