Free PHP Books

1. PHP 5 Power Programming
   In this book, 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're creating web applications, extensions, packages, or shell scripts-or migrating PHP 4 code-here are high-powered solutions you won't find anywhere else.
                                                                      
2. PHP Practical Programming 
   The purpose of this chapter is to bring you up to speed on the development of PHP, where it is at now, and the reasons for programming with it. Towards the end of the chapter, you will see your first PHP code, as you start writing your first scripts. If you are entirely new to PHP, you will probably benefit from reading as much background information as you can get your hands on. If you are eager to get on straight away, go ahead and skip pages until you get to your skill level. The key to understanding something is to know how it got to where it is currently, and PHP is no different in that respect - it has a long history full of key design decisions and changes to the language. The history of web development is even longer - this section will cover both. 
                                                        
3. Learning PHP 5 Simple
   PHP has gained a following among non-technical web designers who need to add interactive aspects to their sites. Offering a gentle learning curve, PHP is an accessible yet powerful language for creating dynamic web pages. As its popularity has grown, PHP's basic feature set has become increasingly more sophisticated. Now PHP 5 boasts advanced features--such as new object-oriented capabilities and support for XML and Web Services--that will please even the most experienced web professionals while still remaining user-friendly enough for those with a lower tolerance for technical jargon. If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. If you've wanted to try your hand at PHP but haven't known where to start, then Learning PHP 5 is the book you need. With attention to both PHP 4 and the new PHP version 5, it provides everything from a explanation of how PHP works with your web server and web browser to the ins and outs of working with databases and HTML forms.
                                                           
4. PHP Cookbook
   PHP is a simple yet powerful open source scripting language that has become a big player in web development. Over a million web sites, from large corporate sites to small personal sites, are using PHP to serve dynamic web content. PHP's broad feature set, approachable syntax, and support for different operating systems and web servers make it an ideal language for rapid web development. 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. For every problem addressed in the book, there's a worked-out solution or "recipe" short, focused pieces of code that you can insert directly into your applications. But this book offers more than cut-and-paste code. You also get explanations of how and why the code works, so you can learn to adapt the problem-solving techniques to similar situations. 
                                              
5. Programming PHP Simple
   PHP is a simple yet powerful open-source scripting language for creating dynamic web content. The millions of web sites powered by PHP are testament to its popularity and ease of use. PHP is used by both programmers, who appreciate its flexibility and speed, and web designers, who value its accessibility and convenience. Programming PHP is an authoritative guide to PHP 4 and is filled with the unique knowledge of the creator of PHP, Rasmus Lerdorf. This book explains PHP language syntax and programming techniques in a clear and concise manner, with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. The book also includes style tips and practical programming advice that will help you become not just a PHP programmer, but a good PHP programmer.
                                           

6. A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0
   No matter what language you are familiar with, this book will benefit you. Beginning with a rapid introduction to PHP's syntax and basic functionality, you will swiftly understand PHP. The book then steers you toward advanced issues, like PHP's role in database manipulation, sessions, and user interactivity. Author W.J. Gilmore also examines how PHP can work with XML, JavaScript, and the Component Object Model (COM). He loads the book with practical examples and several projects that can be immediately incorporated on any website. The invaluable A Programmer's Introduction to PHP 4.0 shows you how to make the most of PHP's powerful capabilities, regardless of your current scope of PHP knowledge.
                                   

7. PHP Session Management with Cookies
   A fundamental characteristic of the Web is the stateless interaction between browsers and web servers. As discussed in Chapter 1, HTTP is a stateless protocol. Each HTTP request a browser sends to a web server is independent of any other request. The stateless nature of HTTP allows users to browse the Web by following hypertext links and visiting pages in any order. HTTP also allows applications to distribute or even replicate content across multiple servers to balance the load generated by a high number of requests. These features are possible because of the stateless nature of HTTP.