Hi all,

I am studying PHP and MySQL and I have landed to use this book "Web Database Applications with PHP and MYSQL". I could see it has all I need (based on my limited experience on the subject and my requirements) to quickly learn how to build such applications as a web store, or any database driven application. The only problem is it is an old book (2004) and I was wondering if any one here can help me with her/his experience whether to keep using this book or if there are other alternatives or resources s/he would like to suggest.

Thank you in advance

~faizlo

You'll find that virtually every book out there is old...

The time it takes to move it to publication from writing and research is far longer than the time it takes to release the next version or two of actual software.

That said, few concepts change drastically in a year or two but your 10 year old text is probably a bad resource.

These books are all well reviewed and current:

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0990402010?cache=abf9fbc9212c918385f6a8137e74fc01&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1401933159&sr=8-5#ref=mp_s_a_1_5
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1449319262?cache=abf9fbc9212c918385f6a8137e74fc01&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1401933159&sr=8-2#ref=mp_s_a_1_2
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0672329166?cache=abf9fbc9212c918385f6a8137e74fc01&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1401933159&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Hope this helped!

This book:

https://leanpub.com/phptherightway

And its website:

http://www.phptherightway.com/

Thank you very much for your answers.
I will check all these books and come back to you.

~faizlo

If you do buy a book, consider an e-book edition since it probably will be more current and more-easily updated. (They also weigh a lot less!)

Also: "Use the Source, Luke!"

Get thee out to "github" or somewhere where there is the actual complete source-code of some production-ready web site that uses PHP, MySQL and various other things, and which has installation instructions. First, study the entire source-code of the thing: pass it in front of your eyes even if you do not understand (and, you won't ...) everything that you see.

Look also far-and-wide for online web sites. Much of the professional-education material that's being produced today is being put out on web-sites, sometimes by subscription.

I suggest keeping a daily diary ... in a loose-leaf notebook with a number-two pencil. Write down what you have learned. And, when you have a question, write it down too. Once you've done that, it's like pinning the sucker to a display-board: it won't fly away now, so in the meantime you can "let it go" and move along. Later on, the light-bulb will pop on, and you can go back and lightly cross-off that paticular question, writing down the answer and where-and-when you found it. This keeps you from "chasing after every white-rabbit (and, red herring) that happens to come wandering by."