Re: Re: I want to learn this!

Zona is right, if you avoid the manual you will experience many problems. Never avoid the documentation ----- Original Message ----- From: "CC Zona" <cczona@nospam.invalid> To: <php-general@lists.php.net> Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2001 5:06 PM Subject: [PHP] Re: I want to learn this! > In article <20010715202446.14360.qmail@pb1.pair.com>, > minardi@aon.at (Minardi Boy) wrote: > > > I've downloaded the manual at > > php.net but this wasn't very satisfying as I really don't like reading lots > > of complicated stuff on the screen of my laptop. > > Then print it. No kidding. I'm all for conserving paper, but this is no > waste. The PHP manual--*with annotations*--is a very good introduction to > PHP. IMO, far too many people try to get by w/o reading the manual, then > end up spending hours or days struggling with something that would have > taken them seconds or minutes if they'd read the manual through. > > A printout gives you get the best of both worlds: scribble notes all over > the printout, while doing copy/pastes of the code snippets of the user > annotations from the online version. > > > Are there any books you guys/gals could recommend? Are there (non > > university/school) classes (satisfactory)? > > Julie Meloni has two good intro-level books. Many people seem to like the > Wrox book as well. PHP.net has a list of other books (I believe there's a > link from <http://php.net/support.php>). Pick whichever > one you're most > comfortable with. > > As to courses, any generalized intro-to-programming should be helpful for > understanding concepts & terminology common to PHP and every other > programming language. > > You mention an interest in databases. If you're using MySQL (which you > should, at least while you're learning, since virtually every PHP tutorial > for databases uses MySQL as its DBMS), the essential MySQL > tutorial/reference book IMO is Paul DuBois' "MySQL" from New Riders. It > even has a chapter devoted to using MySQL with PHP. > > Caveat: do not expect to "learn databases" from any PHP reference. > Database concepts, the SQL language, and the peculiarities (features, > functions, syntax) of your DBMS are all big, important topics requiring a > dedicated text of their own. > > My recommendations: > The PHP.net manual, plus any online or printed PHP tutorial of your choice. > If you're planning to work with databases, add any standard intro to > database concepts and SQL, plus the manual for your chosen DBMS. > > Good luck! > > -- > CC > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-general-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > For additional commands, e-mail: php-general-help@lists.php.net > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net > >