MySQL in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

How This Book Is Organized

This book is broken up into 14 chapters and 3 appendixes, as follows.

Part I, Introduction and Tutorials

Chapter 1, Introduction to MySQL, explains the major components of MySQL and useful guidelines for other information on MySQL.

Chapter 2, Installing MySQL, describes how to get MySQL running on common operating systems supported by MySQL AB. It is necessary to read this chapter only if your system does not already have MySQL installed.

Chapter 3, MySQL Basics, introduces SQL (Structured Query Language) and use of the mysql command-line interface. It’s not a replacement for learning SQL and relational database design, but it can be useful to orient you to MySQL.

Part II, SQL Statements and Functions

Chapter 4, Security and User Statements and Functions, covers SQL statements and functions related to the management of user accounts and security.

Chapter 5, Database and Table Schema Statements, lists, explains, and provides examples of SQL statements and functions related to the creating, altering, and dropping of databases, tables, indexes, and views.

Chapter 6, Data Manipulation Statements and Functions, covers any SQL statements and functions that involve the manipulation of data—inserting, updating, replacing, or deleting.

Chapter 7, Table and Server Administration Statements and Functions, includes details and examples related to SQL statements and functions that might be used in the administration of databases, tables, or the server.

Chapter 8, Replication Statements and Functions, includes SQL statements that strictly relate to replication. This chapter also includes a tutorial and an explanation of the replication process. It also explains the replication states to help in solving problems.

Chapter 9, Stored Routines Statements, covers statements specifically related to events, stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions.

Chapter 10, Aggregate Clauses, Aggregate Functions, and Subqueries, combines aggregate clauses (i.e., GROUP BY) and functions that basically are only used with an aggregate clause. It also includes a tutorial on subqueries as they can be used to aggregate data.

Chapter 11, String Functions, covers any functions that are related to the manipulation of strings of data.

Chapter 12, Date and Time Functions, covers date and time related functions.

Chapter 13, Mathematical Functions, explains and gives examples of strictly mathematical related functions.

Chapter 14, Flow Control Functions, covers flow control functions such as CASE and IF.

Part III, MySQL Server and Client Tools

Chapter 15, MySQL Server and Client, covers the mysqld daemon and the mysql client and their options. It also explains scripts used to start the server (e.g., mysqld_safe).

Chapter 16, Command-Line Utilities, describes the utilities that can be used to administer the MySQL server and data. It also includes utilities such as mysqldump used for data backups.

Part IV, MySQL API

Chapter 17, C API, covers the functions provided by MySQL’s basic C library.

Chapter 18, Perl API, presents the Perl DBI module, used to access MySQL databases from the programming language Perl.

Chapter 19, PHP API, presents the PHP functions used to query and manipulate MySQL databases.

Appendixes

Appendix A lists all the data types supported by MySQL.

Appendix B lists all MySQL operators, such as arithmetic signs and the LIKE and IS NULL comparison operators.

Appendix C lists the operating system’s environment variables consulted by the MySQL server, client, and other utilities.