PHP 5 Fast and Easy Web Development

by Meloni, Julie

• ISBN13: 9781592004737
• ISBN10: 1592004733
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-11
• Publisher: Cengage Learning Ptr

Summary

Don't spend your time wading through manuals to learn PHP 5. Spend it doing what you do best - creating web pages! With "PHP 5 Fast & Easy Web Development" you can get up and running with PHP 5, Apache, and MySQL with ease. By the time you're finished, you'll be able to display dynamic content, build your own contact management system, create custom reports, work with XML, and much more. Less time, less effort, more results!

Author Biography

Julie Meloni is the technical director for i2i Interactive, a multimedia company located in Los Altos, CA. She's been developing web-based applications since the web first saw the light of day and remembers the excitement surrounding the first GUI web browser. She is the author of several books and articles on web-based programming languages and database topics, and you can find translations of her work in several languages, including Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and even Serbian.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xv
PART I GETTING STARTED	1	(46)
Chapter 1 Installing and Configuring MySQL	3	(20)
Various MySQL Distributions	4	(1)
Installing MySQL on Windows	4	(10)
Testing Your MySQL Installation	8	(6)
Installing MySQL for Linux	14	(9)
Chapter 2 Installing Apache	23	(14)
Installing Apache for Windows	24	(6)
Configuring Apache on Windows	27	(2)
Starting and Connecting to Apache	29	(1)
Installing Apache for Linux/Unix	30	(7)
Configuring Apache on Linux/Unix	32	(2)
Starting and Connecting to Apache	34	(3)
Chapter 3 Installing PHP	37	(10)
Installing PHP for Windows	38	(5)
Configuring Apache to Use PHP	39	(2)
Testing the PHP Installation	41	(2)
Installing PHP for Linux/Unix	43	(6)
Configuring Apache to Use PHP	44	(1)
Testing the PHP Installation	45	(2)
PART II THE ABSOLUTE BASICS OF CODING IN PHP	47	(50)
Chapter 4 Mixing PHP and HTML	49	(14)
How PHP Is Parsed	50	(1)
PHP Start and End Tags	50	(3)
Code Cohabitation	53	(5)
The Importance of the Instruction Terminator	55	(3)
Escaping Your Code	58	(2)
Commenting Your Code	60	(3)
Chapter 5 Introducing Variables and Operators	63	(22)
What's a Variable?	64	(1)
Naming Your Variables	64	(1)
PHP Variable and Value Types	65	(6)
What's an Operator?	71	(14)
Assignment Operators	72	(2)
Arithmetic Operators	74	(3)
Comparison Operators	77	(4)
Logical Operators	81	(4)
Chapter 6 Using PHP Variables	85	(12)
Getting Variables from Forms	86	(6)
Creating a Calculation Form	86	(3)
Creating the Calculation Script	89	(2)
Submitting Your Form and Getting Results	91	(1)
HTTP Environment Variables	92	(7)
Retrieving and Using REMOTE_ADDR	93	(2)
Retrieving and Using HTTP_USER_AGENT	95	(2)
PART III START WITH THE SIMPLE STUFF	97	(80)
Chapter 7 Displaying Dynamic Content	99	(18)
Displaying Browser-Specific HTML	100	(3)
Displaying Platform-Specific HTML	103	(3)
Working with String Functions	106	(7)
Creating an Input Form	107	(2)
Creating a Script to Display Form Values	109	(1)
Submitting Your Form and Getting Results	110	(3)
Redirecting to a New Location	113	(4)
Creating a Redirection Form	113	(1)
Creating the Redirection Script and Testing It	114	(3)
Chapter 8 Sending E-Mail	117	(24)
Using an SMTP Server	118	(2)
SMTP-Related Changes in php.ini	118	(2)
A Simple Feedback Form	120	(7)
Creating the Feedback Form	120	(1)
Creating a Script to Mail Your Form	121	(4)
Submitting Your Form and Getting Results	125	(2)
A Feedback Form with Custom Error Messages	127	(14)
Creating the Initial Script	128	(2)
Adding Error Checking to the Script	130	(5)
Submitting Your Form and Getting Results	135	(3)
Saving the Values If You Make an Error	138	(3)
Chapter 9 Using Your File System	141	(26)
File Paths and Permissions	142	(1)
Displaying Directory Contents	142	(4)
Working with fopen() and fclose()	146	(13)
Creating a New File	146	(6)
Appending Data to a File	152	(2)
Reading Data from a File	154	(3)
Sending File Contents Via E-Mail	157	(2)
File System Housekeeping	159	(8)
Copying Files	160	(2)
Renaming Files	162	(2)
Deleting Files	164	(3)
Chapter 10 Uploading Files to Your Website	167	(10)
Checking Your php.ini File	168	(1)
Understanding the Process	169	(1)
Creating the Form	170	(2)
Creating the Upload Script	172	(2)
Uploading a File Using Your Form and Script	174	(3)
PART IV GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MYSQL DATABASE	177	(68)
Chapter 11 Establishing a Connection and Poking Around	179	(20)
Working with User Privileges in MySQL	180	(1)
Creating a New User	180	(1)
Connecting to MySQL	181	(4)
Breaking Your Connection Script	183	(2)
Listing Databases on a Server	185	(3)
Listing Tables in a Database	188	(5)
Creating a New Database	193	(3)
Deleting a Database	196	(3)
Chapter 12 Creating a Database Table	199	(20)
Planning for Your Tables	200	(3)
Basic MySQL Data Types	200	(2)
Defining Your Fields	202	(1)
The Importance of Unique Fields	203	(1)
A Two-Step Form Sequence	203	(9)
Step 1: Number of Fields	204	(1)
Step 2: Defining Your Fields	205	(5)
Starting the Table Creation Process	210	(2)
Creating the Table-Creation Script	212	(5)
Create That Table!	217	(2)
Chapter 13 Inserting Data into the Table	219	(12)
Creating the Record Addition Form	220	(9)
Creating the Record Addition Script	223	(6)
Populating Your Table	229	(2)
Chapter 14 Selecting and Displaying Data	231	(14)
Planning and Creating Your Administrative Menu	232	(15)
Selecting Data from the my_music Table	233	(1)
Displaying Records Ordered by ID	234	(4)
Displaying Records Ordered by Date Acquired	238	(1)
Displaying Records Ordered by Title	239	(1)
Displaying Records Ordered by Artist	240	(5)
PART V USER AUTHENTICATION AND TRACKING	245	(50)
Chapter 15 Database-Driven User Authentication	247	(16)
Why Authenticate Anyone?	248	(1)
Creating the User Table	248	(9)
Adding Users to Your Table	249	(1)
Creating the User Addition Form and Script	250	(5)
Adding Some Users	255	(2)
Creating the Login Form	257	(4)
Creating the Authentication Script	258	(3)
Trying to Authenticate Yourself	261	(2)
Chapter 16 Using Cookies	263	(14)
What Are Cookies?	264	(1)
Setting Cookies	264	(5)
Counting Time	266	(1)
Setting a Test Cookie	267	(2)
Using Cookie Variables	269	(8)
Using Cookies with Authentication	269	(8)
Chapter 17 Session Basics	277	(18)
Before You Begin...Checking php.ini	278	(1)
What's a Session?	278	(1)
Understanding Session Variables	279	(5)
Starting a Session	279	(3)
Registering and Modifying Session Variables	282	(2)
Managing User Preferences with Sessions	284	(13)
Starting a Session and Registering Defaults	284	(5)
Making Preference Changes	289	(4)
Displaying Changes	293	(2)
PART VI CREATING YOUR OWN CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM	295	(96)
Chapter 18 Planning Your System	297	(18)
Planning and Creating the Administration Menu	298	(7)
Logging in to the Administration Menu	303	(2)
Defining the my_contacts Table	305	(10)
Modifying the Table-Creation Scripts	306	(6)
Creating the my_contacts Table	312	(3)
Chapter 19 Adding Contacts	315	(12)
Creating the Record-Addition Form	316	(5)
Creating the Record-Addition Script	321	(4)
Populating Your Table	325	(2)
Chapter 20 Modifying Contacts	327	(18)
Creating the Record-Selection Form	328	(5)
Creating the Record-Modification Form	333	(4)
Creating the Record-Modification Script	337	(4)
Modifying Contacts	341	(4)
Chapter 21 Deleting Contacts	345	(16)
Using the Record-Selection Form	346	(5)
Creating the Record-Deletion Form	351	(4)
Creating the Record-Deletion Script	355	(3)
Deleting Contacts	358	(3)
Chapter 22 Working with Contacts	361	(30)
Modifying Your Administration Menu	362	(31)
Showing the Number of Contacts	362	(10)
Displaying Today's Date	370	(2)
Showing the Birthdays in the Current Month	372	(7)
Selecting Data from the my_contacts Table	379	(1)
Displaying the Record List	379	(5)
Displaying Read-Only Records	384	(7)
PART VII ADDITIONAL PROJECT EXAMPLES	391	(58)
Chapter 23 Managing a Simple Mailing List	393	(22)
A Brief Word About Mailing List Software	394	(1)
Developing a Subscription Mechanism	394	(13)
Creating the subscribers Table	394	(3)
Creating the Subscription Form	397	(7)
Testing the Subscription Form	404	(3)
Developing the Mailing Mechanism	407	(8)
Creating the Newsletter Form	407	(1)
Creating the Script to Mail Your Newsletter	408	(3)
Testing Your Mailing List Mechanism	411	(4)
Chapter 24 Creating Custom Logs and Reports	415	(22)
A Note About Apache Log Files	416	(1)
Simple Access Counting with MySQL	417	(20)
Creating the Database Table	417	(1)
Creating the Code Snippet	418	(4)
Displaying the Count	422	(3)
Creating Your Personal Access Report	425	(12)
Chapter 25 Working with XML	437	(12)
What Is XML?	438	(4)
Basic XML Document Structure	438	(4)
Preparing to Use XML with PHP	441	(1)
Parsing XML with PHP	442	(9)
Parse and Display Content from XML Files	444	(5)
PART VIII APPENDIXES	449	(56)
Appendix A Additional Configuration Options	451	(6)
Windows Extensions	452	(1)
Linux Configuration Options	453	(4)
Appendix B Basic PHP Language Reference	457	(36)
PHP Start and End Tags	458	(1)
Variables	458	(3)
Floats	459	(1)
Integers	459	(1)
Strings	459	(1)
Variables from HTML Forms	460	(1)
Variables from Cookies	460	(1)
Environment Variables	460	(1)
Arrays	461	(1)
Operators	461	(3)
Arithmetic Operators	462	(1)
Assignment Operators	462	(1)
Comparison Operators	463	(1)
Increment/Decrement Operators	463	(1)
Logical Operators	464	(1)
Control Structures	464	(3)
if...else if...else	464	(2)
while	466	(1)
for	466	(1)
Built-In Functions	467	(26)
Array Functions	467	(3)
Database Connectivity Functions for MySQL	470	(2)
Date and Time Functions	472	(2)
File System Functions	474	(3)
HTTP Functions	477	(1)
Mail Function	478	(1)
Mathematical Functions	479	(3)
Miscellaneous Functions	482	(1)
Program Execution Functions	483	(2)
Regular Expression Functions	485	(1)
String Functions	486	(5)
Variable Functions	491	(2)
Appendix C Writing Your Own Functions and Objects	493	(12)
The Structure of Functions	494	(2)
Returning Values from Functions	494	(2)
Using Functions in Your Code	496	(3)
Using include() and require()	497	(2)
Working with Objects	499	(7)
Creating an Object	499	(3)
Object Inheritance	502	(3)
Appendix D Database Normalization and SQL Reference	505	(16)
Understanding Database Normalization	506	(7)
Applying the Normal Forms	506	(4)
Normalizing the my_contacts Table	510	(3)
Basic MySQL Reference	513	(8)
Creating or Dropping a Database	513	(1)
Creating or Dropping a Table	514	(1)
Altering a Table	514	(1)
Inserting, Updating, or Replacing within a Table	515	(1)
Deleting from a Table	516	(1)
Selecting from a Table	516	(3)
Using the SHOW Command	519	(2)
Appendix E Using SQLite	521	(10)
Examples of SQLite in Action	522	(9)
Creating a Table and Storing Data with SQLite	523	(1)
Retrieving Items with SQLite	524	(2)
Performing Other Tasks with SQLite	526	(5)
Appendix F Getting Help	531	(4)
PHP Resources	532	(2)
Websites	532	(1)
Mailing Lists	533	(1)
User Groups	534	(1)
MySQL Resources	534	(1)
Apache Resources	534	(1)
Index	535