This is a comprehensive guide to PHP, a simple yet powerful language for creating dynamic Web content. It is a detailed reference to the language and its applications, including such topics as form processing, sessions, databases, XML, and graphics and covers PHP 4, the latest version of the language. This book explains PHP language syntax and programming techniques in a clear and concise manner, with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. The book also includes style tips and practical programming advice that should help you become not just a PHP programmer, but a good PHP programmer. Contents of the book include: information on the basics of the PHP language, including data types, variables, operators, and flow control statements; separate chapters on the fundamental topics of functions, strings, arrays, and objects; coverage of common PHP Web application techniques, such as form processing and validation, session tracking, and cookies; material on interacting with relational databases, such as MySQL and Oracle, using the database-independent PEAR DB library; chapters on generating dynamic images, creating PDF files, and parsing XML files with PHP; and advanced topics, like creating secure script, error handling, performance tuning, and writing your own C language extensions to PHP.

Table of Contents:
Preface; 1. Introduction to PHP What Does PHP Do? A Brief History of PHP Installing PHP A Walk Through PHP; 2. Language Basics Lexical Structure Data Types Variables Expressions and Operators Flow-Control Statements Including Code Embedding PHP in Web Pages; 3. Functions Calling a Function Defining a Function Variable Scope Function Parameters Return Values Variable Functions Anonymous Functions; 4. Strings Quoting String Constants Printing Strings Accessing Individual Characters Cleaning Strings Encoding and Escaping Comparing Strings Manipulating and Searching Strings Regular Expressions POSIX-Style Regular Expressions Perl-Compatible Regular Expressions; 5. Arrays Indexed Versus Associative Arrays Identifying Elements of an Array Storing Data in Arrays Multidimensional Arrays Extracting Multiple Values Converting Between Arrays and Variables Traversing Arrays Sorting Acting on Entire Arrays Using Arrays; 6. Objects Terminology Creating an Object Accessing Properties and Methods Declaring a Class Introspection Serialization; 7. Web Techniques HTTP Basics Variables Server Information Processing Forms Setting Response Headers Maintaining State SSL; 8. Databases Using PHP to Access a Database Relational Databases and SQL PEAR DB Basics Advanced Database Techniques Sample Application; 9. Graphics Embedding an Image in a Page The GD Extension Basic Graphics Concepts Creating and Drawing Images Images with Text Dynamically Generated Buttons Scaling Images Color Handling; 10. PDF PDF Extensions Documents and Pages Text Images and Graphics Navigation Other PDF Features; 11. XML Lightning Guide to XML Generating XML Parsing XML Transforming XML with XSLT Web Services; 12. Security Global Variables and Form Data Filenames File Uploads File Permissions Concealing PHP Libraries PHP Code Shell Commands Security Redux; 13. Application Techniques Code Libraries Templating Systems Handling Output Error Handling Performance Tuning; 14. Extending PHP Architectural Overview What You'll Need Building Your First Extensions The config.m4 File Memory Management The pval/zval Data Type Parameter Handling Returning Values References Global Variables Creating Variables Extension INI Entries Resources Where to Go from Here; 15. PHP on Windows Installing and Configuring PHP on Windows Writing Portable Code for Windows and Unix Interfacing with COM Interacting with ODBC Data Sources; A. Function Reference; B. Extension Overview; Index