MySQL Reference Manual: Documentation from the source

by Michael Widenius, David Axmark, MySQL AB

Overview

MySQL is the most popular SQL database in the open source community and is used almost universally by web sites running on open source systems. As powerful and flexible as it is lightweight and efficient, MySQL packs a large feature set into a very small and fast engine that now runs on more than 500,000 servers. This renowned online manual that has supported MySQL administrators and database developers for years is now available in paperback format. This book is an exact reproduction of the MySQL Reference Manual from the MySQL development team's Web site, minus some non-technical appendices. This version covers MySQL 4.0.

Many sophisticated topics appear in this comprehensive manual, ranging from the hitches you may run into when first installing MySQL to internals that will help you tune your queries. MySQL Reference Manual contains all the comprehensive reference material one would expect for building the product, running administrative utilities, and using various API as well as MySQL's rich version of SQL. In addition, you can turn a page and find such unexpected riches as:

• A thorough comparison of MySQL with SQL standards and other databases
• A discussion of privileges and suggested uses of privileges to enhance security
• Directions for replicating a database and for running several MySQL servers on a single system
• Directions for initializing a database from a flat file
• Guidelines for estimating the performance of different queries
• A far-reaching discussion of optimization, with reference to the implementation of MySQL
• Investigations of the differences between data types and the pros and cons of each type of number, string, or timestamp
• An extended inquiry into the effects of using delayed inserts
• A candid explanation of why various errors occur and how to recover from them
• Tips for weighted, full-text searches
• Detailed descriptions of the features, strengths, and weaknesses of available table formats
• A guide to adding new functions to MySQL

No serious MySQL user should be without this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596002657
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/01/2002
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	814
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 1.43(d)

About the Author

David Axmark, Co-founder: David Axmark is one of the founders of MySQL and worked with the product well before it had a name. He has worked as a consultant and software developer for nearly 20 years. Interested in free software since the early '80s, David has been committed to developing a successful business model through open source software.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• Chapter 1: General Information
• Chapter 2: MySQL Installation
• Chapter 3: Tutorial Introduction
• Chapter 4: Database Administration
• Chapter 5: MySQL Optimisation
• Chapter 6: MySQL Language Reference
• Chapter 7: MySQL Table Types
• Chapter 8: MySQL APIs
• Chapter 9: Extending MySQL
• Problems and Common Errors
• Contributed Programs
• Credits
• Porting to Other Systems
• Environment Variables
• MySQL Regular Expressions
• Colophon

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
With the highly anticipated release of MySQL 4.01 comes the official companion reference manual, direct from MySQL cofounder Michael (Monty) Widenius and the gang at MySQL AB. Whatever else you read about MySQL, this is the foundation resource you need first.

MySQL Reference Manual is nothing if not authoritative -- but unlike some “official” guides, it never sacrifices candor (or the developers’ strong viewpoints about transactions and other matters). You’ll find insider’s explanations of why MySQL errors occur and how to avoid and recover from them; as well as the best guidance available for optimizing performance (including insights into MySQL’s design limitations and trade-offs, and practical information for benchmarking).

The authors walk you through MySQL installation under Linux and Windows; basic database creation, connections, and queries; using MySQL with Apache; configuration; user accounts; and security (including using SSL to protect the mysqld server daemon process, not just traffic between browsers and servers). You’ll find detailed coverage of disaster prevention/recovery; replication; and MySQL’s library of administration tools and scripts. Along the way, the authors introduce each significant new feature, including bulk INSERTs; searching on packed indexes; creation of FULLTEXT indexes; row-level locking; the newly added UNION SQL statement; multi-table DELETEs; and more.

MySQL keeps getting more robust, more full-featured, and more flexible -- both from a technical and licensing standpoint. If you want to make the most of it, start right here. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

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