Creating Database Web Applications With PHP and ASP

From the Publisher: If you want to add more power and functionality to your Web sites, add some database applications like a powerful shopping cart or a fun quiz game. Such applications make your site more dynamic, allow you to gather information, and provide customized experiences for your visitors. Creating Database Web Applications with PHP and ASP teaches beginning and intermediate designers the fundamentals of creating complex Web applications. By covering both open source (PHP/MySQL) and proprietary tools (Microsoft ASP and Access), readers gain insight to the strengths and weaknesses of each. In addition, they learn how to work with both sets of tools and determine which works best for their projects. Practical examples, including a shopping cart and quiz show, are used to teach the basic concepts behind creating and testing database code. Every example is also provided in both PHP and ASP for easy comparison and use. With the knowledge and experience gained here, beginners will learn the fundamental concepts behind these two technologies, while more experienced developers will learn which technology works best for their specific needs. Exercises, questions, and projects are included with each chapter. Whom this book is for: * Students learning how to create databases for Web applications (some knowledge of HTML and JavaScript is assumed) * Beginner or intermediate Web designers who want to learn how to add database applications to their sites using either PHP or ASP tools Topic Highlights: * Basic Web technologies (HTML and JavaScript) * Client-side versus server-side programming * Database design and planning * SQL fundamentals * Form handling * Passing information using query strings * Cookies and session variables * Validating user input using regular expressions On the CD! * Code Samples - Contains all the code for examples in the book * Projects - Contains all the code for the projects and applications in the book, including a shopping cart, quiz show, and state capital game * Images - Contains color versions of all the images in the book by chapter for easy reference SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: PC: The PHP and ASP files can be created using any ASCII/TEXT editor, such as NotePad on any Windows System. To create an Access database you need Microsoft Access. The files must be run on a computer that has a Web server such as IIS. Appendix A shows you how to set up IIS, MySQL, and PHP on a Windows XP Professional system. The files have been tested in the following 3 environments: a remote server running Windows NT, Apache, MySQL, and PHP; a local computer running Windows 98, Personal Web Server, MySQL, and PHP; and a local computer running Windows XP Professional, IIS, MySQL, and PHP. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeanine Meyer, Mt. Kisco, NY, has a Ph.D. in computer science from New York University. She is currently an Associate Professor at Purchase College, SUNY, where she teaches computer science and New Media courses including Programming Games and Creating Databases for Web Applications. She is also the co-author of Multimedia in the Classroom and Programming Games using Visual Basic.