Learning PHP and SQL

[nimbuscloud]

Hello all,

I'm trying to learn PHP and SQL on my PowerMac G5. I'm still a bit new to webdesign and I use Dreamweaver for most things.

Do I have to install something on my Mac in order to "use" PHP and SQL? Or can I just try to code something and look at it in previews through Dreamweaver?

Any and all help would be great. Thanks for your time.

 

[jeremy.king]

I'd suggest

MAMP

and

PHP and MySQL Development

 

[nimbuscloud]

Thanks for the MAMP info! Seems just what the doctor ordered.

That book that you suggested, I read the reviews. Though some were good, a lot said that it didn't give enough info for beginners.

I have The Essential Guide to Dreamweaver CS3 with CSS, Ajax, and PHP. It seems pretty good for a beginner like myself, especially since it focuses on Dreamweaver, but I might give your book a look also.

Thanks again!

 

[CANEHDN]

2 years ago I started web development in PHP and MySQL. We bought the PHP MYSQL Bible. It's a great book. Everything you need to start off and everything for the more experienced stuff. I still reference that book weekly. It groups all the useful functions and then explains in detail about each one. Makes it useful when having to look up all the different MySQL connection functions.

You will have to set you system to be a web server with PHP enabled. Since PHP is a web scripting language it will run on your system. Installing MySQL is pretty easy. You'll have to know how to change permissions through the terminal though.

Once you've got everything set up, when you set up a 'site' in Dreamweaver you'll tell it to use a scripting language. You'll obviously select PHP with MySQL.