I wish it would have taken me further in terms of making a more appealing website. In terms of function, it seemed to work just fine. I opted to actually go with an opensource solution, but this was an interesting project.

I was originally going to give it 4 stars, but it gets 5 because it accomplishes what it sets out to do, thoroughly. This is the only book like this, get it if you would like the knowledge described in the title, you won't regret it.
Rating: 5 / 5

I have good knowledge of HTML and CSS, but I know very little about PHP, SQL, and MySQL. I want to start an online store, and HTML and CSS just won't cut it. I knew from the beginning I would need to learn PHP, and likely JavaScript to create a functioning store.

HOWEVER: This book does not teach you PHP. It does not teach you JavaScript, or SQL, MySQL, AJAX, or any programming language at all. Are we clear on that? Good.

Now that that is settled, let's see why this book really shines!

This book is about e-commerce. It is a tutorial, and it leads you step-by-step through creating an online store that is fully-functional, secure, and flexible. If you do all the steps, you end up with a complete store. Oh, wait, did I say IF you do all the steps? Actually, no. You can cut and paste the code as you go, if you want, although you would learn less that way. Either way, you need to be thorough. Programming is not for the sloppy, impatient, or anyone with the "that's close enough" mentality. You must follow the instructions meticulously, and you will have to track down every typo. There will be some troubleshooting involved, but I figured it out, and I don't know PHP, like I said earlier.

So, if the code is available for download at the author's website . . . why get the book at all? Well, because if you want to learn how it all works together, how to customize it without breaking it, how to improve or adapt it, and why it is set up the way it is–then you need to read the book. It is easy enough to read and understand, even without much knowledge of PHP.

I found this book to be perfect, because it is exactly what I needed: a tutorial for creating a fully-functional, secure, and flexible store.

So is this book for raw beginners? No. You should have enough experience with webpages to comprehend HTML and CSS, minimally. Experience with programming is a help, but not necessary.

So is this book for intermediate web designers? Absolutely!

How about advanced designers . . . well, I'm not qualified to answer that. But I can tell you the authors of this book have very sound logic when it comes to the architecture of an online store. I imagine it would be beneficial to all but the most experienced designers.

Bottomline?

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYONE DESIGNING AN ONLINE STORE.
Rating: 5 / 5

I have read and used many books about PHP and MYSQL, this one is impossible to get through the 3d Chapter successfully.
Rating: 1 / 5