To those who have not developed the skill, computer programming can seem like a kind of magic. If programming is magic, then web scraping is wizardry; that is, the application of magic for particularly impressive and useful—yet surprisingly effortless —feats. In fact, in my years as a software engineer, I’ve found that very few programming practices capture the excitement of both programmers and laymen alike quite like web scraping.

This book uses practical examples and step-by-step instructions to guide you through the basic techniques required for web scraping with PHP.