PHP Web Development with Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 [Paperback]

This book is more about Dreamweaver than PHP.
First chapter: a rapid introduction to PHP. Didn't learn anything, but may be good if you're new to PHP.
Second chapter: MySQL. The same as for chapter one.
Chapter 3: Introduction to Dreamweaver. I hope if you want to work with PHP in DW that you already know DW a bit... If not, it may help, but it's very low level.
Chapter 4: Web standards in DW... Did I buy the right book? I was looking to know how to program in PHP with DW...
Chapter 5: Data manipulationand Server behaviors... ahh, finally... but VERY disapointing. It's the only chapter really on the subject, and it's just a quick overview.
Chapter 6: Code reuse with DW... Chapter 7: DW extensions... Hello?? It's supposed to be a book on PHP!!
Chapter 8: Debugging and error handling...
Chapter 9: an example (about 20% of the whole book...). Haven't read it yet... It's my last hope to save the book a one star score... Hope it's well done and I can use it to teach PHP with DW. (Did't tell you... it was supposed to be a book that I would use to teach DW and PHP... Don't think I'll use much of it).

So, this is really a tiny introduction to PHP. If you're serious about learning PHP, buy a book on that topic. There are some tools in DW to help you with that, but many aren't even touched in this book and the others are just fly over.

The content is excellent and despite the somewhat dry writing style very well structured and with great depth. Many other books failed for me to convey the whole idea of using PHP in DMX but this one finally works for me. Not only do they give great advice, but the debugging / trouble shooting section is extensive and certainly helpful for beginners (like me) and intermediates. It's not easy reading and not as enjoyable as Jeffrey Zeldmans "Designing with Web Standards" but that may be due to the topic and covered material. Databases are somewhat complex by nature.

The only thing I don't particularily care about is the layout. It starts with a typewriter style Table of Contents and ripples thru the book with somewhat inconsistent layout. (Some pictures have capitons others don't, some paragrahps are wider than others despite being of the same importance etc.) But that's mostly for the eye.

There is no CD included for the samples but that may be a good thing. Since "learning by doing" is less effective when taking shortcuts and simply loading the examples. However, if you don't like typing, the author's website provides downloads.

It cover the php in a very interesting way.
Excellent for anybody.

Long live Assyria, the greatest.