On Wed, 2012-07-25 at 14:51 -0400, Ligaya Turmelle wrote: > Slightly off topic - absolute best book to learn PHP from: > > PHP and MySQL Web Development by Luke Welling and Laura Thompson. > > http://www.amazon.com/PHP-MySQL-Web-Development-4th/dp/0672329166/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343241939&sr=1-1&keywords=php+and+mysql+web+development > > If you want online tutorials - be very careful to look at the date that > the tutorial was put out. Some of them are really old and may show > bad/obsolete practices. > > I personally still say use the PHP manual. It has a quick tutorial and > the language reference (http://www.php.net/manual/en/langref.php) covers > just about anything a PHP beginner needs (assuming they already know how > to code but need to find the "translations". > > Lig > >
I wouldn't say that this is off-topic at all. Spot on, in fact. I have a very high regard for the annotated PHP manual, but it's mostly nuts-and-bolts. A good general guide is essential, IMHO. Back in the mainframe days, it was SOP to have both a Language Reference Manual and a Programmer's Guide as part of the core IBM publication set for their languages. Tim > > On 7/25/12 10:21 AM, Tim Holloway wrote: > > I have mixed feelings about that approach. > > > > The main problem with IDEs is that they generate code, but they don't > > explain the code, so in order to understand it, you have to > > reverse-engineer it. On top of that, the code generators for IDEs are > > rarely producing clean, optimal code, since getting an automated code > > generator to do that is a major undertaking that quickly reaches the > > point of diminishing returns. The worst offenders even pull in > > proprietary support packages to do it, although, thankfully, that's less > > common than it used to be. > > > > Which is why when people ask us on the JavaRanch what the "best" IDE is > > for beginners, we tend to answer "Windows Notepad". Or, if we're in an > > especially evil mood, "edlin". > > > > I won't go so far as to utterly condemn using an IDE to help learn, but > > I do strongly recommend that it not be the sole nor major learning tool. > > > > Tim > > > > On Wed, 2012-07-25 at 09:23 -0400, Mike Rathburn wrote: > >> Here are instructions I wrote for getting it to work in an Ubuntu desktop > >> using Crossfire: http://forums.codecharge.com/posts.php?post_id=116290 > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Ralph [mailto:[email protected]] > >> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 1:49 AM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: Re: Looking for a PHP Crash manual > >> > >> IDE's are great for stuff like that. I may go ahead and download that. > >> I will need to configure the repos for CentOS.. avoiding adding rawhide on > >> the CentOS. I also have my buntu boxes and Backtrack5, which being Debian > >> based, may seem easier to install this type of IDE. > >> > >> > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> Archive http://marc.info/?l=jaxlug-list&r=1&w=2 > >> RSS Feed http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml > >> Unsubscribe [email protected] > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Archive http://marc.info/?l=jaxlug-list&r=1&w=2 > > RSS Feed http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml > > Unsubscribe [email protected] > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive http://marc.info/?l=jaxlug-list&r=1&w=2 RSS Feed http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml Unsubscribe [email protected]
