Practical PHP and MySQL Website Databases: A Simplified Approach

Practical PHP and MySQL Website Databases is a project-oriented book that demystifies building interactive, database-driven websites. The focus is on getting you up and running as quickly as possible. In the first two chapters you will set up your development and testing environment, and then build your first PHP and MySQL database-driven website. You will then increase its sophistication, security, and functionality throughout the course of the book. The PHP required is taught in context within each project so you can quickly learn how PHP integrates with MySQL to create powerful database-driven websites.

Each project is fully illustrated, so you will see clearly what you are building as you create your own database-driven website. You will build a form for registering users, and then build an interface so that an administrator can view and administer the user database. You will create a message board for users and a method for emailing them. You will also learn the best practices for ensuring that your website databases are secure. Later chapters describe how to create a blog, a product catalog, and a simple e-commerce site. You will also discover how to migrate a database to a remote host. Because you are building the interactive pages yourself, you will know exactly how the MySQL and PHP work, and you will be able to add database interactivity to your own websites with ease.

Adrian West resigned as a chartered engineer and has been teaching in one form or another since 1982. He introduced computers into his work place in 1989 and taught the staff how to use them. For 13 years he has designed and produced websites for businesses and charities in his present location Colyton, Devon, UK. He served as a computer technician to about 100 locals. He stopped visiting and teaching people five years ago so that he could concentrate on his favourite occupation, designing websites. To avoid disappointing his former customers, he launched his free computer help website www.colycomputerhelp.co.uk. He also writes monthly computer help articles in two local magazines. Adrian is the author of Practical HTML5 Projects; Apress May 2012; ISBN-13: 978-1-4302-4275-8. Frustrated by over complicated MySQL manuals that assumed the reader would fill in the many gaps in the instructions, he researched, tested and developed a fully explained and simplified method to eliminate the difficulties he experienced; this book is the result.