Learning PHP from Scratch (3rd Edition)

Name: Learning PHP from Scratch (3rd Edition)
ISBN: 9787121301056

何俊斌Publishing House of Electronics Industry · ChinaJan 2025

3.4

Word count: 78 words
Chapters: 7
ISBN: 9787121301056

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Summary

This book is an introductory tutorial on PHP. As a widely used web language, PHP has been adopted for website development by more and more sites thanks to its excellent features, and Web 2.0 sites in particular favor it. The book has 4 parts and 22 chapters. Part One mainly explains the PHP programming language, including setting up the PHP environment, basic knowledge, common flow control, common functions, and array operations. Part Two mainly analyzes some PHP reference functions, explaining browsers and input/output, file and directory classes, data processing classes, graphics and chart classes, email classes, and database classes. Part Three introduces PHP advanced development in detail, mainly including XML, regular expressions, AJAX, classes and objects, PEAR extensions, and some popular PHP frameworks. Part Four is a detailed PHP case study: it first introduces a simple and easy-to-use PHP framework, then explains how to build a CMS content management system on the basis of this framework.__eol__The book is characterized by clear concepts and uses analogies or relevant illustrations to assist explanation, enabling readers to understand and master each PHP knowledge point more intuitively. It is suitable for beginners learning PHP and can also be used as a textbook for colleges, secondary schools, or relevant training classes.

Editor's review

As a classic introductory PHP tutorial, *Learning PHP from Scratch (3rd Edition)* stands out for building a clear, systematic learning path. Fully updated for PHP 7, it not only covers core knowledge such as basic syntax, functions, arrays, and object-oriented programming but also incorporates practical content including MySQL database operations, session control, and file processing, forming a complete loop from syntax to project. He Junbin, an experienced developer, writes in a pragmatic and restrained style, avoiding empty theoretical piling. Every knowledge point is paired with concise code examples, and this "learn and use immediately" approach is very friendly to beginners.

From a professional perspective, the book's highlight is its "gentle learning curve." It does not rush to introduce complex frameworks or design patterns but solidly builds the foundations, which is crucial for developing correct programming thinking. The tips on common errors and debugging techniques reflect the author's teaching experience and can help readers avoid many beginner traps. Although there are now more tutorials for newer PHP versions, the core programming logic and problem-solving methods taught in this third edition still have high reference value, making it especially suitable as a first printed guide for systematically learning PHP.

It should be noted that technical books have a limited lifespan. This book was published in 2017, and some content (such as the application of certain extension modules) may have become slightly outdated with PHP version iterations. But this does not diminish its significance as a cornerstone for beginners—after mastering the essence of this book, readers are fully capable of following new features through channels such as official documentation. Overall, this is a sincere work that stands the test of time and aims to "teach" rather than "show off."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Complete beginners with no prior experience who are interested in website back-end development and hope to systematically learn PHP programming
Developers with some background in other languages who want to quickly master PHP syntax and features
Entry-level programmers who need a clearly structured, example-rich desktop reference for daily use
Students currently taking web development courses who want to practice alongside a textbook

Not a good fit for

Senior developers seeking in-depth discussion of advanced PHP features, performance optimization, or the latest frameworks such as Laravel
Readers who only need to quickly look up the usage of a function and are better served by the official online manual

Reading tips

It is recommended to read the chapters in order and be sure to type in and run every example code in the book to understand its output
When studying chapters such as databases and session control, try connecting multiple knowledge points and build a simple user login and registration module by hand
After finishing the book, carry out comprehensive practice with a specific mini-project, such as a simple blog system, to consolidate the knowledge

About the publisher

Publishing House of Electronics Industry China · Founded in 1982

The Publishing House of Electronics Industry is a comprehensive publisher distinguished by its focus on electronic information and related fields. Judging from the more than 3,000 titles in its catalogue, its publishing covers programming and design, artificial intelligence, computer science, finance and economics, photography, and social sciences, attending both to cutting-edge technology and to general readers. Representative titles include Factor Investing: Methods and Practice, x86 Assembly Language: From Real Mode to Protected Mode, The RISC-V Reader, Artificial Intelligence: Speech Recognition, Understanding and Practice, Phased Array Radar Technology, Radar Target Characteristics, and 100 Go Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, most of which centre on technical methods and engineering practice. Its authors include Shi Chuan, Li Zhong, Wang Xiaobo, David Patterson, Andrew Waterman, and Yu Zihao, among others from China and abroad. Owing to limited public information, no further publishing features are elaborated here.

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FAQ

Does this book require readers to have a programming background?

The book is positioned as "from scratch" and assumes readers have no programming experience. It starts from the most basic concepts such as environment setup, variables, and data types and proceeds step by step, making it entirely suitable for complete beginners.

Which PHP version is the code in the book based on? Is it outdated?

The third edition of this book was written for PHP 7. Although PHP has since released newer versions, the core syntax, programming ideas, and usage of most functions covered in the book remain fully applicable and valid, making it a solid foundation for learning PHP.

Does this book include practical projects?

The book mainly explains knowledge points through example code running through each chapter rather than centering on one complete large project. However, in the final part, it comprehensively applies previously learned technologies such as databases and sessions and guides readers to complete modules with practical functions, which is enough for beginner hands-on practice.

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About the author

何俊斌 Author

He Junbin is a compiler of technical books about whom limited public information is available. His known representative work is Learn PHP from Scratch (3rd Edition), which is classified under industrial technology. Judging from the title and edition information, it is an introductory PHP book aimed at beginners; its repeated revisions suggest a degree of continuity among readers. He Junbin follows the step-by-step approach of the "from scratch" series, emphasizing the connection between basic concepts and hands-on practice so that readers without programming experience can gradually build an understanding of PHP and dynamic web development chapter by chapter. Since his nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and professional career are not publicly available, this introduction makes no speculation about them and focuses only on the book's subject positioning, editorial orientation, and practical value for introductory learning.