Note: This post was created awhile back on another platform and I migrated to my current one.
Note I’ve matured now and have decided to not post any new book reviews on books that I do not like. I apologize in advance for my negative review of this book and I did not intend to be overly negative. I was young and am still learning.
The post:
Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript
A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites (Animal Guide)
My Review
I needed to review PHP since many things have changed. I first tried Head First PHP & MySQL, but it wasn’t technical enough for me. While I initially thought its teaching style would help, it didn’t work out.
This book assumes some programming knowledge, which is great because it moves at a faster pace. Unlike Head First PHP & MySQL, which is slow, this book goes straight to the key subjects—PHP, MySQL, and even touches on other topics. However, when I reached the JavaScript section, I stopped reading.
Pros & Cons
✅ What I Liked
- Fast-paced if you already know some programming.
- Great MySQL chapters – I learned about MySQL database engines like InnoDB and ISAM and how to search databases like a search engine.
- Good for PHP basics – helped me dive back into PHP and solidify the fundamentals of PHP5.
❌ What I Didn’t Like
- Too many code errors – you can find them listed here.
- Confusing examples – Some techniques shouldn’t even be used in real-world applications.
- PHP authentication example is flawed – The book combines HTTP authentication with PHP sessions, but doesn’t explain how to log out properly. Deleting browser cookies doesn’t work, and I had to Google better solutions (hint: use a logout flag in the script).
- Smarty introduction is weak – Installation instructions were unclear, which is why I wrote a separate guide for Windows XP.
- No Object-Oriented PHP – All PHP examples are procedural, with no coverage of OOP in PHP5.
- Terrible JavaScript section – The JavaScript coding style is ugly, doesn’t follow best practices, and lacks proper variable declarations (
var variable1) and semicolons. A better beginner JavaScript book would be a wiser choice (I’ll post a review of one soon).
Final Verdict
This book is a basic introduction to PHP for those with a programming background. However, it does not cover Object-Oriented PHP5 at all.
I’d rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars) because it helped me refresh my PHP knowledge, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it—especially if you’re looking for advanced topics or modern best practices.
📌 Warning: I only read up to Chapter 16 (out of 20). I stopped when I reached JavaScript.
Oh, and if you click the image and buy it from Amazon, I get some store credit for more books—but honestly, this isn’t worth buying. 😉