> I'm looking for recommendations on literature which will give me ideas
> on best practices for design and implementation of web applications,
> with if possible, PHP as its core reference language.
>
> Syntax has never been the challenge for me, like for most, it's always
> been the most practical and intelligent way to break up an application
> and focus on how to putting it all together for reusability and
> maintaining the application.
>
> Anyhow, suggestions are appreciated.

Check out www.opensourcecms.org and look for the type of app you need for
suggestions of different prebuilt php projects.

http://www.opensourcecms.com/

I like the Harry Fuecks books on sitepoint, as well as the O'Reilly books.
Professional PHP5 from Wrox is pretty good, too.

For a general framework-style, I like seagull:

http://www.seagullproject.org

If you're going to be doing object-oriented programming techniques, keep in
mind PHP is quite a bit different from other languages (such as C#) in the
way it implements some details of objects, and that PHP4 and PHP5 are quite
significantly different versions, vis-a-vis objects and cl***es.

Good luck!

--
Jared Farrish
Intermediate Web Developer
Denton, Tx

Abraham Maslow: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see
every problem as a nail." $$