Best PHP Programming Books of 2025

This full-color book, PHP & MySQL: Server-side Web Development, written by best-selling author Jon Duckett, is an excellent guide for learning how to build modern database-driven websites using PHP. The book is packed with inspiring code examples, infographics, and photography that not only teach the PHP language and how to work with databases but also show how to build new applications from scratch. It demonstrates practical techniques that readers will recognize from popular sites like Facebook and Wikipedia, and it includes online support with code samples and practical exercises. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in web development.

Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript is a comprehensive guide for beginners who want to build dynamic websites. It covers the latest versions of PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS, HTML5, jQuery, and React library. The book teaches readers how to use these technologies to create a social networking site that works on both desktop and mobile browsers. It also covers important topics such as security, cookies, and sessions. The author, Robin Nixon, has written over 30 books on software development and his book has remained one of the top-selling books on web development worldwide. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn web development.

This three-book set is an excellent platform for anyone who wants to master HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, and MySQL. It covers everything from front-end development to back-end development, making it a great resource for full-stack developers. The highly visual format and accessible language make these books effective learning tools for beginners. The author has been a best-seller in HTML and JavaScript for the last decade, making this set a reliable resource for anyone interested in PHP programming. Overall, this three-book set is a valuable addition to any web developer's library.

Murach's PHP and MySQL (4th Edition) is a comprehensive guide for learning how to use PHP and MySQL for web applications. This book teaches the reader how to create a database-driven website that implements the MVC pattern in the first six chapters. The rest of the chapters cover building PHP and MySQL skills to the professional level using today's best practices. The book is well-organized, easy to understand, and covers the technologies and programming practices thoroughly. Overall, it is an enjoyable read and a solid 5-star rating all the way, perfect for any developer, techie, or geek. Joel Murach's clear approach to teaching makes this book unique and a must-have for anyone interested in PHP and MySQL.

This beginner's guide to full-stack web development covers all the core technologies - HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, JavaScript, MySQL, and PHP - needed to develop moderate data-driven web applications. The book follows a tutorial approach with hands-on exercises and illustrations to teach the reader web application development quickly. The author focuses on inspiring practical aspects of each technology, making it an excellent resource for novices looking to evaluate these technologies and decide where to start. Overall, this book is a solid jump-start into the exciting world of web development.

Building Web Apps with WordPress: WordPress as an Application Framework is a comprehensive guide that shows how to use WordPress to develop fast, scalable, secure, and highly customized web apps, mobile apps, web services, and multisite networks of websites. The book covers new features and functionality added to WordPress up to version 5.4, and all code examples are available on GitHub. The authors provide step-by-step instructions on how to build custom plugins, themes, and services for just about any kind of web or mobile application. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to leverage WordPress as a powerful application framework.

The WordPress 5 Complete: Build beautiful and feature-rich websites from scratch, 7th Edition is a comprehensive guide to building a website using WordPress. The book covers everything from setting up WordPress to creating custom themes and plugins. It also explores the new features of WordPress 5.0, including the block-based editor Gutenberg. With beginner-friendly advice and loads of screenshots and examples, this book is perfect for anyone looking to build a website with the least amount of effort possible. Overall, this book is a great resource for both beginners and experienced developers looking to improve their WordPress skills.

The Drupal 10 Development Cookbook is a comprehensive guide for building digital experiences and dynamic websites using Drupal 10. The book provides practical recipes for designing a digital experience platform, extending Drupal by creating custom modules, and enhancing your Drupal site using modern frontend development tools. The third edition includes updated content on WYSIWYG editing, improved core code performance, and code cleanup. The book is ideal for beginners and intermediate developers looking to create and manage Drupal sites and build custom code to deliver their projects.

The "PHP Cookbook: Modern Code Solutions for Professional Developers" is a comprehensive guide that offers solutions to numerous common problems faced by PHP developers. The author, Eric Mann, provides self-contained recipes that leverage modern versions of PHP, enabling developers to solve similar problems that arise in their daily work. The book covers a wide range of topics, including error handling, debugging, encryption, performance tuning, and more. Mann's extensive experience as a software engineer shines through in this book, making it an excellent resource for PHP developers of all levels. Overall, this cookbook is a valuable addition to any PHP developer's library.

The "Logic Puzzles for Smart Kids Age 10 to 13" book is an excellent resource for parents looking for a fun and engaging way to challenge their children's critical thinking skills. The book features a variety of logic puzzles, including Nonograms, Word Blocks, Symbol Math, Sudoku, and Cryptograms. Each puzzle is designed to make kids think and improve their problem-solving abilities. The book is a great way to keep kids engaged and entertained while also helping them develop important skills. Overall, this book is highly recommended for parents looking for a fun and educational activity for their kids.