This is an adaptation of Jason Gilmore's best-selling book, Beginning PHP and MySQL. It's a recognition of the growing use of PHP with commercial databases, Oracle in particular, enabling readers in Oracle-based shops to learn PHP on their chosen platform. Supplying the Oracle expertise is Bob Bryla, co-author of the Oracle Database 10g DBA Handbook and many other titles. His easy-going and straightforward style is an excellent match for Jason's, making their book one of the best things going for those wanting to learn about using PHP with Oracle. Oracle continues to make significant investments towards raising the profile of using its namesake database in conjunction with PHP, the world's most popular web scripting language. The release of the freely available Oracle XE makes way for an entire new market of users seeking to take advantage of this powerful database.