XML and PHP

XML and PHP
by Vikram Vaswani

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About Book

Book Description
XML and PHP is designed to introduce PHP developers to the synergies that become visible when their favorite web-scripting language is combined with one of the most talked about technologies of recent times, XML. XML and PHP teaches PHP developers how to use PHP's XML functions to develop and maintain XML-based web applications and sites, and it demonstrates the power inherent in the XML/PHP combination. This book provides information on all hte major XML technologies supported in PHP, demonstrating how the XML/PHP combination can be used to deliver cutting-edge web applications through practical examples and real-world case studies. XML and PHP serves as both an implementation guide to the topic and a handy desktop reference for quick lookups-combining all the information that developers need into a single, focused package.

Book Info
A clear, concise guide to the synergies between XML and PHP, many of which are not immediately visible to intermediate developers. Demonstrates how PHP and XML can be combined to build cutting-edge Web applications. Softcover.

From the Back Cover

XML and PHP is designed to introduce PHP developers to the synergies that become visible when their favorite web-scripting language is combined with one of the most talked about technologies of recent times, XML. XML and PHP teaches PHP developers how to use PHP's XML functions to develop and maintain XML-based web applications and sites, and it demonstrates the power inherent in the XML/PHP combination. This book provides information on all hte major XML technologies supported in PHP, demonstrating how the XML/PHP combination can be used to deliver cutting-edge web applications through practical examples and real-world case studies. XML and PHP serves as both an implementation guide to the topic and a handy desktop reference for quick lookups-combining all the information that developers need into a single, focused package.

About the Author

Vikram Vaswani is the founder and CEO of Melonfire (http://www.melonfire.com), a company specializing in software consultancy, and content creation and syndication services.

Vikram is also the author of numerous well-received articles on open-source technologies (including Perl, Python, XML, and the very popular PHP 101 series), all written with the goal of making complex technologies accessible and understandable to novice users. He has been developing software since 1995, was first introduced to PHP in 1998, and hasn't looked back since. His favorite activities include reading, sleeping, watching movies, playing squash, and fiddling with his PalmPilot.

These reviewers contributed their considerable hands-on expertise to the entire development process for XML and PHP. As the book was being written, these dedicated professionals reviewed all the material for technical content, organization, and flow. Their feedback was critical to ensure that XML and PHP fits our readers' need for the highest-quality technical information.

Zak Greant is lead developer for 51 Degrees North, and is the founder of the Foo & Associates programmer's cooperative. He leads the PHP Quality Assurance Team, and is an active contributor to the PHP documentation, mailing lists, and source code. (See http://www.zend.com/comm_person.php?id=56 for his PHP community profile.)

Mark Nenadov is a bright, young software developer living in Canada (he does not reside in an igloo or speak French, however). Mark specializes in Open Source technology, and has lots of experience with technologies such as PHP, XML, MySQL, and Python. He is currently employed at a growing e-commerce company in Windsor, Ontario. When he isn't hunched over his keyboard, he is usually trying to learn new things, playing ice hockey, writing, reading books, and wishing it were a bit warmer in Canada.

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Introduction

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt ofin your philosophy."

~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Unless you've been doing a Rip Van Winkle for the past few years,you've heard about PHP and XML.

Probably not in the same context, I'll grant you—one is, after all,a programming language for the web, whereas the other is a standard toolkit fordescribing data. Individually, they're both long-time sweethearts of thenotoriously fickle web community—PHP for its rapid application developmentcapabilities and XML for its capability to make data more useful by attachingdescriptive tags to it.

Although there is no shortage of information on either of these twotechnologies individually, there are very few resources that explain how to usethem in combination with each other. Which was exactly the problem I had about ayear ago, when I decided to use XML as one of the components of a web-basedproject I was working on. PHP was my development language of choice. (I'dlong since given up on Perl and JSP.) Although I knew very little about how PHPand XML could be integrated with each other, I blithely assumed that the web,with its gargantuan knowledge bases, would have more than enough information tohelp me complete the project.

Imagine my horror, then, when I was able to find only the sketchiestinformation on the topic, despite hours spent tapping different permutations of"php xml development" into Google's search box. With time runningout, I decided to go to plan B: I printed a copy of the XML and XSL specs,stocked up on microwave dinners, and started experimenting with PHP'sbuilt-in XML functions.

I soon realized that combining PHP with XML wasn't hard at all—infact, it was pretty easy. Before long, I had worked out the basics of the SAXand DOM functions, installed my own copy of the XSLT extension, and figured outjust what I needed to do to deliver the project on time. All it took waspatience, a little research . . . and a lot of time.

In the highly competitive world of web development, in which contracts oftenturn on how quickly a project can be executed, time is a valuable commodity.Working with picky customers against aggressive deadlines is stressful enoughfor most developers; having to spend most of the day on research, rather thanimplementation, isn't likely to make their day any sunnier. And so, one ofmy most important reasons for writing this book was that it might serve as astarting point and reference for other developers looking to build XML- andPHP-enabled web applications.

This book is the book I wish I'd had a year ago. It includes detailedexplanations of PHP's XML extensions, together with illustrations of usingPHP to parse, validate, and transform XML markup. I've also discussed,among other things, how to traverse XML data trees, exchange data between webapplications, overlay remote procedure calls over HTTP, and use free open-sourcetools to add new capabilities to your XML/PHP applications. You can read it allthe way through, or use it in traditional cookbook style, flipping it open tothe chapter that addresses your specific problem. Either way, I hope you find ituseful, informative, and (dare I say it?) fun.

Over the past year, I've written a few articles on how XML and PHP canbe used together, and I've even given a couple of presentations on thetopic. From the feedback I've received, it seems that there are still many,many people—developers, consultants, educators, webmasters, systemsengineers, or just good ol' PHP enthusiasts—who would love to know howXML and PHP can be combined together, but don't know where to start.

If you're one of those people, this book is for you.

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