With the surge of popularity of PHP 5, object-oriented programming is now an important consideration for PHP developers. This version-neutral book is a gentle introduction to object-oriented programming (OOP) that won't overburden you with complex theory. It teaches you the essential basics of OOP that youll need to know before moving onto a more advanced level, and includes a series of pre-packaged scripts that you can incorporate into your existing sites with the minimum of effort. It shows how object-oriented programming can be used to create reusable and portable code by walking you through a series of simple projects. The projects feature the sorts of things developers run up against every day, and include a validator for filtering user input, a simple Date class that avoids the need to remember all the esoteric format codes in PHP, and an XML generator.* Teaches the fundamentals of OOP * Simple projects show how OOP concepts work in the real world * Pre-packaged scripts can easily be added to your own projects What you'll learn * PHP features, such as the Standard PHP Library (SPL), that are poorly documented or ignored by existing books * How to develop classes of their own * OOP in easy-to-understand language without getting bogged down in dense theory * Solid foundations for developers wishing to delve more deeply into OOP * How to leverage the strengths of OOP as a means for creating reusable code that can be used successfully within a procedural context * How to code for both PHP 5 and 6 Who this book is for This book is aimed at intermediate-level PHP developers who want to take their skills to the next level by exploring object-oriented programming as a way of creating reusable code for a everyday website tasks. A typical reader would be someone who has read one of the authors previous title, such as PHP Solutions, or one of the PHP books for Dreamweaver and feels ready to tackle something a little more challenging.