PHP & MYSQL

Ok,

This access database stuff and asp is doing my head in - I think I'm going to change and try to learn PHP..

Can anyone recommend a good book to learn how to use PHP and MYSQL with the goal of setting up a database of products.

I found this one
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obi...59-7247829

but any advice would be appreciated.

Matt,

I bought this one ages ago, but haven't had a real chance to use it apart from setting up a test db -

<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0672317842/ref=br_lf_b_h__4/202-8045840-2375011" target="_new">http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...045840-2375011</a>

I think there is also a PHP & My SQL for Dummies available.

Ian

If you've experience in ASP, why not give ASP.NET a go? You can actually download the Web Matrix dev environment and MSDE database for nowt and it's pretty impressive. In ASP.NET you can actually get a whole data retrieval table with paging set up by a single drag & drop (it took me 3 days to get one working in ASP!)

Just an idea...

I know it may sound daft, but try just having a skim of the PHP manual.

A lot of the functions include sample code. For example this gives a code sample that will cycle thru the results of a database query and output data for each one.

I tend to use the windows help manual 95% of the time and refer to the online one if I need more info (it includes readers comments).

I'd recommend having phpMyAdmin installed to handle the MySql stuff, it gives easy web management and links into the help file (simular to the phpAdsNew control panels).

Plus you've got your own little support team here!!

Rich

I got this and used it to learn php

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obi...76454716X/

this one seems to have a good reputation too

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obi...861003730/

Also I'd second the tip about using phpMyAdmin.

and recommend this site

www.phpbuilder.com

Thanks for the info..

I thought it was about time to learn a language, and from fiddling around with asp, I'm not really keen on it - a friend really likes PHP and from dabbling around it seems quite simple in design.

Thank you for the book and website recomendations, I'll be ordering a couple tonight.

bertm was the first book you mentioned 'the php bible' good for novices and for creating database driven sites?

Thanks for your input Rich, Ian and here here here!

Matt.

yeah it was a good beginners book, takes a bit of stick on the amazon reviews because of that but if you don't know any php then it's a good starting point.
I notice there is a newer vesion now

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obi...764549553/

the first section is just php and if you've done some programming before it could be a bit basic. the second section is PHP/MySQL and the third section is other stuff like sessions/cookies/email/xml. One of the others may give you a bit more depth on the database site but it's a good intro.

On the other hand after learning it by hand from this book and various websites I've recently been pleased with results from getting Dreamweaver MX to do all the hard work for me.

if you do want to get into it, I can recommend phpTriad as the best way to get setup to run apache/php/mysql on a local machine for testing

sourceforge.net/projects/phptriad

Or you could stick with ASP and tailor a ready made script to your own needs, there is a free product database here www.aspemporium.com/aspEm...atalog.asp

Have fun whatever you decide

Keith

Products database? is that like a shopping cart thingie?

If so, I like this one php/mysql.. its free as well.

www.oscommerce.com/

demo at
www.oscommerce.com/osCommerce/