In the book , the "story" is a narrative-driven learning experience where you act as a developer solving real-world problems for various clients. Instead of dry theory, the book uses several recurring scenarios to teach you how to build dynamic websites:
: Performing complex MySQL queries and joins to find compatible (or incompatible) partners. Head First PHP & MySQL
to protect Owen's and Mismatch's data from "the people out to get you" (SQL injection and validation). In the book , the "story" is a
: One of the most prominent stories involves a failing dating site called Mismatch.net . The premise is "opposites attract," but the site is broken and needs a savvy developer (you) to build a system that actually remembers users. This scenario is used to teach: : One of the most prominent stories involves
: Throughout these stories, you build other functional tools including: A mailing list for managing subscribers. A job board to handle listings.