Introduction

The age of static Web pages is over. For many years the Web survived as a domain where several simple HTML pages linked together constituted a site. But today's users expect exciting pages that are updated frequently and provide a customized experience. At the same time, Web site administrators want sites that are easier to update and maintain. For these reasons and more, building a site with just static HTML files is no longer acceptable. The Web is now a place for dynamic, frequently database-driven, Web applications.

This book represents the culmination of my many years of Web development experience coupled with the value of having written several previous books on the technologies discussed herein. The focus of this book is on covering the most important knowledge in the most efficient manner. It will teach you how to begin developing dynamic Web sites and give you plenty of example code to get you started. All you need to provide is an eagerness to learn.

Well, that and a computer….