I totally understand your point (and I don't think it sounded like a flame) - however I know I would get annoyed if I was trying to read through a chapter and had to keep referring to something else in order to see what they mean. (Even if I don't immediately *need* the sql code to create the tables as I'm reading, it does help me understand more about the table.)
Its really a matter of preference, I think. Same thing with writing style (conversational vs dry) and learning approach ("jump right in" vs. "hold my hand").
I don't even necessarily disagree with you to be honest. I suppose it would really depend why I was reading the book. If I needed to solve a specific problem quickly, I'd already be sitting next to my computer and online. If I was just sitting back for a cozy night of reading to broaden my knowledge (and I have done that with technical books, sad to say) I would be irked by not being able to *see* it right then.
True it isn't that far off, but the PHP5 Books will likely wind up covering the big changes that are coming with PHP5, specifically OO advancements and changes - so it certainly doesn't mean that any PHP4 books you pick up are going to be "obsolete". There is still tons of stuff that *isn't* going to change.
Derrr... I'm a weenie. Haha - See that, my brain automatically changed it in the original post from PHP-Nuke to PostNuke as I was reading it because it refuses to deal with PHP-Nuke.:D I don't actually use PostNuke either, but between the two, its the lesser of two evils.
Sorry for any confusion.:-P
phplib is only one part of what the book covers - and frankly I still know many developers that use it. The book addresses both, and I think thats a fair way to approach it. I'm sure there will be a book about PEAR (or at least largely focused on it) in the near future.
I do agree that it would be nice to see comparisons of the templating engines, but I'm not sure if that would make sense to put into a book versus an online forum where people can share their experiences.
I agree. Its a no-win situation. If Wrox put the code ONLY on the online version and not the book, it would get a whole new group of people annoyed about that. Can't please everyone, so its best to err on the side of caution.
Additionally, the bit in the review that mentions the target audience is another one of those situations. If there were less information provided, people who believe themsleves to be strong in PHP but need *more* info would get upset. As it is, on the amazon reviews, at least one person was complaining that it didn't give enough information.
Well, books generally deal with the a whole situation, rather than just an isolated function. They allow you to see how an app is put together and (hopefully) some of the logic that goes into the decisions that are made during that process. I agree that the php.net docs with user comments are a tremendous resource, but there are times when a developer might like to see a bigger picture too.
I don't disagree with you there. I'm not a big fan of Smarty either, but I *do* think that most of the examples can be pulled out of the Smarty syntax fairly easily. Just my opinion.;)
All of the code in the book has been written and tested for PHP4.2, but as far as I know all code works fine on the most recent stable version. (register_globals is assumed to be off in the code, btw)
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That does not invalidate the current publications. A good book is a good book
I totally understand your point (and I don't think it sounded like a flame) - however I know I would get annoyed if I was trying to read through a chapter and had to keep referring to something else in order to see what they mean. (Even if I don't immediately *need* the sql code to create the tables as I'm reading, it does help me understand more about the table.) Its really a matter of preference, I think. Same thing with writing style (conversational vs dry) and learning approach ("jump right in" vs. "hold my hand"). I don't even necessarily disagree with you to be honest. I suppose it would really depend why I was reading the book. If I needed to solve a specific problem quickly, I'd already be sitting next to my computer and online. If I was just sitting back for a cozy night of reading to broaden my knowledge (and I have done that with technical books, sad to say) I would be irked by not being able to *see* it right then.
Good that you're not making any broad, sweeping generalizations there... *rolls eyes*
True it isn't that far off, but the PHP5 Books will likely wind up covering the big changes that are coming with PHP5, specifically OO advancements and changes - so it certainly doesn't mean that any PHP4 books you pick up are going to be "obsolete". There is still tons of stuff that *isn't* going to change.
Actually, it doesn't - it deals with PostNuke.
Derrr... I'm a weenie. Haha - See that, my brain automatically changed it in the original post from PHP-Nuke to PostNuke as I was reading it because it refuses to deal with PHP-Nuke. :D I don't actually use PostNuke either, but between the two, its the lesser of two evils.
Sorry for any confusion. :-P
It sure does - Chapter 14 explains the installation and configuration of PostNuke, iirc. (As for your side note - not a clue. :) )
phplib is only one part of what the book covers - and frankly I still know many developers that use it. The book addresses both, and I think thats a fair way to approach it. I'm sure there will be a book about PEAR (or at least largely focused on it) in the near future. I do agree that it would be nice to see comparisons of the templating engines, but I'm not sure if that would make sense to put into a book versus an online forum where people can share their experiences.
Creating an association directory using XML markup and MySQL
Creating a web forum using PHP with MySQL and PEAR::DB
Building a PDA/Wireless store directory application using PHPLib
Creating a job board using PHP, WML, MySQL, and Smarty
Building a news service using PHP, MySQL, and Smarty
Creating a web corpus using simple PHP scripts
Building a classified ads board using PHP with MySQL, and Smarty
Building content management systems using PHP, MySQL, and XML
Building a search engine for dynamic sites PHP, MySQL, and PHPLib
Building a three-tier, multi-client, wireless data warehousing application
Creating a PHP/MySQL based data repository
Building a robust site architecture using the PostNuke CMS
I agree. Its a no-win situation. If Wrox put the code ONLY on the online version and not the book, it would get a whole new group of people annoyed about that. Can't please everyone, so its best to err on the side of caution. Additionally, the bit in the review that mentions the target audience is another one of those situations. If there were less information provided, people who believe themsleves to be strong in PHP but need *more* info would get upset. As it is, on the amazon reviews, at least one person was complaining that it didn't give enough information.
Well, books generally deal with the a whole situation, rather than just an isolated function. They allow you to see how an app is put together and (hopefully) some of the logic that goes into the decisions that are made during that process. I agree that the php.net docs with user comments are a tremendous resource, but there are times when a developer might like to see a bigger picture too.
I don't disagree with you there. I'm not a big fan of Smarty either, but I *do* think that most of the examples can be pulled out of the Smarty syntax fairly easily. Just my opinion. ;)
All of the code in the book has been written and tested for PHP4.2, but as far as I know all code works fine on the most recent stable version. (register_globals is assumed to be off in the code, btw)