PHP is an easy-to-use scripting language perfect for quickly creating the Web features you need. Once you know the basics of how the language works, wouldn't it be great to have a collection of useful scripts that solve those tricky problems and add interesting functionality to your site? We thought so, too.

Instead of starting at "Hello World," Wicked Cool PHP assumes that you're familiar with the language and jumps right into the good stuff. After you learn the FAQs of life-the most commonly wished for PHP scripts-you'll work your way through smart configuration options and the art of forms, all the way through to complex database-backed scripts.

Wicked Cool PHP contains a wide variety of scripts to process credit cards, check the validity of email addresses, template HTML, and serve dynamic images and text. The 76 easily implemented scripts will also teach you how to:

• Send and receive email notifications

• Track your visitors' behavior with cookies and sessions

• Override PHP's default settings

• Manipulate dates, images, and text on the fly

• Harness SOAP and other web services

• Create an online poll, ecard delivery system, and blog

But it's not all fun and games: Security is a big concern when programming any web application. So you'll learn how to encrypt your confidential data, safeguard your passwords, and prevent common cross-site-scripting attacks. And you'll learn how to customize all of the scripts to fit your own needs.

Dynamic Web content doesn't have to be difficult. Learn the secrets of the craft from two experienced PHP developers with Wicked Cool PHP.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 15 Ratings

not for people whose knowledge more than avarage - 2009-07-20
Reviewer Rating:
writer collected some low level scripts that you can find from everywhere.
my expectation was to find some cool and well designed and deliberated scripts that people developed while developing projects

i was disapointed, it was a bad idea to buy if you know php at least more that beginner

Excellent cookbook for both new and expereinced coders - 2009-10-22
Reviewer Rating:
I have coded a good deal in PHP and read a lot of literature on the language along the way. On one's way of coding this or that web site most programmers run across the same challenges, often simple problems but without an elegant solution or at least not an obvious and handy one. The book appears to be written by experienced coders that have collected their slickest solutions to these problems and structured them into an easy to read format. As an example: How do I convert plain-text with line breaks into HTML markup? Sounds easy enough until one looks at the variety of pitfalls that this problem has. The authors offer an extremely elegant approach to this (function), which, while admittedly not of their own making, appears to me as unique. One cannot appreciate these little gems without paying attention to the detail.

The book covers quite a bit of ground and is not targeting an audience of complete newcomers to the language but those that have coded before and and are now wondering 'whether there wasn't a better way of doing things'.

The books is well written and reads easily. It is entirely pragmatic, the authors are not peddling programming ideology but present solutions to everyday problems. Most solutions point out their limitations and caveats and potential ways of improving upon them after clarifying the principles.

I have read this book rather rapidly, probably due to its informal style, almost entertaining. I only realized in hindsight my desire to go back and change this or that portion of code I have written in the past to improve upon simplicity, readability and reliability. Now having digested the material I am quite sure I will reference it again when running across the outlined areas again.

It's a definite thumbs up for a no-nonsense approach to everyday PHP programming challenges.

Nicely laid out but not Wicked Cool - 2009-09-09
Reviewer Rating:
Pros: The book is fun and easy to ready.
Cons: Teaches some bad coding styles and has a number of spelling mistakes. eg. Reg Ex for validating email has a typo making it useless.

Overall: More for beginners just starting to put what they know into practice. The code provided isn't ready for production environment.

Good Product - 2009-08-14
Reviewer Rating:
The most important things with online buying is a good price, fast delivery and the product received is the item and condition stated. I would recommend and buy from this user again.

The book you have to own - 2009-07-30
Reviewer Rating:
This is the best PHP book that I have read ever. It is very easy, and funny, to read. It has a lot of examples that everybody will need in some moment.