CakePHP: Using Apress & Packt

I love buying books. Taking one look at my bookcase makes this quite obvious. I do have quite a large selection of computer related books. I find that by reading into the subject matter, especially for programming, before acting on ideas or tasks provides a person with the tools and knowledge to get stuff done. I can’t help but think when i start a new project and get into development using new tools that i don’t know what i’m doing 100% and i don’t know if what i am doing is necessarily the best or most efficient way of achieving the goals set out. So i buy and read books!

I have found a trend though with the books i have bought and read. I tend to buy both Apress books and Packt publishing books. Both seem to come out around the same time, maybe Packt a little bit later. Apress has an awesome series, which can also be thought of as a more practical version of an online documentation. Its the beginner to novice series. I recently bought the Apress Beginner to Novice’s guide to CakePHP. It covers an in depth look at all the functions of the framework, lets you learn the functions and how to extend upon them. Its pretty much a complete overview of all the tools. Packt Publishing on the other hand has their CakePHP book, which as always with Packt Publishing, is more a practical look at CakePHP’s functions. It takes you through project after project, extending on previous steps and analysing new functions and how they can be applied. 

I like reading the Apress beginner to novice series books first, and then the Packt Publishing books secondly. Apress teaches me all the functions and what CakePHP is packed with, and then Packt Publishing takes over and shows how use all the functions and the methods. Apress do however have some practical examples, for example in their CakePHP book it builds on a blog example. The CakePHP projects book by Apress however has had a bad wrap, so i think i will read that one later, when i know more about CakePHP. Anyways, if any of you have either of the three books let me know what you think about them! Or any CakePHP developers please hit me up with a comment!