Preface

Nowadays, web applications are behaving more and more like desktop applications with lesser page loads and more user interaction and effects. The Web has become faster and applications such as Gmail and Facebook have given a new meaning to web applications.

PHP on the server side and jQuery on the client side (browser) are a killer combination for developing interactive web applications. PHP is the leading language of choice among web developers and jQuery is now used on more than one-third of the top 1000 sites on the internet and is the most widely-used library.

One thing that PHP and jQuery have in common is that they are easy to learn. Once you know the basics, you can promote yourself to the next level easily.

And this is what the book will do for you. It is like a toolbox having a myriad of tools inside. It will allow you to write faster web applications, which feel like desktop applications, with the help of PHP and jQuery. Whether you want to learn live validations, create plugins, drag elements, create a menu, watch videos using YouTube API, or interact with the database, just jump to the respective recipe for the solution. AJAX, a key feature of rich internet applications, is also covered in detail.

You are not required to read this book from the beginning to the end. Each recipe is independent and is like a "how to" or a mini application in itself. You can directly look for a solution to a specific problem.

I hope you will find this book useful and that it will help you to take your skills to a higher level.