very good
the book is not a guide to learn PHP from scrath, but it is very good for new & old programmers.
it's chapters includes all major aspects of the language & a lot of common problems, & that is very useful.
Simple
I liked this book because of its simplicity. Well written, easy to follow, and with a lot of practical examples.
I was surprised when I received because I found it 'thin' (~400 pages but font is relatively big), but, as everything is explained to the point, It has the right number of pages for the right content.
The book is focused in how to make objects work for you, it does not explore unnecessarily in detail how the objects presented get the work done. You can download the code, so you can take a look inside by yourself.
Also, this book cover the basics of PHP PEAR.
Did not make me want to learn OO-PHP
I use a lot of includes in php and wondered if I could more fruitfully use OOP. My conclusion was that includes can do just about everything OOP can do. The book's page-appearance is poor, huge blank rectangles with just a couple of tiny words on them take up two thirds of a page, there's gray tint over just the part of the code you most want to read, the type's too big, the code is clumsily commented so active code lines are hard to pick out. Altogether not a pleasant reading experience. And the instruction is not inspired. I never did get the point of OOP in PHP.
Excellent for both Novice and Advanced Developers!
Having built Object Oriented solutions for over nine years in C++ and Delphi, PHP had me confused by the nature of its object system. I was unable to find suitable information on the web on such issues as the PHP object lifecycle, applicability of patterns (entire section on patterns), how to handle the looser typing mechanism (automated tests), and how to optimize for performance. This book solved ALL of my problems!!!
The text is simple and exceedingly practical but far from boring! In fact, I was so excited by how clearly the information was conveyed that I did in fact read both volumes I and II cover to cover - TWICE (though you can use them as reference works). Not only that but the texts significantly increased my respect for PHP; from gruding acceptance of its use to having some genuine affection for the language and appreciation for its power.
If you are completely new to development these books (I and II) are for. If you are an advanced developer with years of OO experience and are just getting started in PHP then you will be relieved by what you find here.
All of that aside, I will say that there were a few instances where the author kludged the definition of an OO concept to make it fit within the PHP framework. There are some substantial ways in which PHP 4 just does not hold up as an OO language (PHP 5 fixes them). However, the author really had no choice in the matter because if he had tried to explain the formal OO concept, then PHP 4's interpretation of that concept and how to implement he would have lost 90% of his audience. So even this one complaint ends with praise - the author skillfully sacrifices detail only where necessary to increase the palatibility of the materal.
Great job! Great book!
Once again, regardless of your skill level if you are going to be doing any halfway serious PHP work you NEED this series.
PHP 5 Ready?
I have been reading alot of books on PHP 5's new object features. I picked up this book hoping it would meet somewhere between "Object-Oriented PHP" by Peter Lavin and "PHP Objects, Patterns, and Practices". The next day I ended up giving the book to my co-worker. I started reading it on the train and was completely disappointed! The entire object oriented chapter is written for PHP 4 besides one blurb that mentions refrences won't be needed in PHP 5. This book is in serious need of a new edition!
If you are beginning PHP programming this book is just one of the hundreds of books that cover the same common issues. If you are looking for the latest PHP has to offer, this isn't your book.
