Programmers love its flexibility and speed; designers love its
accessibility and convenience. When it comes to creating web sites, the
PHP scripting language is truly a red-hot property. In fact, PHP is
currently used on more than 19 million web sites, surpassing Microsoft's
ASP .NET technology in popularity. Not surprisingly, this surge in usage
has resulted in a number of PHP books hitting the market. Only one,
though, takes the language beyond traditional Web programming and into
mapping, graphing, multimedia, and beyond: PHP Hacks.
In PHP Hacks, author Jack Herrington wrings out his 20 years of code
generation experience to deliver hands-on tools ranging from basic PHP
and PEAR installation and scripting to advanced multimedia and database
optimizing tricks.
On the practical side of things, PHP Hacks helps you develop more
robust PHP applications by explaining how to improve your database
design, automate application testing, and employ design patterns in your
PHP scripts and classes. In the category of "cool," Herrington explains
how to upgrade your Web interface through the creation of tabs,
stickies, popups, and calendars. He even examines how to leverage maps
and graphics in PHP. There's also a bounty of image and application
hacks, including those that show you how to:
- Integrate web sites with Google maps and satellite imaging
- Dynamically display iPhoto libraries online
- Add IRC, SMS, and Instant Messaging capabilities to your Web
applications
- Drop the latest Wikipedia dictionary onto your Sony PSP
- Render graphics and user interfaces with SVG, DHTML, and Ajax
Whether you're a newcomer or an expert, you'll find great value in PHP
Hacks, the only PHP guide that offers something useful and fun for
everyone.
