Database transactions are important for data reliability and consistency. Used properly, they can prevent many types of errors. Used improperly, they can cause many other kinds of errors. Kimberlee Jensen demonstrates using transactions with PHP well.
This article will give you the capabilities to handle errors in an elegant manner without diverging too much from your lazy ways. We will look at how to handle PHP script errors, as well as passing around your own errors with the PEAR module: PEAR_Error.
Article by Sharon Machlis in ComputerWorld. Explainer on the PHP scripting language and what IT managers should know about it. Includes an interview with PHP creator Rasmus Lerdorf and links to other Web resources.