Once you get going php.net's on-line manual is a super reference, has the command, how to use it and a followup discussion that usually well covers any bugs, alternatives and gotchas. I usually search in it via google.
I guess the main thing is like most languages there are many many ways to do the same thing... So, one book showing building a sample bookstore app may do it one way and an other book will do it completely different. When you get to that type of tutorial you just got to check the sample sections on each one till you find a method you're comfortable with.
I started with Visual Quickstart Guide to PHP (current ed: http://www.amazon.com/PHP-Web-Visual-QuickStart-Edition/dp/0... ) It covers a lot of ground on the basics, and was very happy with it.
Once you get going php.net's on-line manual is a super reference, has the command, how to use it and a followup discussion that usually well covers any bugs, alternatives and gotchas. I usually search in it via google.
I guess the main thing is like most languages there are many many ways to do the same thing... So, one book showing building a sample bookstore app may do it one way and an other book will do it completely different. When you get to that type of tutorial you just got to check the sample sections on each one till you find a method you're comfortable with.