From:	 Kathryn Barrett <kathrynb@oreilly.com>
To:	 lwn@lwn.net
Subject: "Programming PHP" Released by O'Reilly
Date:	 Thu, 25 Apr 2002 17:32:27 -0700 (PDT)

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2002
For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with
the authors, contact:
Kathryn Barrett (707) 827-7094 or kathrynb@oreilly.com


O'REILLY'S MUCH ANTICIPATED "PROGRAMMING PHP"
OFFERS MASTERY OF THE LANGUAGE FOR WEB AUTHORS


Sebastopol, CA--PHP is a simple yet powerful language designed for
creating HTML content. Since its inception in 1994, PHP has swept over
the Web, and the millions of web sites powered by it are a testament to
the language's popularity and ease of use. Both programmers and web
designers turn to PHP, valuing it for its flexibility, speed,
accessibility and convenience. Although there are many books on the
subject of PHP, "Programming PHP" (O'Reilly, US $39.95) by Rasmus
Lerdorf, creator and lead developer of PHP, and Kevin Tatroe, aims to
be the solid reference manual that PHP has been lacking until now. As
the authors explain, some books focus on just the details the author is
familiar with and don't, for instance, explain boundary cases, error
conditions, and the principles underlying PHP. This can be frustrating
as programmers run into situations that aren't described in the book.

"Programming PHP" was written for anyone who isn't a PHP guru, but
wants to be. The book is an authoritative guide to PHP 4, the latest
version of the language and covers everything a programmer or web
designer would need to know to create effective web applications. The
book explains PHP language syntax and programming techniques in a clear
and concise manner, with numerous examples that illustrate both correct
usage and common idioms. As the authors say, "The practical programming
advice and many style tips will help you become not just a PHP
programmer, but a good PHP programmer."

An open source, HTML-embedded scripting language, PHP allows web
authors to serve dynamic web content by performing such tasks as
processing form input and accessing databases directly in HTML pages,
rather than through CGI scripts. "A lot of non-programmers assume that
PHP, as a programming language, is too difficult for them to possibly
be able to grasp," says coauthor Tatroe. "Conversely, a lot of
programmers assume PHP is a 'toy language' and that it can't be used to
develop real solutions. Both camps are wrong. PHP scales very well to
the level of knowledge a user has."

Filled with the inimitable knowledge of PHP's creator, this book offers
readers information and insights from years of experience and
expertise. The contents include detailed information on the basics of
the PHP language; separate chapters on functions, strings, arrays, and
objects; coverage of common PHP web application techniques such as form
processing and validation, session tracking, cookies, and much more.
"Programming PHP" also includes a quick reference to all the core
functions in PHP and all the standard extensions that ship with PHP.

This long-awaited guide promises to teach programmers and web designers
all they will need to master the PHP language. "When you finish this
book," Lerdorf and Tatroe write, "you will know how the PHP language
works, how to use the many powerful extensions that come standard with
PHP, and how to design and build your own PHP web applications."

Additional resources:
"Programming PHP" is also available on Safari Books Online, see:
http://safari.oreilly.com/

Chapter 5, "Arrays," is available free online at:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/progphp/chapter/ch05.html

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bios, and samples, see:
http://oreilly.com/catalog/progphp/

For a cover graphic in jpeg format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/1565926102.jpg

Programming PHP
By Rasmus Lerdorf and Kevin Tatroe
ISBN 1-56592-610-2, 507 pages, $39.95 (US), $61.95 (CAN)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
http://www.oreilly.com

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