There are many reasons for serving up dynamic content from a web site:to offer an online shopping site, create customized information pages for users, or just manage a large volume of content through a database. Anyone with a modest knowledge of HTML and web site management can learn to create dynamic content through the PHP programming language and the MySQL database. This book gives you the background and tools to do the job safely and reliably.

Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL, Second Edition thoroughly reflects the needs of real-world applications. It goes into detail on such practical issues as validating input (do you know what a proper credit card number looks like?), logging in users, and using templates
to give your dynamic web pages a standard look.

But this book goes even further. It shows how JavaScript and PHP can be used in tandem to make a user's experience faster and more pleasant. It shows the correct way to handle errors in user input so that a site looks professional. It introduces the vast collection of powerful tools available in the PEAR repository and shows how to use some of the most popular tools.

Even while it serves as an introduction to new programmers, the book does not omit critical tasks that web sites require. For instance, every site that allows updates must handle the possibility of multiple users accessing data at the same time. This book explains how to solve the problem in detail with locking.

Through a sophisticated sample application--Hugh and Dave's Wine Store--all the important techniques of dynamic content are introduced. Good design is emphasized, such as dividing logic from presentation. The book introduces PHP 5 and MySQL 4.1 features, while providing techniques that can be used on older versions of the software that are still in widespread use.

This new edition has been redesigned around the rich offerings of PEAR. Several of these, including the Template package and the database-independent query API, are fully integrated into examples and thorougly described in the text. Topics include:

• Installation and configuration of Apache, MySQL, and PHP on Unix®, Windows®, and Mac OS® X systems
  
• Introductions to PHP, SQL, and MySQL administration
  
• Session management, including the use of a custom database for improved efficiency
  
• User input validation, security, and authentication
  
• The PEAR repository, plus details on the use of PEAR DB and Template classes
  
• Production of PDF reports

Table of Contents

Preface 

1. Database Applications and the Web

      The Web 

      Three-Tier Architectures 

2. The PHP Scripting Language

      Introducing PHP 

      Conditions and Branches 

      Loops 

      Functions 

      Working with Types 

      User-Defined Functions 

      A Working Example 

3. Arrays, Strings, and Advanced Data Manipulation in PHP

      Arrays 

      Strings 

      Regular Expressions 

      Dates and Times 

      Integers and Floats 

4. Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with PHP 5

      Classes and Objects 

      Inheritance 

      Throwing and Catching Exceptions 

5. SQL and MySQL

      Database Basics 

      MySQL Command Interpreter 

      Managing Databases and Tables 

      Inserting, Updating, and Deleting Data 

      Querying with SQL SELECT 

      Join Queries 

      Case Study: Adding a New Wine 

6. Querying Web Databases

      Querying a MySQL Database Using PHP 

      Processing User Input 

      MySQL Function Reference 

7. PEAR

      Overview 

      Core Components 

      Packages 

8. Writing to Web Databases

      Database Inserts, Updates, and Deletes 

      Issues in Writing Data to Databases 

9. Validation with PHP and JavaScript

      Validation and Error Reporting Principles 

      Server-Side Validation with PHP 

      JavaScript and Client-Side Validation 

10. Sessions

      Introducing Session Management 

      PHP Session Management 

      Case Study: Using Sessions in Validation 

      When to Use Sessions 

      PHP Session API and Configuration 

11. Authentication and Security

      HTTP Authentication 

      HTTP Authentication with PHP 

      Form-Based Authentication 

      Protecting Data on the Web 

12. Errors, Debugging, and Deployment

      Errors 

      Common Programming Errors 

      Custom Error Handlers 

13. Reporting

      Creating a Report 

      Producing PDF 

      PDF-PHP Reference 

14. Advanced Features of Object-Oriented Programming in PHP 5

      Working with Class Hierarchies 

      Class Type Hints 

      Abstract Classes and Interfaces 

      Freight Calculator Example 

15. Advanced SQL

      Exploring with SHOW 

      Advanced Querying 

      Manipulating Data and Databases 

      Functions 

      Automating Querying 

      Table Types 

      Backup and Recovery 

      Managing Users and Privileges 

      Tuning MySQL 

16. Hugh and Dave's Online Wines: A Case Study

      Functional and System Requirements 

      Application Overview 

      Common Components 

17. Managing Customers

      Code Overview 

      Customer Validation 

      The Customer Form 

18. The Shopping Cart

      Code Overview 

      The Winestore Home Page 

      The Shopping Cart Implementation 

19. Ordering and Shipping at the Online Winestore

      Code Overview 

      Credit Card and Shipping Instructions 

      Finalizing Orders 

      HTML and Email Receipts 

20. Searching and Authentication in the Online Winestore

      Code Overview 

      Searching and Browsing 

      Authentication 

A. Linux Installation Guide

B. Microsoft Windows Installation Guide

C. Mac OS X Installation Guide