Overview
Open source technologies are providing developers with a range of more cost-effective, robust alternatives to commercial software for building dynamic, data-driven, secure Web applications. This practical guide presents a broad survey of LAMP technologies, and shows how these solutions can be implemented efficiently and securely while improving reliability and dramatically cutting costs. The book focuses on the most important core material necessary for the developer to hit the ground running and begin building applications right away, and shows the reader where to go to find comprehensive information on all the topics covered. The book introduces the pillars of open source development, and reviews the current techniques and standards for each. It shows what it is easily possible to do using them, what might be possible with more work, and how to decide which tool is appropriate for what task. In addition to the technologies in the subtitle the book also covers Embperl, mod_perl, Mason, and WML. The authors provide many examples, all of which are active on the companion Web site. Finally, the authors include extensive coverage of the security issues involved.Synopsis
Introduces the features of several open source technologies that can be used to build an interactive database-based web site for relatively little money. Written for programmers familiar with Unix and HTML, the guide provides instructions for installing the Linux operating system, configuring an Apache server, and creating a MySQL database, then explains how to create static web pages with website META language (WML), and dynamic web pages with common gateway interface (CGI) and mod-perl. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewThe open source community has delivered an extraordinary range of technologies for web development. The most widely used are often referred to by the acronym "LAMP": Linux, Apache, MySQL, and -- you choose -- either Perl or PHP. Now, there's a book that offers easy introductions to all of them, as well as related tools that make them even more powerful.
Open Source Development with LAMP starts with a simple explanation of web development itself, then covers "just enough" of each technology to get you rolling comfortably. For example, you'll learn just enough Apache configuration, and just enough Linux (navigating filesystems, setting environment variables, basic security precautions, and the like). In the MySQL chapter, you'll create simple databases, then learn the basic SQL commands for working with them. (Later, you'll learn to write CGI scripts that integrate with those databases.)
After a practical introduction to Perl scripting, longtime *nix hackers James Lee and Brent Ware cover three powerful tools for Perl-based web development. The first: mod_perl, a complete Perl interpreter that's embedded into Apache. Mod_perl lets you run Perl-based CGI programs faster, and customize every phase of Apache's processing, from request and authentication through logging.
Later, Lee and Ware introduce Embperl, which lets you execute server-side programs by embedding Perl code into HTML files; and Mason, for building pages from shared, reusable Perl components -- solving problems from caching to site maintenance.
There's also a full chapter on WML: not the failed Wireless Markup Language but Ralf Engelschall's newer Website META Language for creating and maintaining complex static sites with a consistent look and feel. Finally, for those who prefer the other "P," there's a hands-on introduction to PHP, with its nifty native support for MySQL connectivity, PDF generation, and email response.
Whether you're new to open source web development or you've used some of these tools but not others, Open Source Development with LAMP is a great survey of the landscape. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.