Book cover: Expert PHP 5 Tools

Short version: If you are working with PHP you’ll want to read this book. Covering topics like continuous integration, documentation and unit testing thoroughly it gives an insight of great value to any PHP developer.

Slightly longer version: This book is aimed at developers already working with PHP on a daily basis, or developers which are picking up PHP. It’s main focus is the environment of the PHP developer. Areas like unit testing, continuous integration, application deployment, proper documentation and version control might already be very familiar if you have been working with PHP for a while, but this book covers each of these important areas in detail and with prime examples on do and dont’s. Even if you feel like you are doing quite well I’m sure this book will give you a few “aha!” moments. If you are coming from a hobby-background these areas might not be your strongest suit, and this book will help you get a firm grasp on what a professional PHP setup is all about. The chapter on continous integration is based around phpUnderControl, which is a nice piece of software for this purpouse. However, I would have liked to see other alternatives like for example Hudson. Luckily, moving over to a different CI app is fairly easy after having set up a phpUC installation with the phing/ant configuration.

The book is available both as paperback and eBook from Packt. I’ve been reading the eBook, which worked quite well for me. PS: Convering the PDF to ePub will destroy some of the formatting.

Check out the sample chapter Documentation with phpDocumentor

Book cover: Expert PHP 5 Tools

While I am currently reading PHP5 eCommerce Development I’ve also got lined up a copy of Expert PHP 5 Tools from Packt.

This book will enable you to take your PHP development skills to an enterprise level by teaching you the skills and tools necessary to write maintainable and efficient code. You will learn how to perform activities such as unit testing, enforcing coding standards, automating deployment, and interactive debugging using tools created for PHP developers – all the information in one place. Your code will be more maintainable, efficient, and self-documented.

Check out the sample chapter Documentation with phpDocumentor

Php 5 eCommerce Development Book Cover

This book will show you how to create your own PHP framework that can be extended and used with ease, particularly for e-commerce sites. Using this framework you will be able to display and manage products, customize products, create wish-lists, make recommendations to customers based on previous purchases, send email notifications when certain products are in stock, rate the products online, and much more.

You can check out the sample chapter Enhancing the User Experience now.

Papervision3D Essentials Cover

Short version: If you want to get started with Papervision 3D, get this book. It’s a well written, great introduction for people new to Papervision3D, as well as a good reference for more experienced developers. It covers everything from basics to filters, effects and performance topics.

Longer version: Before I started reading this book I had never used Pv3D except looking at some neat demos. I had some experience with OpenGL from way-back, so the basic 3d concepts were not new to me.  As I got started I found that most of what I knew from general 3d graphics development was covered pretty well in the first few chapters. From the basic building blocks, to coordinate systems and primitives. The book starts out with a chapter dedicated to setting up authoring tools for compiling the code created during the book. Both Flash CS3/CS4 and Flex/Flash Builder is covered. After that it deals briefly with some core AS3 concepts before moving on to fundamental 3D subjects. Everything is explained really well, and as the book progresses trough the rest of the chapters it details subjects as drawing primitives, adding materials, setting up cameras and loading external models, then going on with particle systems, external models, filters and effects. A chapter is also dedicated to performance optimization. The book offers a number of good examples, also available on-line.

The authors are clearly very comfortable with the subjects they are covering, and discussing pretty much every topic in a language that makes it easy to follow, also for less experienced developers. In my opinion this is a very well written book that I would not hesitate to recommend to beginning developers as well as experienced.

Papervision3D Essentials

Papervision3D Essentials Cover

Authors Jeff Winder, Paul Tondeur
ISBN 1847195725
ISBN 13: 978-1-847195-72-2

Download Chapter 8 – External models

Flex 3 with Java

Flex 3 with Java Cover

Author Satish Kore
ISBN 1847195342
ISBN 13 978-1-847195-34-0

Download Chapter 5 – Working with XML