Page 34 - Beginning PHP 5.3

Introduction
After you ’ ve called up the interface, you ’ ll probably be confronted by a nearly blank window, with just a
snippet of text such as one of these:
$
%
C:/ >
#
bash$

This is a command prompt or shell prompt , which is simply there to let you know that the interface is ready
to receive instructions — prompting you for commands, in effect. It doesn ’ t really matter what the
prompt looks like, just that you recognize it when it appears. In this book, the prompt is designated
this way:

$

The book shows you any commands that you need to type after the prompt ($). The computer - generated
output follows. For example:
$ ./hello.php
Hello, world!
$

Sometimes a different prompt is shown. For example, if you ’ re working with the MySQL command - line
program, the following prompt will be shown:

mysql >

Conventions

To help you get the most from the text and keep track of what ’ s happening, we ’ ve used a number of
conventions throughout the book.

Try It Out

The Try It Out section contains an exercise you should work through, following the text in the book.
The section includes one or more code listings, instructions on how to run the script and, often, a
screen shot showing the script in action.

How It Works
After each Try It Out , the code you ’ ve typed will be explained in detail.

Notes, tips, hints, tricks, and asides to the current discussion are offset and placed in italics like this.
As for styles in the text:

❑ I highlight new terms and important words when I introduce them.

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