MySQL Cookbook - Paul Dubois

DuBois organizes his cookbook's recipes into sections on the problem, the solution stated simply, and the solution implemented in code and discussed. The implementation and discussion sections are the most valuable, as they contain the command sequences, code listings, and design explanations that can be transferred to outside projects. The main gripe readers will have about MySQL Cookbook is that the author, in his effort to cover the range of MySQL-friendly programming languages, uses different languages in his solutions to various problems. You'll see a Perl solution to one programming challenge (Perl, in fact, is the most frequently used language, followed by PHP), a Python fix for the next, and a Java sample after that. Readers have to hope that they find a solution in the language they're working with, or that they're able to transliterate the one DuBois has provided. It's usually not a big problem. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to make MySQL databases do your bidding--in terms of queries, table manipulation, data formatting, transactions, and Web interfaces--through the database server's command line interfaces and (more importantly) through the MySQL APIs of Perl, PHP, Java, and Python. Particularly excellent coverage deals with formatting dates and times, management of null values, string manipulation, and import/export techniques.

Book Description
While MySQL has turned up among high profile users such as Yahoo!, NASA and the U.S. Census Bureau, the rising popularity of this open source database is especially keen among users with little database experience. These days, even a small organization or web site has uses for a database, and MySQL is an obvious choice. Affordable and easy to use, MySQL packs the power, speed and efficiency that enable it to rival expensive, proprietary database solutions. Yet, even if you know the basics, anyone without practical MySQL experience--novices and skilled DBAs alike--might stumble over common database-related tasks. Fortunately, there's a sensible shortcut. MySQL Cookbook provides a unique problem-and-solution format that offers practical examples for everyday programming dilemmas. For every problem addressed in the book, there's a worked-out solution or "recipe"--short, focused pieces of code that you can insert directly into your applications. But MySQL Cookbook is more than a collection of cut-and-paste code. You also get explanations of how and why the code works, so you can learn to adapt the techniques to similar situations. The book covers a lot of ground. Solutions for typical MySQL dilemmas range from simple ways to find all records that contain a given string, to more difficult problems, such as finding matching/non-matching records in two tables. Whether you use MySQL on Unix, Linux, Windows or the Mac OS X platform, the book will show you how to:

• Import data from external sources
• Export data for use by external programs
• Access MySQL from your web server
• Use scripts with MySQL to read queries from a file
• Access MySQL from within client programs that use Perl, PHP, Java, Python and other languages
• Construct queries that solve commonly-occurring questions
• Interact with the server