This updated edition teaches everything you need to know to create effective web applications with the latest features in PHP 5.x. You’ll start with the big picture and then dive into language syntax, programming techniques, and other details, using examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms.If you have a working knowledge of HTML, the authors’ many style tips and practical programming advice will help you become a top-notch PHP programmer.Get an overview of what’s possible with PHP programsLearn language fundamentals, including data types, variables, operators, and flow control statementsUnderstand functions, strings, arrays, and objectsApply common web application techniques, such as form processing, data validation, session tracking, and cookiesInteract with relational databases like MySQL or NoSQL databases such as MongoDBGenerate dynamic images, create PDF files, and parse XML filesLearn secure scripts, error handling, performance tuning, and other advanced topicsGet a quick reference to PHP core functions and standard extensions Read Less