SQL for MySQL Developers: A Comprehensive Tutorial and Reference

Chapter 4. SQL in a Nutshell

4.1 Introduction

This chapter uses examples to illustrate the capabilities of the database language SQL. We discuss most SQL statements briefly; other chapters describe the details and all the features. The purpose of this chapter is to give you a feeling of what SQL looks like and what this book covers.

The first sections also explain how to create the sample database. Be sure to execute the statements from these sections because almost all the examples and exercises in the rest of this book are based upon this database.

4.2 Logging On to the MySQL Database Server

To do anything with SQL (this applies to creating the sample database as well), you must log on to the MySQL database server. MySQL requires that applications ...