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This book shows how to use the PHP scripting language with the Oracle database. It covers installation of both Oracle and PHP, and shows how to use them together efficiently. The installation and database discussion in this book highlights the Oracle Database 10g Express Edition, but everything covered in this book also applies to the other editions of the Oracle database. The PHP you write against Oracle Database 10g Express Edition can be run, without change, against all editions of the Oracle database as well. The book contains much new material on PHP’s Oracle OCI8 and PDO_OCI extensions. It also incorporates several updated installation guides previously published on the Oracle Technology Network web site. The chapter on globalization is derived from the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus PHP Developer Guide. Sue Harper contributed the chapter on SQL Developer. We gratefully acknowledge all the Oracle staff that contributed to this book.

This book is aimed at PHP developers who are developing applications against an Oracle database. You may already be using another database and have a requirement or a preference to move to Oracle. You may be starting out with PHP database development. You may be unsure how to install PHP and Oracle. This book aims to remove any confusion. This book is not a complete PHP or Oracle guide. It is assumed that you already have basic PHP and SQL knowledge and want best practices in using PHP against an Oracle database.

There are many great books on Oracle, including Oracle’s own extensive set of documentation you can read for more in-depth information on the architecture and commands to use with Oracle. Oracle’s documentation is freely available online. Extensive PHP documentation and resources are also online and in books. However, for the first time, this book covers PHP and Oracle together in detail and shows how to make them work well. For
newcomers we suggest reading the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus PHP Developer Guide, which walks through building a PHP application against an Oracle database. Since the first release of the Underground PHP and Oracle Manual there have been several commercially available books on PHP and Oracle published. They are worthwhile additions to your library. URLs to the online resources and most useful books are listed in the Resources chapter