PHP-GTK is a library allowing PHP developers to create graphical GTK applications. Pro PHP-GTK by Scott Mattocks aims to teach this tool to people of all skill levels from those who can read PHP fairly well to professionals. This might make it kind of disturbing for the more advanced coder, because the book teaches even the most basic things like ”What is a GUI application?” and ”What are they good for?” Although the book is meant for beginning coders, too, it doesn't mean it should contain stuff that is aimed at people who know nothing about computers. Luckily, after a few chapters this problem seems to vanish.

After the basics have been taught, the book goes to how a real-life application would be built. It's a product information management system for a fictive corporation called Crisscott, inc. I think it's a very good choice for the example app. After all, developing such software is quite GUI centric and various widgets are needed. There are numerous example code listings. I feel that the vast majority of them are explained well enough to be understood.

In addition to the actual programming, the book also covers installing PHP-GTK 2 on Windows and Linux, and the installation of PEAR and PECL packages. The last chapter gives information on distributing applications, concentrating on PEAR but mentioning PHP compilers, too.

If you want a manual-like book, this one isn't for you. However I think it works very well as a tutorial-based approach to the subject. And as that's what the book aims to be, that's how I rate it. 8/10.

More PHP Book Reviews Articles
More By tkarkkainen

developerWorks - FREE Tools!

NEW! Calling all CC Power Users – and those that would like to be! Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference, featuring Paul Boustany and Mark Krasovich, to speak to the experts about becoming a Rational ClearCase power user. Get a chance to ask your questions and learn tips and tricks for using Rational ClearCase in Agile development FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Application Development Tools for the Mainframe Developer You probably have thousands of lines of COBOL code loaded with business intelligence and being used to run your business, along with an army of developers maintaining these applications. Learn how to prepare your applications and developers so you can keep that competitive edge and move to a service-oriented architecture with the IBM Rational Enterprise Modernization solutions. Replay is available for 9 months. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Evaluate IBM Rational Developer for System i V7.1 Download a free trial version of IBM Rational Developer for System i V7.1, which provides a complete development environment for traditional i5/OS application development. IBM Rational Developer for System i is a new eclipse-based workstation offering for i5/OS application development that provides a comprehensive Integrated Development Environment for edit/compile/debug of traditional RPG/COBOL/C/C++ i5/OS applications. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Hacking 101 Join us for this web seminar to learn how you can defend your web applications from attack. Learn about the 3 most common web application attacks, including how they occur and what can be done to prevent them. We’ll also discuss manual versus automated approaches for scanning and identifying web application vulnerabilities and how IBM Rational AppScan, an automated vulnerability scanner, can help you automate more of what you are doing manually today. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! IBM Rational ClearCase Innovator's Series Learn from the best! Find out how developers use Rational ClearCase to be more flexible, innovative and deliver higher quality code in the Rational ClearCase Power Users eKit. This complimentary eKit provides a collection of materials, like articles, whitepapers, and demos that can help you become a power user of Rational ClearCase. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Run your first CICS application on a PC using TXSeries for Windows Learn the basics of the IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS). With a hands-on exercise, learn how to get your first CICS application up and running on your desktop using TXSeries V6.1 for Windows. The tutorial shows you how to download and install a free trial version of TXSeries V6.1. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act: Web accessibility compliance Because access to government information continues to be an area of concern for many U.S. citizens with disabilities, the U.S. government enacted Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in 2001 to ensure that government agencies create accessible Web content, enabling all citizens to access the information they need. A fully accessible Web site makes Web content accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities, who may be accessing Web content via a variety of user agents. Common user agents include standard Web browsers, text-only browsers, assistive devices and mobile devices such as cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs). FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! Test terminal-based applications with Rational Functional Tester Regression testing -- in which code is thoroughly tested to ensure that changes have not produced unexpected results -- is an important part of any development process. But many testing environments neglect the terminal-based applications that still form the backbone of many industries. In this tutorial, you'll learn how the Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-Based Applications works with other Rational Functional Tester to help test terminal-based applications quickly and easily. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! The dirty dozen: preventing common application-level hack attacks As organizations have grown increasingly dependent on online software, the risk of malicious attacks has also become far more serious. Fortunately, well-governed organizations can protect their Web applications by injecting vulnerability assessments and ethical hacks into their software development and delivery processes. This paper describes 12 of the most common hacker attacks and provides basic rules that you can follow to help create more hack-resistant Web applications. FREE! Go There Now!

NEW! The role of integrated requirements management in software delivery This paper is about the critical role that a discipline called integrated require­ments management can play in helping to ensure that your business goals and IT investments are continuously aligned—whether you are sourcing, integrat­ing, building or maintaining software. It also looks at ways that automated IBM Rational® products can work together to help you use requirements in the very best way. FREE! Go There Now!

All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!