MySQL & mSQL
MySQL & mSQL by George Reese, Randy Yarger and Tim King
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Number of Pages:
- 502
- ISBN:
- 1565924347
- Product Group:
- book
- Publisher:
- O'Reilly Media
- Publication Date:
- July 1, 1999
- BooksForGeeks.com ID:
- 1522
MySQL and mSQL provides the essentials to programming with these two popular Unix freeware database packages in C/C++, Perl, Python and Java. The book begins with a fine introduction to databases that covers tables, fields, indexes and normalisation. Then it explains the history of the freeware MySQL and mSQL packages which offer better performance than commercial relational database management system (RDBMS) packages although they don't support transactions or other features. Next the authors look at SQL as used within MySQL and mSQL and clarify where to download these packages and how to install them. Examples of how to programme with MySQL/mSQL in C/C++ follow.
One of the best parts of this book is its introduction to using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and Perl to power a Web site with a MySQL/mSQL database. This section offers complete information on using mSQL Perl--and the emerging Database Independent (DBI) standard--for developing CGI database scripts in Perl and includes clear examples (including a student database). The book then moves from Perl on to other programming languages such as Python and Java. Reference material to all the relevant APIs is featured for each language.
Whatever programming API you choose MySQL and mSQL are ready to meet the needs of the small- to moderate-size Web site. This book delivers essential information on these packages and will help both Web masters and programmers get the most out of these powerful freeware database tools. -- Richard Dragan
Reviews for MySQL & mSQL
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God intro, not too heavy, lots of example code.
Rated out of 5 stars, June 12th, 2003
I bought this book when I was at college just over two years ago. I did my final year project in php and mysql and this book was a great help.If you're new to MySQL than this is a great book, it has lots of example code in PHP, perl, python, java, C and more and guides you through the basics.
I still find myself referring back to its mysql function list from time to time.
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Dont buy it
Rated out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2002
I bought this book mainly becuase I dont like reding off a computer screen and I thought it may infact get me up and running far quicker. Being a windows user I found the coverage very meagre and the focus seemed more on programming while using MySql than on administering it. Eventually in frustration I returned to the WEB. The documentation at is excellent. It really is worth burning a few Rods and cones for as it is quite comprehensive and far more extensive than the book. Whats more it will always be up to date.If you need to learn JDBC go to the Sun tutorial site. Whether the Perl and C++ programming chapters are worthwhile I cannot say as I dont use those languages.
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Scizophrenic, incomplete, unhelpful
Rated out of 5 stars, August 12th, 2001
Awful! Get something else. This book is very frustrating, especially if you're trying to get an application going - theres very little in the way of "start here, go here, do this...., this is why you do this", etc. In fact I can't quite see what this book does offer. Attempting to cover 2 DBMS was just a _bad_ idea. Save your money and get the New Riders book. -
Thorough and readable
Rated out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2001
Covers two DBMSes for the price of one! This could actually be the only reference required for all your database needs as it covers installation (and maybe building from source) administration, SQL and all manner of APIs to the DBMSes (for Perl, Python, C/C++, Java, PHP). Complaints? Not many - it needs updating as some of the information is now out of date, I can't see the point in covering mSQL as it is way behind MySQL in terms of features and sometimes the book strays beyond its remit. Overall, though, very good. -
Dreadful. Get the New Riders book by Paul DuBois instead.
Rated out of 5 stars, December 12th, 2000
Don't think this is the equivalent of the camel book for Perl, or the Flanagan book for Javascript, or other O'Reilly bibles. It isn't.It is littered with errors which should have been caught at the proofing stage, and imply that the code has not been thoroughly run - I found two errors just this morning, neither of which was in the online errata. The book is mostly a collection of vague api specifications that are available (and more up to date) online. Typically the description gives you little more than the arguments and a paraphrasing of an obvious action of the routine, with zero comment on exception conditions or possible difficulties. Treatment of performance issues, locking, error-handling etc. is negligible, and there are far better books on general database design issues for web-sites.
This book is poor for all levels of user.