Head First PHP and MySQL



Head First PHP and MySQL - Lynn Beighley & Michael Morrison

If you're ready to create web pages more complex than those you can build with HTML and CSS, Head First PHP & MySQL is the ultimate learning guide to building dynamic, database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL. Packed with real-world examples, this book teaches you all the essentials of server-side programming, from the fundamentals of PHP and MySQL coding to advanced topics such as form validation, session IDs, cookies, database queries and joins, file I/O operations, content management, and more.

Head First PHP & MySQL offers the same visually rich format that's turned every title in the Head First series into a bestseller, with plenty of exercises, quizzes, puzzles, and other interactive features to help you retain what you've learned.


  • Use PHP to transform static HTML pages into dynamic web sites

  • Create and populate your own MySQL database tables, and work with data stored in files

  • Perform sophisticated MySQL queries with joins, and refine your results with LIMIT and ORDER BY

  • Use cookies and sessions to track visitors' login information and personalize the site for users

  • Protect your data from SQL injection attacks

  • Use regular expressions to validate information on forms

  • Dynamically display text based on session info and create images on the fly

  • Pull syndicated data from other sites using PHP and XML


Head First Object-Oriented Analysis & Design



Head First Object-Oriented Analysis & Design - Brett D. McLaughlin, Gary Pollica & David West

Head First Object-Oriented Analysis & Design shows you how to analyze, design, and write serious object-oriented software: software that's easy to reuse, maintain, and extend; software that doesn't hurt your head; software that lets you add new features without breaking the old ones. Inside you will learn how to:


  • Use OO principles like encapsulation and delegation to build applications that are flexible

  • Apply the Open-Closed Principle (OCP) and the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) to promote reuse of your code

  • Leverage the power of design patterns to solve your problems more efficiently

  • Use UML, use cases, and diagrams to ensure that all stakeholders are communicating clearly to help you deliver the right software that meets everyone's needs.


Head First Java (2nd Edition)



Head First Java (2nd Edition) - Kathy Sterra & Bert Bates

Learning a complex new language is no easy task especially when it s an object-oriented computer programming language like Java. You might think the problem is your brain. It seems to have a mind of its own, a mind that doesn't always want to take in the dry, technical stuff you're forced to study.

The fact is your brain craves novelty. It's constantly searching, scanning, waiting for something unusual to happen. After all, that's the way it was built to help you stay alive. It takes all the routine, ordinary, dull stuff and filters it to the background so it won't interfere with your brain's real work--recording things that matter. How does your brain know what matters? It's like the creators of the Head First approach say, suppose you're out for a hike and a tiger jumps in front of you, what happens in your brain? Neurons fire. Emotions crank up. Chemicals surge.

Head First HTML & CSS (2nd Edition)



Head First HTML & CSS (2nd Edition) - Eric Freeman & Elisabeth Robson

Tired of reading HTML books that only make sense after you're an expert? Then it's about time you picked up Head First HTML and really learned HTML. You want to learn HTML so you can finally create those web pages you've always wanted, so you can communicate more effectively with friends, family, fans, and fanatic customers. You also want to do it right so you can actually maintain and expand your web pages over time so they work in all browsers and mobile devices.

Learn the real secrets of creating web pages, and why everything your boss told you about HTML tables is probably wrong (and what to do instead). Most importantly, hold your own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions how his HTML is now strict, and his CSS is in an external style sheet.