PHP Oracle Web Development Review

PHP Oracle Web Development

Data processing, Security, Caching, XML, Web Services, and Ajax

The book is written by Yuli Vaseliev, a well known author of different web development and programming books. The author is also an expert in open source technologies and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). But besides all these, the author is primarily known for his works on Oracle as he is backed by more than 10 years of experience in working with Oracle environment.

The Book:

The book is divided into 10 Chapters with an appendix that guides the developers on how to install the PHP and Oracle step-by-step.

Chapter 1 deals with the general information why PHP and Oracle could work together. The book also discusses alternatives to Oracle while using PHP. The Oracle and PHP are separately discussed to inform the developers where to start in each of the software development tool.

Chapter 2 introduces the readers to the idea of PHP OCI8 – a very powerful extension of the software. PHP OCI8 is used as an extension to connect PHP with Oracle. Different functions and variables with regards to PHP OCI8 are discussed in this chapter. Alternates to PHP OCI8 are also discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 3 discusses how data can be manipulated with the use of PHP and Oracle combined. By this chapter, the developer should have already understood the different mechanisms in PHP and Oracle and moves further to data processing. The popular Oracle extensions such as PL/SQL and SQL queries are also discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 4 is dedicated to different forms of transactions that happen within PHP/Oracle. The rules and the types of transactions are discussed. Transaction issues such as updates and autonomous transactions are also discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 5 discusses the possibility of developing object oriented web applications using PHP and Oracle. This chapter shows the ability of PHP to perform as object oriented code while Oracle shows its robust side. The objective of this chapter is to show how an object oriented application developed with PHP can and Oracle could be lightweight as well as flexible to different changes.

Chapter 6 is all about security. The chapter discusses the different security features of PHP and Oracle. Maximizing the application’s security using both software development tools is shown in this chapter.

Chapter 7 a chapter dedicated to caching is almost surprising in this book but if you read further, you will see how important it is to know more than just the basics of caching when trying to encode an application using PHP and Oracle. Ajax developers will be particularly interested in this chapter as it will try to discuss how an Ajax based application can be coded without any problem in IE caching. Caching strategies is a must read to answer this concern.

Chapter 8 shows how XML can be maximized in any given application. Different techniques are discussed in this chapter as XML is exploited in different scenarios. Techniques on how to move XML through PHP within the Oracle database is extensively discussed including data storage. Oracle’s role in handling XML is also discussed in this chapter. Data transfer from one point of the application to the other is also shown in this chapter.

Chapters 9 and 10 show how PHP and Oracle is used in actual web development. Based on current technologies, readers will know how PHP and Oracle can be used against the emerging technologies today.

Chapter 9 shows can a SOAP application could be built using PHP and Oracle. Take note of PHP’s extension SOAP as well as Oracle’s XML as it is fairly discussed how a web service can be developed. The application’s security is also discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 10 maybe the culmination of everything discussed in the previous chapters. This chapter extensively discusses how an Ajax based application can be developed using the techniques that was learned in the previous chapter.

This chapter shows how JavaScript could be easily integrated with XML to develop a highly efficient browser based application. From the XMLHttpRequest to different JavaScript objects, the functions are discussed to develop an efficient Ajax based application. With the knowledge of Oracle, developers will have the ability to build an Ajax based application with a robust XML support provided by Oracle. The integration of PHP also ensures flexibility as well as dynamism of the application.

Review:

Based on the title, the book has so many things to discuss but it actually has less than 400 pages that even include the glossary of terms. The reader might have a second thought about the book since it might not promise to discuss the things written in the chapter.

But if you go through the chapters, you will be surprised how each topic could be discussed thoroughly in this book. Using the traditional structures in most web and application development books, it slowly introduces each concept before they are brought together in the final chapters.

PHP and Oracle are discussed separately at first with sample codes and situations to ensure that the reader understands each concept. It then goes to discuss who they could be efficiently integrated. The final chapter which is about Ajax is very impressive as it gives the developers a chance to develop an Ajax based application using popular practices in web development. The robustness of Oracle and efficiency of PHP is actually shown in an Ajax based application.

PHP Oracle Web Development: Data processing, Security, Caching, XML, Web Services, and Ajax is a good starting book for any web development professionals and enthusiasts. It covers the basics of web development using PHP and database management of Oracle including an installation guide for Oracle and PHP. If you are looking for a book to start with PHP and Oracle, this book offers a good start. For developers who are experienced in this discipline, the book could be a good reference point for developing an application. The sample codes that helps the reader understands the underlying concept of the application with actual scenarios, this PHP and Oracle book is almost too good to pass on.

This book is available for purchase at packtpub.com PHP Oracle Web Development: Data processing, Security, Caching, XML, Web Services, and Ajax

Read Sample Chapter Data processing, Security, Caching, XML, Web Services, and Ajax

XML Processing in PHP/Oracle Applications
Creating XML with the DOM PHP Extension
Querying a DOM Document with XPath
Transforming and Processing XML with XSLT
Performing XML Processing inside the Database
Moving All the XML Processing into the Database
Performing XSLT Transformations inside the Database
Using Oracle Database for Storing, Modifying, and Retrieving XML Data
Using XMLType for Handling XML Data in the Database
Using XML Schemas
Retrieving XML Data
Using XMLType Views
Performing DML Operations on XML Schema-Based XMLType Views
Using Oracle XML DB Repository
Accessing Repository Resources with SQL
Taking Advantage of Standard Internet Protocols
Querying Data with Oracle XQuery
Breaking up XML into Relational Data