PHP book for n00b?

[Kooldino]

Hi, all.
I'm looking to learn PHP, but know almost nothing about it, although I'm an experienced programmer. I have access to a server that runs PHP, so I can test all of my work on there.

Didn't know if any of you guys had any reccomendations on an easy to follow PHP book aimed at teaching someone who knows no PHP?

Here's what I could find on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/103-2681614-7151852

[Rob(QG)]

Did you check out the online manual, as that should be enough to get you started?

[Helevitia]

http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

[Kooldino]

http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

This isn't half bad. Thanks, Helevitia.

[Kooldino]

So far I wrote this:

http://www.msprotege.com/~kooldino/fileinput.php3

I manually do an "ls > ls.txt" command in my user directory.

Then I run fileinput.php3, and it spits out what you see.

Not bad for 1.5 hours into learning PHP.

Now I just want to figure out a way to have the sever automatically do the "ls > ls.txt".

I like PHP so far.

[dbdg]

This is a good book, as is the advanced version and the php & mysql version. All the visual quickstart guides are really good.

As Rob says don't forget the manual.

[Rakido]

There are lots of manuals around, i could recommend the following:

from Zend (creators of the php engine):

http://www.zend.com/php/beginners/index.php

PHP and Mysql:

http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/programming/php/tutorials/tutorial4.html

Rakido

[Kooldino]

So far I wrote this:

http://www.msprotege.com/~kooldino/fileinput.php3

I manually do an "ls > ls.txt" command in my user directory.

Then I run fileinput.php3, and it spits out what you see.

Not bad for 1.5 hours into learning PHP.

Now I just want to figure out a way to have the sever automatically do the "ls > ls.txt".

I like PHP so far.

I figured out how to do it...the "system" command lets you run a command to the system, so I used it to do my "ls > ls.txt" for an updated directory listing each time it's run.

Then I added a hit counter.

woo.

:wq!

[dbdg]

Well done Kooldino, you'll be a freelance web developer in no time.

Took me about 8 months of learning by working on my own site and then I was developing for clients.

[Kooldino]

BTW, here's my source code so far, in case you care:

<?php
system ('ls > ls.txt');
if (!($input_file=fopen("ls.txt","r")))
exit("Unable to open file.");
while (!feof($input_file))
{
 $x=fgetc($input_file);
 if ($x=="\n")
 {
  echo "<a href=\"".$word."\">".$word."</a><BR>";
  $word="";
 }

elseif ($x!="\n")
 {
  $word=$word.$x;
 }
}

fclose($input_file);

for ($lcv=1;$lcv<10;$lcv++)
 {
  echo"<BR>";
 }

if (!($counter_file=fopen("counter.txt","r")))
exit ("Unable to open file!");

   $temp_int=fgets($counter_file);
   if (!($temp_int==feof)) $counter_int=$temp_int;

$counter_int=$counter_int+1;
fclose ($counter_file);

echo "<B><CENTER>".$counter_int."</CENTER></B>";

if (!($counter_file=fopen("counter.txt","w")))
exit ("Unable to open file!");

fwrite ($counter_file, $counter_int);
fclose ($counter_file);
?>

(since then, i've updated the code so that I don't need to use a file for the "ls")