01 PHP MySQL Getting Started Notes PDF

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November 07 PHP & MySQL - Getting Started

Introduction to PHP & MySQL

An XHTML/CSS website can provide a user with information, but cannot provide interaction. In
order to do this, the site must have some form of intelligence that allows it to make decisions,
based on input from the user. Javascript goes some way to doing this, but (apart from cookies,
which have certain limitations), javascript cannot provide the web developer with a way to remem-
ber information that the user provides it - which allows web developers to produce truly interac-
tive, compelling web experiences.

This remembering is most commonly done with a database, a simple storage mechanism for com-
puter data, more capable than a flat file, or a spreadsheet, due to its ability to create relationships
between different sets of data - but more about that later. We are going to be using a database
server called MySQL, which uses standard Structured Query Language (SQL) as the

In order to talk to a database, we need a programming language that can connect to and commu-
nicate with the database, we are using PHP.

PHP in Brief

PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

PHP is a server-side scripting language

PHP scripts are executed on the server

PHP supports many databases (MySQL, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Solid, PostgreSQL, Generic
ODBC, etc.)

PHP is an open source software (OSS)

PHP is free to download and use

What is a PHP File?

PHP files may contain text, HTML tags and scripts

PHP files are returned to the browser as plain HTML

PHP files have a file extension of ".php", ".php3", or ".phtml"

What is MySQL?

MySQL is a database server

MySQL is ideal for both small and large applications

MySQL supports standard SQL

MySQL compiles on a number of platforms

MySQL is free to download and use

PHP & MySQL - Getting Started 1


November 07 PHP & MySQL - Getting Started

PHP + MySQL

PHP combined with MySQL are cross-platform (means that you can develop in Windows and
serve on a Unix platform)

Why PHP?

PHP runs on different platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.)

PHP is compatible with almost all servers used today (Apache, IIS, etc.)

PHP is FREE to download from the official PHP resource: www.php.net

PHP is easy to learn and runs efficiently on the server side

Homework:

Use google to search for each of the functions shown in todays demonstration, then note what they
do and how they do it. Practice creating a few databases, and connecting to them.

Links - Required Reading

W3Schools: PHP Syntax http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_syntax.asp


W3Schools: MySQL Introduction: http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_mysql_intro.asp
W3Schools: PHP MySQL Connect to a Database:
http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_mysql_connect.asp
Data Driven Web Pages:
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/8X/07821414/078214148X.pdf

Links - Recommended Reading


Think Vitamin: a resource for web designers, developers and entrepreneurs:
http://www.thinkvitamin.com/
A List Apart: explores the design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus
on web standards and best practices: http://www.alistapart.com
Killer PHP: Video (yes, VIDEO!) tutorials for beginners and intermediate:
http://www.killerphp.com/

Links - Further Reading


These links are more comprehensive, and are only recommended if you find the subject material
easy, or wish to dig much deeper, focus on understanding the concepts in the lecture before at-
tempting to read and understand these.

MySQL: The homesite for MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/


PHP.Net: The homesite for PHP, including news, information and the manual: http://php.net/
Wikipedia: SQL entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL
Wikipedia: MySQL entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL
Wikipedia: PHP entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Php

PHP & MySQL - Getting Started 2


November 07 PHP & MySQL - Getting Started

PHP & MySQL - What to expect from this module

Getting Started Day 1 Introduction To Data Driven Sites


Similarities between Javascript & PHP
MySQL
Connecting to a Database

Code Basics Day 2 PHP & HTML Text


Day 2 PHP Decision Making
Day 3 Functions
Day 3 SQL
Day 4 Arrays
Day 4 Forms

Sessions Day 5 Sessions & Authentication

PHP & MySQL - Getting Started 3

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