9 of the Best Free PHP Books

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Learning the PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) programming language from scratch can be an arduous affair. Fortunately, budding developers that want to code in this language have a good range of introductory texts available to read, both in-print and to download. There are also many quality books that help programmers that have reached an intermediate level deepen their understanding of the language.
PHP has been at the helm of the web for many years. It is an extremely popular, interpreted scripting language that is ideally suited for web development. This language powers millions of web sites on the net and is extremely well supported by its user community. It is released under a non-copyleft free software license / open source license. PHP can be deployed on most Web servers and also as a standalone shell on almost all operating systems and platforms.
The word "Preprocessor" means that PHP makes changes before the HTML page is created. The code is executed on the server, generating HTML which is then sent to the client. PHP therefore enables a static webpage to become dynamic. The language is dynamically typed and easy to use. PHP comes with many extensions offering all kinds of functionality from system operations to numerical processing. One of the reasons why PHP is so popular is that it is simple to learn for a newcomer to the language, but provides advanced features for professional developers. Other reasons for its popularity include its embedded relationship with HTML, it provides a good mix of performance and flexibility to developers, has a relatively shallow learning curve, easy to debug and good performance.
The focus of this article is to select some of the finest PHP books which are available to download for free. Many of the books featured here can also be freely distributed to others.
To cater for all tastes, we have chosen a good range of books, encompassing general introductions to PHP, as well as books that will help you to effectively use the many advanced features of PHP. All of the texts here come with our strongest recommendation. So get reading (and downloading).

1. PHP Cookbook

Website commons.oreilly.com/wiki/index.php/PHP_Cookbook Author David Sklar, Adam Trachtenberg Format HTML Pages 632 The PHP Cookbook is a collection of problems, solutions, and practical examples for PHP programmers. The book contains a unique and extensive collection of best practices for everyday PHP programming dilemmas. It contains over 250 recipes, ranging from simple tasks to entire programs that demonstrate complex tasks, such as printing HTML tables and generating bar charts -- a treasure trove of useful code for PHP programmers, from novices to advanced practitioners. Chapters cover: Strings - PHP strings differ from C strings in that they are binary-safe (i.e., they can contain null bytes) and can grow and shrink on demand Numbers - integers and floating-point numbers Dates and Times - looks at the mktime, date functions Arrays - lists: lists of people, lists of sizes, lists of books. To store a group of related items in a variable, use an array Variables - they are the core of what makes computer programs powerful and flexible Functions - help you create organized and reusable code Classes and Objects - a class is a package containing two things: data and methods to access and modify that data; Objects play another role in PHP outside their traditional OO position Web Basics - focuses on some web-specific concepts and organizational topics that will make your web programming stronger Forms - seamless integration of form variables into your programs. It makes web programming smooth and simple, from web form to PHP code to HTML output Database Access - PHP can interact with 17 different databases, some relational and some not. The relational databases it can talk to are DB++, FrontBase, Informix, Interbase, Ingres II, Microsoft SQL Server, mSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Ovrimos SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SESAM, and Sybase. The nonrelational databases it can talk to are dBase, filePro, HyperWave, and the DBM family of flat-file databases. It also has ODBC support Web Automation - there are four ways to retrieve a remote URL in PHP XML - with the help of a few extensions, PHP lets you read and write XML for every occasion Regular Expressions - a powerful tool for matching and manipulating text Encryption and Security - including obscuring data with encoding, verifying data with hashes, encrypting and decrypting data, and more Graphics - with the assistance of the GD library, you can use PHP to create applications that use dynamic images to display stock quotes, reveal poll results, monitor system performance, and even create games Internationalization and Localization - PHP can create applications that speak just about any language Internet Services - covers sending mail including MIME mail, reading mail with IMAP or POP3, posting and reading messages to Usenet newsgroups, getting and putting files with FTP, looking up addresses with LDAP, using LDAP for user authentication, performing DNS lookups, checking if a host is alive, and getting information about a domain name Files - PHP's interface for file I/O is similar to C's, although less complicated Directories - PHP provides two ways to look in a directory to see what files it holds. The first way is to use opendir( ) to get a directory handle, readdir( ) to iterate through the files, and closedir( ) to close the directory handle. The second method is to use the directory class. Instantiate the class with dir( ), read each filename with the read( ) method, and close the directory with close( ) Client-Side PHP PEAR - the PHP Extension and Application Repository, a collection of open source classes that work together. Developers can use PEAR classes to generate HTML, make SOAP requests, send MIME mail, and a variety of other common tasks

2. PHP 5 Power Programming

Website ptgmedia.peasoncmg.com Author Andi Gutmans, Stig Saether Bakken and Derick Rethans Format PDF Pages 720 In PHP 5 Power Programming, PHP 5's co-creator and two leading PHP developers show you how to make the most of PHP 5's industrial-strength enhancements in any project, no matter how large or complex. Their unique insights and realistic examples illuminate PHP 5's new object model, powerful design patterns, improved XML Web services support, and much more. Whether you are creating web applications, extensions, packages, or shell scripts, or migrating PHP 4 code, here are high-powered solutions you will not find anywhere else. Review PHP's syntax and master its object-oriented capabilities, from properties and methods to polymorphism, interfaces, and reflection. The book enables users to: Master the four most important design patterns for PHP development Write powerful web applications: handle input, cookies, session extension, and more Integrate with MySQL, SQLite, and other database engines Provide efficient error handling that is transparent to your users Leverage PHP 5's improved XML support including parsing, XSLT conversions, and more Build XML-based web services with XML-RPC and SOAP Make the most of PEAR: work with the repository, use key packages, and create your own Upgrade PHP 4 code to PHP 5, compatibility issues, techniques, and practical workarounds Improve script performance: tips and tools for PHP optimization Use PHP extensions to handle files/streams, regular expressions, dates/times, and graphics Create original extensions and shell scripts

3. PHP Reference: Beginner to Intermediate PHP5

Website www.phpreferencebook.com Author Mario Lurig Format PDF, ePub, HTML Pages 163 PHP Reference Book: Beginner to Intermediate PHP5 is a collection of over 250 PHP functions with clear explanations in language anyone can understand, followed with as many examples as it takes to understand what the function does and how it works. One of the best PHP books to keep around as a PHP reference. This PHP reference includes numerous additional tips, the basics of PHP, MySQL query examples, regular expressions syntax, and two indexes to help you find information faster: a common language index and a function index. Topics include: Operators Control Structures Global Variables Variable Functions String Functions Array Functions Date/Time Functions Mathematical Functions MySQL Functions Directory & File System Functions Output Control (Output Buffer) Sessions Regular Expressions This book is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License.

7. Practical PHP Programming

Website www.tuxradar.com/practicalphp Author Paul Hudson Format HTML Pages - Practical PHP Programming is a concise, starting resource for individuals that want to learn PHP programming. It assumes no PHP programming at all. The book contains lots of information for newcomers as well as information on advanced functionality in PHP for veterans. It includes information on advanced features such as IMAP, XML and Sockets, as well as tips and tricks on how to program effectively in PHP. Topics covered include: Simple variables and operators Types of data that is availabe References, typecasting, and variable variables Script variables, pre-set-variables, script contstants, and pre-set constants Operators such as plus, minus, multiply, and divide Functions: Working with date and time Mathematical functions String manipulation Creating data hashes Regular expressions Extension handling Writing your own functions Recursive, variable, and callback functions Arrays: Reading arrays Manipulating arrays Multidimensional arrays (arrays of arrays) Saving arrays Objects: Objects and classes defined Class inheritance Access control Runtime type information Abstract and final properties and functions Constructors and destructors Magic functions HTML Forms Form design using HTML Sending and receiving form data with PHP Splitting forms across pages Validating input Files: Reading and writing files Temporary files How to make a counter Handling file uploads File permissions Databases: What makes a database What databases are available SQL commands using MySQL Connecting to MySQL through PHP Using PEAR::DB for database abstraction SQLite for systems without a database system Normalisation and table joins Table design considerations Persistent connections and transactions Cookies and Sessions: How cookies and sessions compare Which to use and when How to use sessions Using a database to store your sessions Storing complex objects Multimedia: The multimedia formats that are available and their advantages Creating basic image formats Working with the rich-text format (RTF) Creating portable document format (PDF) files Working with the Shockwave Flash (SWF) format XML & XSLT: Standard XML manipulation "SimpleXML" - the fast and easy way to use XML XSL and transforming XML Output Buffering: When to use output buffering Manipulating multiple buffers Incremental data flushing Output compression Java and COM: How to use COM Finding out what components you have installed Advanced COM - controlling Internet Explorer, and even writing VBScript Distributed COM: COM over a network Running Java in your scripts Creating interfaces with Swing Networks: What sockets are, and basic socket use How to use sockets outside of HTTP How to create a basic server using PHP Creating a web server Helpful network-related functions HTTP-specific and FTP-specific functions The Curl library Miscellaneous topics Security concerns:  Why register_globals matters How to program secure PHP Considerations for people who host others' web sites Safe mode PHP Encryption, simple and advanced Performance: Increasing performance by optimising your scripts Increasing performance by optimising your SQL Increasing performance by optimising your server Caching PHP scripts PHP the CGI vs. PHP the Apache module Writing PHP: How to analyse your system requirements Using a development tool to help you code File layout schemes and group development Documentation and testing Distribution your code and licensing your work How to debug your scripts Troubleshooting hints and tips Where to get help if you still have a problem Writing extensions:  When to write a custom extension How to design, create, and test your extension Alternative PHP uses:  How to use PHP to write shell scripts How the CLI SAPI differs from "normal" PHP Interacting with the dialog program to create command-line user interfaces Using GTK+ to create graphical user interfaces Using Glade to automatically generate GTK+ GUIs Making text-based games with PHP Making graphical games with PHP and SDL Creating your own miniature language with PHP Practical PHP Bringing it to a close Answers to Exercises The future of PHP

8. Zend Framework: Surviving the Deep End

Website survivethedeepend.com Author Pádraic Brady Format HTML Pages - Zend Framework: Surviving The Deep End is written in the form of a detailed tutorial following a step by step approach to building a real life application. The book walks you through the process of building a complete Web application with the Zend Framework, starting with the basics and then adding in more complex elements, such as data pagination and sorting, user authentication, exception handling, localization, and Web services. Debugging and performance optimization are also covered in this fast-paced tutorial. The book was written to guide readers through the metaphorical "Deep End". It is the place you find yourself in when you complete a few tutorials and scan through the Reference Guide, where you are buried in knowledge up to your neck but without a clue about how to bind it all together effectively into an application. This take on the Zend Framework offers a survival guide, boosting your understanding of the framework and how it all fits together by following the development of a single application from start to finish. Topics include: The Architecture of Zend Framework Applications The Model Installing the Zend Framework A Not So Simple Hello World Tutorial Standardise the Bootstrap Class with Zend_Application Handling Application Errors Developing a Blogging Application Inplementing the Domain Model: Entries and Authors Setting the Design with Zend_View, Zend_Layout, HTML 5 and Yahoo! User Interface Library The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3.0.

9. Practical PHP Testing

Website www.giorgiosironi.com Author Giorgio Sironi Format PDF Pages 61 Practical PHP Testing is targeted at PHP developers. It features articles published on the author's blog site, together with new content. The book includes code samples and TDD exercises. Topics covered include: PHPUnit usage - a unit testing software framework for the programming language PHP Write clever tests Assertions - declarations that must hold true for a test to be declared successful Fixtures - write the code to set the world up in a known state and then return it to its original state when the test is complete Annotations - a standard way to add metadata to code entities, such as classes or methods Refactoring and Patterns - changing of complex and complicated programming codes into simple and confusion-less ones Stubs - a piece of code used to stand in for some other programming functionality Mocks -used in behavior verification Command line options The TDD theory - describes the fundamentals of Test-Driven Development and its benefits Testing sqrt() - the PHP sqrt() function calculates the square root mathematical function on its argument The ebook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

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