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Recommended Reading if You Want to Become a Programmer
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The following is a list of the precise books I read to master web development using HTML/CSS, Javascript, PHP & MySQL. They are presented in the best order to most efficiently learn the subject at hand. It's similar to the order I read them in, but enhanced based on what I learned and the order I wish I read them in. Good luck:
HTML/CSS:
CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
Before you start coding PHP, Javascript, etc, understand how HTML works. This is where you start. HTML is easy. Read this book in combination with studying the HTML & CSS tutorials on w3schools.
PHP/MySQL:
PHP & MySQL For Dummies, 4th Edition
This book--well an older edition--I read a year before I got serious about learning to code. I read it and didn't actually code anything i learned, but what it did was plant seeds in my head with regards to what programming is all about and what databases are all about, and how to connect the two. It assumes very little in what you may already know, and is an excellent start in your journey to becoming a master programmer.
PHP Object-Oriented Solutions
This book is where I learned what OOP is. I didn't get the hang of it until reading the following book. Don't worry if you read this and have a hard time with it. This book and the next each have introductory chapters that go over how OOP works. It took me reading basically this book and the next book about the same stuff to get it. This book is a lot less complicated than the following and dives into practical examples & problems, whereas the next is a lot more theoretical.
PHP Objects, Patterns and Practice
After reading this book, I basically mastered OOP. It's a very hard book to get through if you're new to OOP, and goes into some very advanced stuff, specifically tons and tons of "design patterns." The design patterns are presented in as basic of a form as possible, but they weren't very practical like examples from the previous book in that you probably will never actually need any of the code used in the book. Either way, this is my favorite Programming of all time because it taught me how to think like a coder and how to solve complex problems with concise refactored solutions. It really showed me what is possible with OOP. You don't know PHP unless you've read this book.
Pro PHP: Patterns, Frameworks, Testing and More
I read this book too just to solidify my experience with PHP, and cover all my bases. Check it out. It's optional.
PHP Functions Essential Reference
At some point during my study of PHP I found this book and decided just to learn every PHP function available so that I could better understand the examples in the above books. Start reading this early on, and complete the whole thing. You'll quickly learn patterns in how PHP functions are named, and as a result be able to guess what a function does within the context of the examples in the above books--even if you don't remember precisely what it does.
Agile Web Application Development with Yii 1.1 and PHP5
I read this book in combination with reading the Blog Tutorial and Definitive Guide on YiiFramework.com. When you're done studying all these materials, you'll be amazed with how much power you have. This book isn't hard to read either. You'll love it if you reach this stage!
Javascript & jQuery:
Learning jQuery, Third Edition
jQuery is a framework built on top of the native browser language of Javascript. Usually one would recommend you learn the base language--Javascript--before learning an abstracted framework on top of it--jQuery. However because of the nature of jQuery and how comprehensive it is and because of how quirky Javascript is coming from PHP, I found it best to jump to jQuery and immediately start accomplishing the DOM manipulation tasks I needed. And ultimately because of syntax similarities between PHP and Javascript I was able to get productive in Javascript without studying a single book just on Javascript. One thing I did different when studying this book from the PHP books is I did every single tutorial as I read it. The reason is because when I learned PHP, I was learning my first real programming language--so it took me a lot of time to just digest things before I could code a single line, which is why I just read PHP book after PHP book before I got started until it all made sense. However, by the time I got to Javascript & jQuery, I understood how programming in general works and found it helpful for memorization purposes to immediately start doing the tutorials.
jQuery 1.3 with PHP
With this book I didn't do all the tutorials like I did with Learning jQuery, but what reading this book did for me is taught me precisely how Ajax works and what it's all about. After reading it, coding features that required Ajax using Yii and PHP was obvious and a no-brainer.
JavaScript: The Good Parts
This book gave me a deep understanding of the Javascript language and what it's truly all about. After reading it, many hours of debugging and head-scratching when coding Javascript & jQuery were removed from my schedule--because I finally learned the quirks of the Javascript language I needed to know.
Pro JavaScript Design Patterns
Now this book took my Javascript game to the next level, gave me an idea of how jQuery was built, taught me how to do things similar to how you would in a "classical" OOP language like PHP, and completely ended any remaining head-scratching I was having with Javascript, particularly with how "scope" works in Javascript.
Linux
The Official Ubuntu Server Book, 2nd Edition
Note: by the time I read this book I had already learned Linux through blogs on the internet. The best thing I can recommend you do is install Linux on your computer from the Ubuntu website, and start navigating around the command line, practicing Linux commands you learn off the web. Just google "linux tutorials" and you'll be off to a running start. That said, by the time I got proficient in Linux and after I read this book, I felt confident that I really knew what I was doing and had practical solutions for the most common problems you'll face at the command line.
Apache Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Apache Administrators
This book I treat like a pocket reference and still refer to it often since it's impossible to remember all the different Apache configurations, given how comprehensive this web server application is. I did read it through when I first got it. I kinda skimmed it though--just to get an idea of what is possible. Getting an idea of what is possible without mastering a subject matter is so important in programming because you'll know where to look when you face a challenge that the subject matter can solve.
Pro Bash Programming
This is a little advanced for readers of the FaceySpacey Bible, but I'm putting it here because it really took my Linux skills to the next level.
NON-TECHNICAL BOOKS:
Smart and Gets Things Done: Joel Spolsky's Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent
If you plan to grow a small application into a large company, this book is a must. It's short. Read it.
SEO Book.com
This obviously isn't a book, but I read their entire site like a book, and its creator, Aaron Wall, expects you to read it like a book. When I was done reading it, I felt I was completely up to speed regarding what SEO is, how search engines work, and practical techniques to get better rankings in search engines.
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