Beginning MySQL (Programmer to Programmer) [Paperback]

Robert Sheldon (Author), Geoff Moes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0764579509 | ISBN-13: 978-0764579509 | Edition: 1

• Provides programmers with a complete foundation in MySQL, the multi-user, multi-threaded SQL database server that easily stores, updates, and accesses information
• Offers detailed instructions for MySQL installation and configuration on either Windows or Linux
• Shows how to create a database, work with SQL, add and modify data, run queries, perform administrative tasks, and build database applications
• Demonstrates how to connect to a MySQL database from within PHP, Java, ASP, and ASP.NET applications
• Companion Web site includes SQL statements needed to create and populate a database plus three ready-to-use database applications (in PHP, Java, and ASP.NET)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Beginning MySQL

As the most popular open source database system in the world, MySQL boasts ease of implementation, minimal overhead, consistent reliability, and low total cost of ownership. This hands-on resource offers you a complete look at MySQL and explains how to implement MySQL and access MySQL with various programming languages.

Using a task-oriented approach along with numerous helpful examples, this book takes you through the steps necessary to install MySQL 4.1 on Linux and Windows platforms, create and manage MySQL databases, query and manipulate data, and administer the MySQL database management system. By the end of the book you'll have a solid foundation for understanding MySQL as a robust, flexible, and easy-to-implement application that has many diverse uses.

What you will learn from this book

• Where to find MySQL components on your system and what tools are available to access and manipulate data
• How to set up logging, manage security, optimize performance, and back up and restore your system
• Ways to insert, update, copy, import, export, and delete data
• How to access a MySQL database from within a specific programming language
• Effective methods for establishing a connection to a database and issuing SQL statements

Who this book is for

This book is for programmers who are new to MySQL but who have some experience in PHP, Java, or ASP/ASP.NET developing applications that access backend databases.

Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

About the Author

Robert Sheldon’s MySQL programming is rooted in ten years of experience working with SQL, as it is implemented not only in a MySQL environment, but also within SQL Server, Microsoft Access, and Oracle environments. He has programmed with SQL directly through database interfaces and script files and indirectly through PHP, JSP, ASP, and ASP.NET applications that connected to various databases and issued SQL statements. Robert has also managed the maintenance and development of Web sites and online tools, which has included performing project analysis, developing functional specifications, and managing database and Web development. He has designed and implemented various Microsoft Access, SQL Server, and MySQL databases, as well as developed and implemented a variety of Web-based solutions. In all these roles, he has had to perform numerous types of ad hoc queries and modifications, build databases, create and modify database objects, create and review embedded statements, and troubleshoot system- and data-related problems.
In addition to having a technical and SQL background, Robert has written or co-written nine books on various network and server technologies, including two that have focused on SQL Server design and implementation, one on SQL programming (based on the SQL:1999 standard), and one on Microsoft Office Access 2003. The books that Robert has written contain training material that is designed to teach users specific skills and to test their knowledge of the material covered. Having contracted as the senior developmental editor for the Microsoft certification team, he brought to these books his experience developing exam items that helped to focus readers on the skills necessary to perform specific tasks. Robert has also written and edited a variety of other documentation related to SQL databases and other computer technologies. He works as an independent technical consultant and writer in the Seattle area.

Geoff Moes is a software architect and developer who has designed and implemented databases in MySQL as well as having designed and implemented software systems in PHP, Java/J2EE, and ASP.NET that have utilized MySQL databases through various database connectivity interfaces. Geoff received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech and has worked in the software industry for 18 years. He specializes in software and database architecture and development as it relates to Webbased systems. He has worked with several database products in addition to MySQL, including SQL Server, DB2, and Oracle. He has also developed a variety of software applications that have connected to various databases using several different languages and platforms including Java J2EE/JDBC/EJB, C++/ODBC, and ASP.NET/ODBC/OLEDB.
Geoff’s publishing credits include “Passing Arrays Between Jscript and C++” (September 7, 2000, ASPToday.com, under WROX) and three articles published in Windows & .NET Magazine (online): “Common Internet Hacker Attacks” (December 1, 1998), “Remote Web Administration, Part 2” (November 1, 1998), and “Remote Web Administration, Part 1” (October 1, 1998). Geoff works as an independent software consultant in the Washington D.C. metro area. When he is not in front of the keyboard, he enjoys photography, mountain biking, hiking, and international travel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 864 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764579509
• ISBN-13: 978-0764579509
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #809,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great MYSQL book!, August 29, 2006

By 

Frank Stepanski (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning MySQL (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

MYSQL is an open-source standard DBMS now and is a great way (free) to get yourself started in learning about web design and how to create databases. This is a great book to use a starter guide to learning MYSQL or for people who have learned some MYSQL on their own and want a guide and/or resource for learning more intermediate topics.

The first thing the author goes into how to get/install/configure MYSQL whether it be on a Windows or UNIX environment. There are some differences between the two setups on the different OS so it's an important first chapter. The next chapter covers how to create a relational database while explaining good design with normalization, relationships (one to many, many to many, etc), understanding what a data model is, and showing some good database examples. Jumping into creating your tables before you understand design theory can be disastrous down the road when you realize you need to re-design your tables which can lead to hours of extra work.

Then of the meat of the book (Chapters 5 - 10) goes into explaining the SQL (Structured Query Language) in how to create a table, retrieve data, update, append and delete data. The author spends a good amount of time on the basics of SQL and shows some good examples. After the basics it shoes the MYSQL specific syntax more complex queries and uses working examples for each of them. The author does a great job of going through the syntax first then shows some examples and then goes through using the new syntax in a database project as well.

The rest of the book (Chapter 11 - 16) goes into administration tasks such as exporting and copying databases, managing transactions, setting up security and optimizing and performance issues. The final 3 chapters goes into using different web technologies (PHP, ASP.NET and Java) to interact with MYSQL databases and show data on a web page. A very nice change of pace that can prove helpful if you want to get into web development as well.

Overall this a great book on MYSQL that really explains the important topics with some great examples.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SELECT attention FROM readers WHERE viewing = "reviews";, March 17, 2011

By 

Larry Battle - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning MySQL (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

Overall, I love this book, because the authors build your knowledge of databases from the ground up.

Before I got my hands on this book, I knew only a limited amount about databases. Now, I understand advance concepts (like foreign keys, transactions and optimization) and can design, implement and maintain my own simple relational database management system.

This is a thick book that took me about 2 weeks to finish and it would have taken even longer if I decided to follow through with all the "Try it out" sections, exercises and useful examples.

"Beginning MySql" covers the majority of MySql 4.1 by using the definitions of syntax and options as their main teaching tool throughout most of the chapters. This makes MySql easy to learn since you can reference the definitions as a cheat sheet when you're implementing a database design.

One thing that I noticed is that they need more proofreading. Every now and then, you'll encounter a typo or wrong information but this is expected since the authors warned of this in the introduction.
Example, page 299: "However, bitwise operations support calculations up to 64 buts".

The best part of the book, is appendix C. It briefly covers MySql 5 but they introduce you to Triggers, Views and Procedures while updating you on MySql new standards. For exmaple, MySql 5 supports foreign keys for all the table engines, not just for INNODB.

If you're the type that has a hard time reading documentation online, then I would strongly recommend this book. Otherwise you might be able to learn MySql using Youtube and the MySql homepage.

Note: Since this book only covers MySql 4.1, then you'll need to checkout the on-line documentation for changes in the current MySQL.

3.0 out of 5 stars As you can see..., March 16, 2011

By 

bondibox - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning MySQL (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

I found this book to be very informative, and the authors quite knowledgeable. Stylistically, however, they have a tendency to spoon feed the reader. I have crossed out more than ONE HUNDRED instances of the phrase "as you can see." The use of meaningless redundancies is a crutch that becomes a distraction to the reader. I also think the book could have been better proofread as I've found many slips, like saying parenthesis when they mean single quotes. The term "STRAIGHT JOIN" is written with an underscore in *every* instance - "STRAIGHT_JOIN" is not valid mysql syntax.