PHP is a fully developed, server-side embedded scripting language, and its importance for web application development has grown with the rise of the Apache web server. Are you a novice programmer? This book starts with the basics and takes you wherever you want to go. A seasoned pro? You'll be amazed at how much you can capitalize on PHP's power and object-oriented support, and how it leverages your knowledge of other languages. Finally, if you're a PHP user in search of an authoritative reference, you need look no further. Mastering PHP 4.1 guides you through all levels of real-world web programming problems and provides expert advice on which solutions work best.

Coverage Includes:

• Reading and writing files
• Validating data with regular expressions
• Accessing MySQL and PostgreSQL databases
• Accessing LDAP servers
• Generating images and PDF documents on the fly
• Building authentication and access-control systems
• Sending e-mail and building web-to-e-mail interfaces
• Creating your own classes
• Closing common security holes in PHP scripts
• Parsing and generating XML documents
• Using sessions to store persistent data
• Debugging misbehaving scripts
• Encrypting and decrypting sensitive data

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.