Building modern web applications using PHP

Author: Dr Alex Bugeja, PhD | Format: Hardcover | Condition: Brand New

Discover how to build professional, high-quality web applications with modern PHP in this comprehensive guide designed for developers ready to move beyond basic scripting. Whether you're new to backend development, transitioning from another language, or an experienced PHP programmer looking to update your skills, this book provides a practical roadmap to mastering the current PHP ecosystem. You'll learn how to leverage PHP 8+'s powerful features like strict typing, union types, and nullsafe operators while establishing a professional development environment with tools like Docker, Composer, and Xdebug that streamline your workflow from day one.

Progress through a carefully structured journey that builds your expertise from the ground up. Start with modern PHP fundamentals and advanced object-oriented programming concepts, then explore how design patterns and dependency injection create maintainable code. You'll gain hands-on experience building RESTful APIs with microframeworks, implementing secure user authentication with JWTs, and interacting with databases using both PDO and ORMs. Each chapter introduces essential professional practices—from writing effective unit and integration tests to implementing caching strategies that dramatically boost application performance.

Move beyond theory as you construct real-world features that power today's web applications. Learn to integrate frontend assets using modern build tools like Vite, implement real-time functionality with WebSockets, and connect to third-party services through secure API consumption. You'll master critical security techniques to protect against common threats like SQL injection and XSS, then discover how to containerize your application with Docker for consistent deployment across environments. The book also covers advanced topics including GraphQL API development, asynchronous PHP for high-concurrency scenarios, and serverless deployment options that represent the future of PHP hosting.

By the end of this guide, you'll possess the complete skill set needed to build scalable, secure, and professional PHP applications. You'll understand how to implement continuous integration and deployment pipelines that automate testing and delivery, apply horizontal scaling techniques to handle growing user bases, and make informed decisions about architectural choices ranging from traditional server setups to cutting-edge serverless platforms. Most importantly, you'll learn to think like a modern PHP developer—applying timeless software design principles while leveraging the language's mature ecosystem to create applications that are not just functional, but a pleasure to maintain and extend. This is your definitive guide to building with confidence in today's PHP 1 The Modern PHP Landscape

Please note: This hardcover is printed on demand after purchase. A short printing period before shipment is normal and is accounted for in the delivery estimate shown by .