Professional Web Developer Fourth Edition
Actual coverage
Web standards; HTML; CSS; JavaScript; jQuery; PHP basics; PHP/MySQL; PHP/Apache configuration; Ajax; CMS; MVC; Laravel; HTML5 overview; mobile web; web security; tools/utilities.
Durable knowledge
- Standards let browsers, servers, tools, and assistive technologies interoperate.
- Progressive enhancement begins with meaningful documents and adds styling and behavior.
- HTTP separates client and server; Ajax changes when requests occur, not the underlying protocol.
- MVC separates representation, coordination, and model concerns.
- Server configuration and application code jointly determine behavior and security.
- Tools improve feedback loops but should not obscure the platform.
Historical-value caution
jQuery-era DOM patterns, older PHP/Apache configuration, early Laravel, and “mobile web” techniques are historically useful but often superseded. Use this edition to understand evolution; use Professional Web Developer 2023 and current documentation for implementation.