PHP & MySQL : the missing manual

If you can build websites with CSS and JavaScript, this book takes you to the next level—creating dynamic, database-driven websites with PHP and MySQL. Learn how to build a database, manage your content, and interact with users through queries and web forms. With step-by-step tutorials, real-world examples, and jargon-free explanations, you’ll soon discover the power of server-side programming. The important stuff you need to know:Get a running start. Write PHP scripts and create a web form right away. Learn the language. Get up to speed on PHP and SQL syntax quickly. Build a database. Use MySQL to store user information and other data. Make it dynamic. Create pages that change with each new viewing. Be ready for mistakes. Plan error messages to help direct users. Manage your content. Use the file system to access user data, including images and other binary files. Control operations. Create an administrative interface to oversee your site. The Missing Credits......Page 9 Introduction......Page 13 Part One: PHP and MySQL Basics......Page 21 Gathering Your Tools......Page 23 Writing Your First Program......Page 34 Running Your First Program......Page 36 Writing Your Second Program......Page 37 Upload Your HTML, CSS, and PHP......Page 40 Running Your Second Program......Page 41 Get Information from a Web Form......Page 45 Working with Text in PHP......Page 52 The $_REQUEST Variable......Page 66 What Do You Do with User Information?......Page 73 What Is a Database?......Page 75 Installing MySQL......Page 79 SQL Is a Language for Talking to Databases......Page 96 Part Two: Dynamic Web Pages......Page 109 Writing a Simple PHP Connection Script......Page 111 Cleaning Up Your Code with Multiple Files......Page 123 Building a Basic SQL Query Runner......Page 129 Chapter 5: Better Searching with Regular Expressions......Page 147 String Matching, Double-Time......Page 148 Revisiting a User’s Information......Page 163 Planning Your Database Tables......Page 165 Saving a User’s Information......Page 171 Show Me the User......Page 179 Redirection and Revisitation of Creating Users......Page 196 Part Three: From Web Pages to Web Applications......Page 209 Chapter 7: When Things Go Wrong (and They Will)......Page 211 Planning Your Error Pages......Page 212 Finding a Middle Ground for Error Pages with PHP......Page 219 Add Debugging to Your Application......Page 227 Redirecting on Error......Page 236 Chapter 8: Handling Images and Complexity......Page 247 Images Are Just Files......Page 248 Images Are For Viewing......Page 269 And Now for Something Completely Different......Page 278 Chapter 9: Binary Objects and Image Loading......Page 279 Storing Different Objects in Different Tables......Page 280 Inserting a Raw Image into a Table......Page 282 Your Binary Data Isn’t Safe to Insert...Yet......Page 286 Connecting Users and Images......Page 293 Show Me the Image......Page 303 Embedding an Image Is Just Viewing an Image......Page 313 So Which Approach is Best?......Page 318 Chapter 10: Listing, Iterating, and Administrating......Page 321 Some Things Never Change......Page 322 Listing All Your Users......Page 325 Deleting a User......Page 333 Talking Back To Your Users......Page 341 Standardizing on Messaging......Page 351 Integrating Utilities, Views, and Messages......Page 358 Part Four: Security and the Real World......Page 371 Chapter 11: Authentication and Authorization......Page 373 Start with Basic Authentication......Page 374 Abstracting What’s the Same......Page 384 Passwords Don’t Belong in PHP Scripts......Page 387 Passwords Create Security, But Should Be Secure......Page 402 Chapter 12: Cookies, Sign-ins, and Ditching Crummy Pop-ups......Page 409 Going Beyond Basic Authentication......Page 410 Logging In with Cookies......Page 416 Adding Context-Specific Menus......Page 433 Chapter 13: Authorization and Sessions......Page 447 Modeling Groups in Your Database......Page 448 Checking for Group Membership......Page 454 Group-Specific Menus......Page 463 Entering Browser Sessions......Page 467 Memory Lane: Remember that Phishing Problem?......Page 479 So Why Ever Use Cookies?......Page 483 Index......Page 485 If you can build websites with CSS and JavaScript, this book takes you to the next level—creating dynamic, database-driven websites with PHP and MySQL. Learn how to build a database, manage your content, and interact with users. With step-by-step tutorials, this completely revised edition gets you started with expanded coverage of the basics and takes you deeper into the world of server-side programming.The important stuff you need to know:Get up to speed quickly. Learn how to install PHP and MySQL, and get them running on both your computer and a remote server.Gain new techniques. Take advantage of the all-new chapter on integrating PHP with HTML web pages.Manage your content. Use the file system to access user data, including images and other binary files.Make it dynamic. Create pages that change with each new viewing.Build a good database. Use MySQL to store user information and other data.Keep your site working. Master the tools for fixing things that go wrong.Control operations. Create an administrative interface to oversee your site. If you can build websites with CSS and JavaScript, this book takes you to the next level—creating dynamic, database-driven websites with PHP and MySQL. Learn how to build a database, manage your content, and interact with users through queries and web forms. With step-by-step tutorials, real-world examples, and jargon-free explanations, you’ll soon discover the power of server-side programming.The important stuff you need to know:Get a running start. Write PHP scripts and create a web form right away.Learn the language. Get up to speed on PHP and SQL syntax quickly.Build a database. Use MySQL to store user information and other data.Make it dynamic. Create pages that change with each new viewing.Be ready for mistakes. Plan error messages to help direct users.Manage your content. Use the file system to access user data, including images and other binary files.Control operations. Create an administrative interface to oversee your site. If you can build websites with CSS and JavaScript, this book takes you to the next level-creating dynamic, database-driven websites with PHP and MySQL. Learn how to build a database, manage your content, and interact with users through queries and web forms. With step-by-step tutorials, real-world examples, and jargon-free explanations, you'll soon discover the power of server-side programming. The important stuff you need to know: Get a running start. Write PHP scripts and create a web form right away.Learn the language. Get up to speed on PHP a Provides information on using PHP and MySQL to build and manage database-driven websites