Essential PHP Tools : Modules, Extensions, and Accelerators

This book is an essential guide to some of the best free add-ons to PHP. These add-ons, or tools, provide invaluable functionality for improving your PHP web applications, including accessing databases, generating robust Web forms, using page templating systems, creating and parsing XML documents, authenticating users, and much more. In response to the existing shortage of documentation about the tools, author **David Sklar** packs this book with details about installing, configuring, and using each tool—along with plenty of examples tailored to PHP 4 and 5. Sklar also lays out the details of Auth and HTML\_QuickFormtwo hard working PEAR modules, so you don't have to code your own authentication system or Web form construction set! Also included are chapters on debugging programs, and increasing Web server speed. In short, you will learn to eliminate inefficiencies in PHP, and enhance performance without any code modification.

apress Has Been Profuse In Both Its Quantity And Quality Of Releasesand (this Book Is) Surely Worth Adding To Your Technical Reading Budget For Skills Development.

— Blane Warrene, Technology Notes

i Stayed Up Clear Past My 'bedtime' Several Nights While Implementing The Covered Modules In My Program, Unable To Pull Myself Away.

— Timothy Boronczyk, Codewalkers

from Pear Packages To Parsing Xml Files, This Book Is A Huge Time-saver To Developing Your Own Solutions.

— Richard Testani, Apple-sauce.com

this Book Is An Essential Guide To Some Of The Best Free Add-ons To Php. These Add-ons, Or Tools, Provide Invaluable Functionality For Improving Your Php Web Applications, Including Accessing Databases, Generating Robust Web Forms, Using Page Templating Systems, Creating And Parsing Xml Documents, Authenticating Users, And Much More.

in Response To The Existing Shortage Of Documentation About The Tools, Sklar Packs This Book With Details About Installing, Configuring, And Using Each Toolalong With Plenty Of Examples Tailored To Php 4 And 5.

sklar Also Lays Out The Details Of Auth And Html_quickformtwo Hard Working Pear Modulesso You Dont Have To Code Your Own Authentication System Or Web Form Construction Set! Also Included Are Chapters On Debugging Programs, And Increasing Web Server Speed. In Short, You Will Learn To Eliminate Inefficiencies In Php, And Enhance Performance Without Any Code Modification.

THis INTRODUCTION lays out who the book is written for, provides an overview of what is covered, and gives some background details on a package management utility you'll use to install many of the add-ons covered in the book. Who This Book Is For Although PHP has a lot of built-in functionality, many common Web program­ ming tasks are simpler with add-on modules and packages. This book is for you if you are looking for an easier way to do these kinds of tasks with PHP: • Access a database. • Generate robust Web forms. • Use a page templating system. • Create or parse XML documents. • Request or serve XML-RPC or SOAP methods. • Send HTML or multipart e-mail messages. • Authenticate users. • Inspect your scripts with a debugger. • Boost server performance without rewriting any code. This book assumes you have a basic knowledge of PHP programming: You know how to perform tasks such as include files, write functions, create objects, and look in $_REQUEST, $_GET, or $_POST to find submitted form data. Front Matter....Pages N2-xx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Accessing Databases with DB....Pages 3-22 Accessing Databases with ADODB....Pages 23-51 Front Matter....Pages 53-53 Using HTML_QuickForm for Form Processing....Pages 55-92 Templating with Smarty....Pages 93-147 Front Matter....Pages 149-149 Performing Event-Based XML Parsing with XML_Parser....Pages 151-170 Developing Lightweight Web Services with XML_RPC....Pages 171-186 Developing Heavyweight Web Services with SOAP....Pages 187-213 Performing Easier XML Parsing with SimpleXML....Pages 215-222 Front Matter....Pages 223-223 Sending Mail....Pages 225-240 Working with Authentication, Users, and Passwords....Pages 241-261 Front Matter....Pages 263-263 Understanding PHP Internals....Pages 265-274 Profiling and Debugging with Xdebug....Pages 275-295 Accelerating with Code Caches....Pages 297-330 Back Matter....Pages 331-348 * PHP is the leading programming language for developing dynamic web applications. The simplicity of PHP, the ease of development, a large community, and the expansive repository of open source PHP libraries, make it a favorite of web designers and developers. * Describes many useful and popular packages for PHP; Explains how to maintain your own local package repository * Provides lots of examples of how to use little- or poorly-documented PHP packages.