MySQL and mSQL [Paperback]

Tim King (Author), George Reese (Author), Randy Yarger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 normalization. Then it explains the history of the freeware mSQL and MySQL packages (which offer better performance than commercial relational database management system (RDBMS) packages, though 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 program 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 it includes clear examples (including a student database). The book then moves from Perl on to other programming languages--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

From Library Journal

Using a database is the ony way to assure that a web siteAeven a small web siteAwill scale as Internet traffic grows. MySQL & mSQL are two very popular databases for those small sites, first because they are comparatively easy to use and second because they are freeware designed for Linux and UNIX systems. Yarger's book is a great tutorial; covering both programs it is sure to be in demand in public and undergraduate libraries. It is not really appropriate for database beginners, but it will serve intermediate users and is an excellent technical guide for those who already know SQL but don't know MySQL & mSQL.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 502 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565924347
• ISBN-13: 978-1565924345
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,376,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MySQL & mSQL, January 12, 2000

By	E. G. Caldwell (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MySQL and mSQL (Paperback)

When I was considering purchasing this book, there were only three reviews available. One review thought the book worth the reviewer's trouble - the other two consigned it to the trash-can of history. So I closed my eyes, crossed my fingers (of my non-mouse hand) and clicked the Add-to-Shopping-Trolley button.

I'm glad I did. I now have a hard-copy, handy reference to MySQL and mSQL, that covers installation, setup and configuration of the software. It covers programming access to the two database engines, too, with overviews of the Perl::DBI and Python modules. Accessing data with PHP is given a brief look too. The documentation accompanying Perl, Python and PHP are the ultimate references, so I think it unreasonable to expect more than an overview focussing on any more than the the database engine interface.

I needed a small to medium database engine with a CGI interface and/or an SQL interface. MySQL and mSQL both seemed to fit the bill - but which one would be best for MY purposes? I hadn't had the time to visit their respective web-sites and read the on-line documentation. This book, if I guessed O'Reilly's intent correctly, and if my reading between the lines of the few reviews available was correct, would give me both the information I needed to choose between them,and the installation, setup and use coverage I would also need for the chosen engine in a handy reference form - I assume the chosen engine will come with more comprehensive information.

The book is exactly what I expected. It is written for the experienced (intermediate to advanced) system administrator/dba (data base administrator) enabling them to quickly install and set up a medium-sized database engine. The tools provided to administer the database server are also covered sufficiently for the experienced. If you expect to learn SQL, Database administration, database query programming and more, then you will be severely disappointed.

I give the book 4 stars. It may be worth more, but editorial and proof-reading errors (O'Reilly books used to be better) interrupt one's reading. The example code has occasional errors but then I didn't expect it to be gospel but rather an illustration of how-to. I was a little bemused at first by the switching back and forth between the two engines. As I read more, I came to appreciate the approach of treating MySQL and mSQL as one and highlighting the differences between them.

If you are a webmaster, have some programming experience, some dba experience and are at home in the L-Unix environment, then you will find the book useful.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed., February 26, 2000

By	Joseph Chiu (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: MySQL and mSQL (Paperback)

I was very disappointed with this book. So were two coworkers who have looked at it. This book is not up to the traditional O'Reilly quality. (In fact, I'm annoyed enough to say that Que should have published this book...)

Only about 30% of the book is useful material. Most examples and explanations are sketchy -- almost useless. If you already knew SQL, there's very little to learn from this book. If you didn't know SQL, this book does a poor job of teaching it to you.

If the book stuck strictly to mSQL and MySQL, it would have been about ~150 pages of content. The rest (about 300 pages) is a "reference manual" for various (PHP/Perl/Java JDBC/C/Python) languages' support for MySQL/mSQL. Again, if you didn't know the concepts already, you would have a hard time learning useful stuff from this book.

Still, I have to admit to using the book every so often as a handy "at-my-fingertips" reference book. For that, I am glad that I have it. But I don't think it was worth the price I paid.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was exactly what I wanted, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: MySQL and mSQL (Paperback)

I disagree with many of the reviews I've read here.

"MySQL & mSQL" was EXACTLY what I hoped and expected it to be: a detailed discussion of what was unique to just those two database products. If you need to learn SQL, normalization, schema design, query optimiziation, etc, go buy one of the dozens of books already out there -- they apply to MySQL as well as Sybase, Oracle, etc.

However, if you're like me and you already know SQL and relational database concepts, then all you really want to know is how MySQL/mSQL implement them and how you go about executing statements, running queries, and extracting results from your programming language of choice.

I needed to know: what datatypes MySQL supports; what RDBMS features it does/does not provide, and how to get at them; how the peculiar MySQL security system operates; and how to access MySQL from Perl and Java. It answered every one of my questions comprehensively and succinctly.

Exactly as it should have.