If you're familiar with HTML, you can quickly learn how to build interactive, data-driven websites with the powerful combination of PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript-the top technologies for creating modern sites. This hands-on guide explains each technology separately, shows you how to combine them, and introduces valuable web programming concepts such as objects, XHTML, cookies, and session management. Carefully paced for non-programmers, this second edition provides an extensive introduction to CSS, and benefits from reader questions and suggestions. You'll practice what you've learned with review questions in each chapter, and a sample social networking platform built with the elements introduced in this book. Understand PHP essentials and the basics of object-oriented programming Master MySQL, from database structure to complex queries Create web pages with PHP and MySQL by integrating forms and other HTML features Learn about JavaScript, from functions and event handling to accessing the Document Object Model Pick up the basics of CSS and see its role in web pages and JavaScript programming Make Ajax calls and turn your website into a highly dynamic environment Upload and manipulate files and images, validate user input, and secure your applications