By Russell Dyer
First Edition
May 2005
Pages: 348
Series: In a Nutshell
ISBN 10: 0-596-00789-2 |
ISBN 13: 9780596007898
(Average of 2 Customer Reviews)
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MySQL in a Nutshell covers all MySQL functions, as well as MySQL administration, and listings for the most important language APIs available to programmers. This wealth of information is packed into the concise, comprehensive, and extraordinarily easy-to-use format for which the in a Nutshell guides are renowned. It clearly documents every detail you need to master MySQL.
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Book details
First Edition: May 2005
Series:
In a Nutshell
ISBN: 0-596-00789-2
Pages: 348
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 2 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
USA Linux Users Group Book Review, June 09 2006
MySQL in a Nutshell is for those new to mysql and also useful for those that are experienced with this database. As with most of the Nutshell books, this book is more of a complete reference for commands. Not really designed to be read cover to cover, it does provide an excellent reference for anyone that deals with the popular mysql database. The excellent examples and detailed explanations for SQL statements and the many functions make this a must have book for those just starting out, and a handy reference for those that have been using mysql for years.
The first chapter is the obligatory introduction to mysql and it's history, the second chapter deals with installing mysql and some notes on installation for various distributions and operating systems. Chapter 3 gets into the meat of the book though, named simply "MySQL Basics" this is one of the best chapters in my opinion. It gets to the heart of things. Finding people skipping to this chapter wouldn't suprise me. This is where you find the information needed to start mysql, create databases, create tables, insert data, select data, and much more. One of the few things I would have changed in this book, is to make this section even LONGER than it is, and perhaps split it up even more. Chapter 3 is the last chapter that is "just readable" for readings sake, the following chapters are more for reference than for reading.
The rest of the chapters are as I stated, more for reference than reading. All of the examples are very detailed and have clear explanations for those commands that require it. Many of the SQL statement examples in chapter 4 are a full page and detailed with examples. The chapters on the various functions are detailed in the same way and are written in a clear, easy to understand fashion. Appendix A details the datatypes available and Appendix B details the different types of operators, Appendix C shows the many enviroment variables.
Even though I would have liked to see Chapter 3 even larger or even better, split up, the book does a great job of showing you examples and it does supply you with enough information to get started, even if your new to mysql. Concise and too the point, it's everything you've come to expect from a "Nutshell" book and more. It's yet another of my "must have" books. If you deal with mysql, you'll find this one of the books that doesn't just sit on the bookshelf collecting dust.
Original Review at:
http://www.usalug.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=81765
Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut...shell, June 03 2005
I have a few ‘Nutshell’ books in my library, and have found them to be a source I refer to time and time again. So, when I saw that O’Reilly had released a ‘Nutshell’ book on MySQL, I headed on over to my local bookstore and spent some time in a high-back chair perusing it’s pages.
Don’t let the size of the book fool you. The information it contains is well laid out into identifiable topics for easy reference. Since I have acquired this book, I have been able to find desired functions, statements and utilities more easily than before.
Lately, I am spending a considerable amount of my time tuning and optimizing SQL queries that appear throughout a large PHP application I am designing. I initially wrote the queries months ago, but with my newfound reference in hand, I have been able to significantly reduce the amount of execution time each query takes. One of the book’s pleasant surprises was the section regarding flow control functions, which lets me take my SQL query functionality far beyond where it ever has been.
The book also includes chapters on PERL, PHP and C APIs, which prove to be very readable. This little powerhouse packs a punch. I definitely recommend “MySQL in a Nutshell, A Desktop Quick Reference by Russell J.T. Dyer” to anyone developing applications that interface with MySQL, or to anyone who wants to get to know MySQL better.
For more information, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mysqlian/
-Brett Berry
PERL/PHP/JavaScript/MySQL
http://www.BrettBerry.com
O'Reilly Staff Pick - February 2006
This quick reference has solved many problems-- shaving an hour debugging into a quick look up. Just the other day, we couldn't figure out why the group_concat() function was failing. Twenty seconds after we picked up MySQL in a Nutshell, we knew it was due to a version difference.
-- Jonathan Wellons, Software Developer, Online Production Group
Media reviews
"...the book does a great job of showing you examples and it does supply you with enough information to get started, even if your new to MySQL. Concise and too the point, it's everything you've come to expect from a "Nutshell" book and more. It's yet another of my "must have" books. If you deal with MySQL, you'll find this one of the books that doesn't just sit on the bookshelf collecting dust."
-- Dave Crouse, USA Linux User Group
"It's a convenient add-on pod for your overworked brain, containing all that fiddly information that you almostrecall by heart: administrative details; idiosyncrasies in the SQL dialect; and APIs in Perl, PHP, and C. Throughout the book are concrete examples specific to MySQL."
-- Rick Wayne, Software Development Magazine
"[The book includes] a superbly organized section on all the MySQL functions that are somewhere in the Canterbury Tales that is the MySQL User Manual but here organized by String, Date and Time, Math and then Flow Control functions. This is ninety pages just packed with useful tips, examples, and advisories. This really unlocks MySQL for me."
-- Jacques Surveyer, The Open Sourcery
"It's probably safe to say that the purpose of most Nutshell books is to provide a reference you can pull from the shelf and look up the syntax for an arcane command when needed. To say that this book fulfills that function, however, is to tell only part of the story. Not only does it offer a quick reference to MySQL statements and functions, but it also covers such topics as installation (on various platforms including Unix, Linux, NetWare, Windows, and Macintosh OS X), and the basics... The author is a Perl programmer/MySQL developer, and his mastery of the material shines through. As you read through the book, and this chapter in particular, you immediately realize that this is an author who could easily spout correct syntax in his sleep without missing a breath... there are many books on MySQL filling the bookshelves, but one that you must buy in order to have the necessary documentation for MySQL is MySQL in a Nutshell."
--Emmett Dulaney, Unix Review, July 2005
"It is a very comprehensive text that reads as easily as a favorite novel yet is concise enough to be your first 'go-to' on MySQL issues you may face day-in and day-out. It is truly the 'most advanced kingfisher' (cover animal) on the topic and, like the Pied kingfisher, it is lightweight and demonstrates keenly honed survival skills. I use MySQL daily and I find it very useful and enjoyable. I don't want to become an SQL guru or even a DBA, as a programmer, I enjoy having MySQL In A Nutshell close at hand so that I can focus on writing code. Thank you Mr. Dyer (and the folks at O'Reilly) for a job well done!"
-Rob Wehrli, Amazon.com review, January 2006
"At only just over 300 pages, this depth of detail is possible by keeping examples to the point: you don’t get waffle, you don’t get excess code blocks and you certainly don’t get picture after gratuitous picture to demonstrate a single point…We’ve waited too long for a MySQL in a Nutshell book, and this book satisfies completely."
--Paul Hudson, Linux Format, July 2005
"The book starts much like any other book on any one of dozens of titles on a wide variety of products. Introduction, How to Install, Basics. It's not until we get to chapter 4, "SQL Statements" that the fun and value of this book begins in earnest. A word of warning: This is not an SQL primer book. You are required to know and understand SQL already, but as an SQL reference in line with the nutshell ethos, this chapter is brilliant! All the commands are clearly laid out, with all the options and even useful examples! One example of this clarity is with the "ALTER TABLE" command. The explanations cover about 4 pages and with several examples covering the major types of table alterations via this command. Lovely!"
--Steve McInerney, Groklaw, July 2005
"MySQL In A Nutshell starts off with a (very) brief introduction (I like that too), plus a short installation guide and tutorial. Then it gets right into the meat of things with the SQL reference. Next it covers functions for strings, date/time, flow control, etc. I must admit that I often use the online reference for many of these things. However, one nice thing I noticed about the book is that the SQL and function references were much more in-depth than the documentation available on mysql.com, which is sometimes a bit terse."
--Andrew Brosnan, WhiteMountain Perl Mongers, July 2005
"...if you program with/for MySQL databases, then I do recommend this book as an excellent reference guide into all things programmy about MySQL. It certainly won't be spending a lot of time of my shelves gathering dust!"
--Steve McInerney, Groklaw, July 2005
"Don’t let the size of the book fool you. The information it contains is well laid out into identifiable topics for easy reference. Since I have acquired this book, I have been able to find desired functions, statements and utilities more easily than before... this little powerhouse packs a punch. I definitely recommend MySQL in a Nutshell, A Desktop Quick Reference by Russell J.T. Dyer to anyone developing applications that interface with MySQL, or to anyone who wants to get to know MySQL better."
--Brett Berry, Phoenix MySQL User Group, June 2005
"Another great 'Nutshell' book by O'Reilly for the quick desktop reference series. Starting off with a brief overview of MySQL with references to mailing lists, the packages involved and several other important aspects to consider when dealing with database software, it then goes into quick details of installation procedures. It's quick and to the point approach to me gives it a quick thumbs up as it doesn't go into too many details but outlines the basic processes with enough detail that even those that aren't familiar with MySQL installations could easily follow... This is a desktop reference book, a book to keep on your side when you don't have time to search online for the answers and from what I've read, it should help me in the time in need. It will definitely be a book I keep by my side."
--"trickykid," LinuxQuestions.org, May 2005
"With MySQL in a Nutshell, Dyer has provided the perfect desk reference for this powerful DB engine... The need that Dyer's book answers is the midnight-oil-burning, 'how the heck do I analyze tables again? And are they delineated with commas or semicolons?' kind of question. You know the ones I mean; if you answer right, you get to go home and sleep with your spouse for a few hours—but answer wrong, and you'll still be sweating over the database when the day shift arrives... If you use MySQL, this reference will be invaluable."
--DrPat, Blogcritics.org, May 2005
"...if you like book documentation--and 'Nutshell' books in particular--then you will like this book. I happen to think it is a good idea to tear yourself away from the keyboard/screen every once in awhile, and the 'Nutshell' books give you a good reason for doing so. I'm not a SQL expert, so I liked the tutorial-flavored introductions at the beginning of each chapter, followed by the conversational tone of the clear and concise examples. I did not have this book when I first started programming using MySQL, and that's too bad because it could have saved me a lot of wasted time with its explanations of some of the more nefarious 'gotchas' of the language.
--Larry Hannay, Amazon.com, May 2005
"Well the book certainly seems to cover MySQL's features quite comprehensively. But, as it is a reference manual, it does not attempt to teach you MySQL or the theory of relational databases. For a given MySQL command, the book's explanation is succinct and useful."
--Wes Boudville, Amazon.com, May 2005
