PEAR is the PHP Extension and Application Repository, and is a framework and distribution system for reusable, high-quality PHP components, available in the form of "packages". In this book, you will learn how to use a number of the most powerful PEAR packages to boost your PHP development productivity. By focusing on the packages for key development activities, this book gives you an in-depth guide to getting the most from these powerful coding resources. You will become a master of various PEAR packages that help you with the essential tasks of PHP development: . Accessing databases with MDB2 . Displaying data in a range of formats (HTML, Excel spreadsheet, PDF) . Creating and parsing XML documents . Serializing PHP objects into XML, and unserializing XML documents to PHP objects . Consuming and offering web services . Accessing Web APIs including Google, Yahoo, Amazon, and Technorati