Some of the benefits of using PHP is that it is easier to learn and cheaper than using Java J2EE Enterprise or .NET platforms. In concert with a database server and a client-side scripting language like Javascript, PHP can be made to do n-tier application work which is a way of designing applications for ease of maintenance and modification, as well as better performance under load.

PHP has been steadily gaining ground in web application development over Perl during the last 2 years and while there are resources for learning PHP, there is virtually nothing that covers the n-tier application aspect of PHP programming.

This book will teach developers and architects how to use PHP in a new way—as a tool for creating multi-tier frameworks into which useful applications can be built for a lower cost, easier use, and just as good or greater performance as those applications written with the Microsoft .NET framework or Enterprise Java.