MySQL & mSQL, Yarger, Reese & King

© September 1999 Tony Lawrence

Order (or just read more about) MySQL & mSQL

I can't say that I was entirely disappointed with this book, but neither am I entirely satisfied. It is a useful introduction to the free SQL's, but it is reminiscent of the old saw about Chinese food: an hour later, and I'm hungry again.

Not that there isn't a lot here; there is. If you know absolutely nothing about SQL databases when you pick this up, you'll actually know quite a bit when you finish it. I thought it was very good that it covered using these with Perl to make cgi scripts; that is, after all, the place where most people would use one of these. But I was just mildly disappointed that there weren't more examples.

SCO's Skunkware has both MySQL and mSQL, and compiled or source versions are available for just about any other OS, too. If you've been curious about these, or just want to play around, that and this book are the way to start.

Dirk Hart dhart@ultranet.com had a different opinion:

I am halfway through MySQL & mSQL and I think it's one of the best written computer books I've read in years. It's clear and concise with a plethora of 'program fragment' examples.

It's a favorite.

The book covers the basics (eg, 'What is a relational database', 'database design') but also includes much useful stuff such as Installing MySQL and comprisons against other database engines. Further it covers many ways you can use MySQL and mSQL in your CGI, Perl, Python, C and C++, PHP and Java programs.

We do note that the book is not entitled 'Using MySQL & mSQL' which may have prompted your comment re: lack of examples (although I find no such lack of examples.)

Finally it contains many handy reference pages, although one glaring ommission is an ASCII chart. After all, how can any reference section be truly complete without an ASCII chart.

In summary, I would charge well past your tepid endorsement, stopping at 'hot stuff', just shy of red-hot'.

Regards, Dirk

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