I have been programming PHP for several years and I was anxious to learn about some of the new features offered in PHP5. Core PHP Programming 3rd Edition has been fully revised to include PHP5 specific features andfunctions.

The opening chapter provides a high-level overview of PHP including a discussion about why PHP is better than it’s competition. For someone just starting with PHP this provides a great introduction to the language and the philosophy behind the software.

Chapters 2-5 cover basic language constructs from variables to control statements to arrays and functions. Even a seasoned PHP programmer will want to read these chapters to familiarize themselves with PHP5 specific changes and features. I even found a few hidden gems in the early chapters relating to embedded variables, HERE documents and PHP datatype casting. I know you’ll be tempted to skip ahead - but take the time to readthe opening chapters.

The real meat begins in chapter 6 where we are introduced to PHP’s new OO model. This chapter can easily overwhelm you, especially if you are new to OO programming. Take time to read and re-read everything that is covered in this chapter. Even if you have OO experience (say with Java), you will still want to pay attention to the sometimes peculiar way PHP does things. If you are interested in developing an OO project using PHP, you will definitely want to spend a lot of time in this chapter. Make sure you read and understand the code samples before moving on.

The next section is basically a language and function reference that is not much different from the online documentation. There are some nice code examples that make it worth your time to read, or at least skim, through the entire section.

One thing about Core PHP Programming that separates it from any other PHP book I have read,is the fact that in includes nearly 200 pages devoted to high-level programming techniques and methodologies. With sections like: Algorithms, Software Engineering and Design Patterns, the reader is sure to gain additional understanding that will make him/her a better programmer. The latter sections are highly appropriate even for those who may not be involved in day-to-day coding. Discussions about writing design documents, application frameworks and change management should be read by any manager or executive who is involved in the development or management of PHP applications.