What do eBay, Amazon.com, and CNN.com have in common? They're all applications that integrate large databases with web interfaces. The popularity (and power) of these applications stem from their accessibility and usability: thousands of users can access the same data at the same time without the need to install any additional software on their computers.

Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL offers web developers both theoretical and practical information on creating web database applications. It includes chapter-length tutorials on the PHP and MySQL languages, as well as background material on Internet and web protocols, modeling and designing relational databases, session management, and installing open source server and database software. The book also features examples and scripts from Hugh and Dave's Online Wines, a complete (but fictional) online retail site developed by the authors. If you want to build small- to medium-scale web database applications that will run on modest hardware and process more than a million hits a day from users, Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL will show you how.