Open Source Development with LAMP: Using Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl, and PHP Review

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(More customer reviews)If you want an interactive database-based web site without spending hours and hours wading through dozens of books to figure out how to do it, then you will want "Open Source Web Development with LAMP". The book starts with the very basics and proceeds step by step so you can get your web site up as quickly as possible and with a minimum of problems. So what exactly is LAMP? It stands for the four components of a LAMP server - Linux operating system, Apache web server, MySQL database server, and the Perl programming language.
The book is divided into four distinct parts and organized in an unexpected way. Instead of giving each part of LAMP its own section the four sections focus on structure (getting them all up and working together), static web pages (creating and using them), dynamic web pages (getting the pages to do something via Perl and MySQL), and embedded programs (to make the whole system run quicker). Each section covers all the components of LAMP as applied to that section. For example, the structural section examines installation, configuration, security, and basic usage of Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl. For Perl it includes a discussion of variables, arrays, operators, flow-control, regular expressions, functions, and file input/output. For MySQL it includes working with tables, insert, select, update, and similar basic commands. This is a very well done section and gives all the basic information necessary to get each of the components up and working with each other. The section on static web pages mainly covers the use of Website META Language (WML) to generate a consistent look and feel across all the web pages on the server. The part on dynamic web pages covers CGI and mod-perl so you can process information submitted by an html page or other CGI script. It also includes information on using Perl to access the MySQL server and generate dynamic information. The final section examines embedded programs such as Server Side Includes (SSI), embedded Perl, MASON, and PHP and how they are used to make a faster dynamic web site.
I have to say that I really liked this structure. Once a system is set up it is rare to have to refer to the installation information again. If it were organized by Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl then I would have to flip to what I assume is the appropriate section turn past the installation portion and try to locate what I am looking for. This way, since it is organized by the various stages of getting the system up and running it is easier to find what I want.
The text includes lots of example coding so you can actually write and test it right away. This is a great way to learn the basics. It is not a thorough course in any of the four components but it does give you enough of a background to do most of what you might need to do. Of course, what makes it really valuable is the fact that it covers how to get each of the components to work together without problems. There are good books on each of these components but it is rare to find one that focuses on the interrelationships between them. "Open Source Web Development with LAMP" is highly recommended for anyone who wants to set up a LAMP server or needing to work with one.

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Practical guide presents a broad survey of LAMP technologies, and shows how these solutions can be implemented efficiently and securely while improving reliability and dramatically cutting costs. Provides the most useful, practical information on a broad range of open source technologies. Softcover.

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Introductory Programming with Simple Games: Using Java and the Freely Available Networked Game Engine Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a lot of trouble deciding if this book is worth my money, especially considering the standard cost of: $75. There are almost no reviews about this book on the internet, which was why the decision was difficult.
I ended up getting this book for $30, and I still somewhat feel ripped off. This book does have some value related to game concept and design, as well as a few interesting concepts, BUT, compared to other books with a lower price, this book isn't very good.
Because of this book, I learned the basics of what a game engine is, which is a new concept to me. I also learned a few interesting concepts of game design, but the book jumps from topic to topic. Reading the code, it seems that this book assumes you are advanced, but reading over the paragraphs, it teaches you introductory concepts such as variable initialization and arrays AFTER it was implemented in code.
This book is very confusing for beginners, and not much use to intermediate programmers, and completely useless for advanced programmers. It doesn't exactly explain what a game engine is, and how to use it properly. It doesn't explain any of the methods that the game engine contains... It just uses them...which isn't good for a beginner.
I still think that for other intermediate programmers, this book has some use by teaching you about game engine and code structure, which I haven't found yet in a book. If you are looking for a game programming book to read after introductory java books, i suggest you look into
Developing Games in Java (which is slightly difficult, but if you spend enough time on it, any beginner could understand it)
or Killer Game Programming in Java. (this is more advanced than the above).

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This is an excellent resource for programmers who need to learn Java but aren't interested in just reading about concepts. Introduction to Java Programming with Games follows a spiral approach to introduce concepts and enable them to write game programs as soon as they start. It includes code examples and problems that are easy to understand and motivates them to work through to find the solutions. This game-motivated presentation will help programmers quickly apply what they've learned in order to build their skills.

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