As with ASP, PHP (the initials refer to the first version of the program "Personal Home Page Tools") script is embedded within a Web page along with its HTML. Before the page is sent to a user that has requested it, the Web server calls PHP to interpret and perform the operations called for in the PHP script. This allows scripts to be built in to HTML code that can access back-end databases, enabling on-the-fly creation of pages.

O'Reilly & Associates has just published a handy reference to PHP -- The PHP Pocket Reference. Written by Rasmus Lerdorf (who started the PHP Project back in 1995 and has been actively involved in PHP development ever since) this small book acts both as a perfect tutorial for learning the basics of developing Web applications with PHP and as a reference to the vast array of functions provided by PHP. "The PHP language itself borrows concepts from other common languages, such as C and Perl. If you have some experience with one of these languages, you should feel right at home with PHP," says author Rasmus Lerdorf.

• A sample section from the book is available free online.

• For more information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, author bio, and samples, click here.

• Cover graphic in jpeg format