Helps in building complex, PHP-driven Web sites and offers PHP technique. This work teaches techniques based on PHP-GTK and PEAR::DB; and helps in master XML parsing, user authentication, forms processing, data mining, and much more.

PHP has become even more powerful as a Web development tool with the addition of two new modules -- PHP-GTK and PEAR::DB. Advanced PHP for Web Development fills a void in the PHP book market for an advanced-level book showing how to create complex Web sites. The authors create custom graphics using PHP-GTK to make application interfaces more intuitive to users. They also show how to create Web applications that are database independent -- not relying on MySQL or MS SQL, or Oracle--using the new PEAR::DB module! Through working code examples and applications, Cosentino takes readers through intermediate tasks that will have an impact on the usability of their Web site, including how to create friendlier forms and use different user-authentication themes. Later sections of the book take readers through more complex code examples and applications, so that, by the end of the book, the reader will be armed with the skills (and working code) to create powerful PHP-backed Web sites!

Preface.
Goal Of This Book.
Who This Book Is For.
Getting The Code.
Acknowledgements.
The Fine Print.
1. PHP Review.
Overview. PHP Syntax. Operators. Arithmetic Operators. Assignment Operators. Comparison Operators. Concatenating Strings. Arrays. If/Then Statements. Switch Statements. For Loops. Foreach Loops. While Loops. Do While Loops. User-defined Functions. Object Oriented Programming With PHP. phpinfo(). Additional Resources.
2. Session Management.
Introduction to Session Management in PHP4. Initial php.ini Settings For Session Management. On Windows. On Linux. General Considerations. Starting a Session. The Contents of Session Files. Tracking Variables Across Pages During A Session. Unregistering Session Variables. Destroying Sessions. A Simple Session-based Shopping Cart.
3. Multi-database Interaction.
Advanced Database Interaction in PHP4. Database Specific Functions In PHP. Connecting To The Database Server. Selecting The Proper Database. Querying The Database To Insert, Read, Or Delete Data. Obtaining The Results Of Your Queries To Present To The User. DBX - PHP Support For Multiple Databases. You can verify the DBX has been correctly installed by using the phpinfo()function and verifying DBX is listed under the configuration section. Enabling DBX in Windows. DBX Functions. BX Functions. Using DBX. Creating Your Own Support For Multiple Databases. Using Pear::DB. Downloading PEAR. Downloading PEAR from CVS. Back To The Basics.
4. Better Form Processing.
Introduction to Better Forms. Post and Get. Making Forms Friendly. Souping-up the script. Check For Spaces. Check For Minimum Number Of Characters. Add More Error Information. Form-Field Checking. Checking For Valid Email Addresses. Using $HTTP_GET_VARS and $HTTP_POST_VARS. Putting It All Together. Variable Variables.
5. Using What You Have Learned -- A Simple Shopping Cart.
Introduction. Features Of The Shopping Cart. Simple Shopping Interface. Simple Administration And Management Interfaces. Setting It Up. The Code. cart.sql. cart.php. cart_inc.php. dbmanage.php. admin.php. checkout.php. finishorder.php.
6. Working With Files.
Overview. Opening Files. Reading Files. Closing Files. Putting It To Use. Data Mining. Parsing Large Files.
7. PHP Authentication Schemes.
User Authentication Overview. Generating Passwords. Authenticating Users Against Text Files. Authenticating Users By IP Address. Authenticating Users Using HTTP Authentication. Authenticating Users By Database Query.
8. Error Management.
Overview. Error Reporting. Types Of Errors In PHP. Error Reporting Settings In php.ini. error_reporting(). php.ini Setting: display_errors. php.ini Settings For Development &
Testing. Logging Errors. Custom Error Handlers. Triggering Errors 251. Tracking User Logins.
9. Using What You Have Learned -- A Meeting Tracker Application.
Introduction. Simple Administration Interface. Setting It Up. The Code. meeting.sql. meeting.php. meeting_inc.php. admin.php.
10. PHP and XML.
Overview. Creating An XML Parser. Defining the XML Parser. Defining The Element Handlers. Defining Character Handlers. Starting The Parser. Cleaning Up. Parsing and Transforming XML Documents. Dumping Database Contents Into An XML File.
11. Generating Dynamic Graphics With PHP.
Overview. The GD Library. Enabling GD support. Enabling GD For Windows. Enabling GD for Linux. Generating Graphics with GD. The Lines and Text. Adding TrueType Font To Your Images. Adding Text To Base Images. Creating Rectangles with GD.
12. PHPGTK.
Introduction to PHPGTK. Installing PHPGTK. Before You Install. Installing on Windows. Installing on Linux. Creating Basic GTK Objects. Creating Your First PHPGTK Window. Adding a GTK Button. Modifying Basic Widget Appearance. Text Entry. hbox and vbox. pack_start. Putting It All Together. Dialog Boxes. A Simple PHPGTK Application.