Author: Paul DuBois

Format: Paperback: 948 pages

Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 2nd edition (November 27, 2006)

ISBN-10: 059652708X

ISBN-13: 978-0596527082



Review by James Pyles

February 5, 2007



I had reviewed O'Reilly's Learning MySQL by Tahaghoghi and Williams for Linux Magazine (published in Europe and known in the U.S. and Canada as Linux Pro Magazine) and was pondering the difference between 'Learning' MySQL and having a 'Cookbook' on the same subject by the same publisher. I suppose it's the difference between learning the basic principles of cooking vs. vastly deepening your repertoire of cooking styles and recipes. To quote from the Linux Magazine review of Learning MySQL, 'The book is primarily written for readers who "don't know much about deploying and using an actual database-management system...".' To quote from the Introduction of MySQL Cookbook, 'This book should be useful for anybody who uses MySQL...The book should appeal to people who do not now use MySQL but would like to'.



Seems a little confusing to me. I'd have guessed that Learning MySQL would be for people wanting the basic nuts and bolts knowledge of MySQL and MySQL Cookbook would be for someone familiar with this database technology and wanting to deepen their knowledge. After all, a 'cookbook' is a collection of recipes for someone who already knows how to boil water and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but who may need some help cooking a roast turkey with all the trimmings (don't look at me, I prefer to barbecue).



To get some perspective, I visited the companion website, www.kitebird.com/mysql-cookbook. DuBois has a very straightforward site with links for Table of contents, Examples, Downloads, Errata, and Reviews. There was almost no formatting to the table of contents and I'd have gone blind if I'd tried to read the whole thing. Don't believe me? Here's a sample...



Preface



Chapter 1: Using the mysql Client Program

Introduction

Setting Up a MySQL User Account

Creating a Database and a Sample Table

Starting and Stopping mysql

Specifying Connection Parameters by Using Option Files

Protecting Option Files from Other Users

Mixing Command-Line and Option File Parameters

What to Do if mysql Cannot Be Found

Issuing SQL Statements



Anyway...you get the idea.



I was surprised at the number of reviews listed on the Reviews page...particularly for a book published less than three months ago. Then I realized that most if not all of them were for the first edition. In fact some of the links, such as the one for the review at Bookpool were broken. The downloads and examples pages seemed to have received greater care, though so the site is worth visiting.



You can read this tome from cover to cover but it is more valuable to the database administrator the same way a cookbook is to a chef...as a reference. While I don't doubt that you could learn MySQL and database basics from the DuBois book (it certainly is detailed enough), I think it would be like giving a twelve course banquet to a cocker spaniel puppy...it might look like a tempting meal, but too much to swallow in one setting. I know in my case, I'd be less intimidated by the thinner (618 pages) Learning MySQL and would prefer to start out with lighter fare before tackling the MySQL Cookbook's 'full meal deal' (good thing I've already had lunch, otherwise I'd start to get hungry).



Paul DuBois' MySQL Cookbook 2nd Edition is every bit as complete and comprehensive an achievement as its predecessor. While I wouldn't recommend it if you are just starting to learn to work with databases, I would say that it is the second MySQL book to buy after Learning MySQL. Once you've learned to make hamburgers and hotdogs without blowing up the kitchen, you'll need the 'cookbook' to really whip up some first class meals.

Title: MySQL Cookbook
Category: Databases
Sub-Category: Database Books
Author: James Pyles
Added: February 5th 2007
Viewed: 5418 Times
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