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mysqldatabase
Konrad
Konrad

Reputation: 40947

Good MySQL primer / learning resources

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good 'best practices' documents for MySQL database construction? I've been coding for a number of years now and am familiar with some of the basics of MySQL (although most of my coding experience hasn't involved DB work) but I'd like to brush up on my knowledge.

It would be great if anyone can point me at any middle level documents which cover some of the basics I may have missed whilst at the same time aren’t afraid of showing 'the way it should be done' and, most importantly, why.

Thanks!

Upvotes: 4

Views: 1514

Answers (1)

Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson

Reputation: 8694

I'm like you: coding for a while, but no DB experience; and I had to learn MySQL on my own.

I could not find the book you're looking for, though I bought (quite) a few. I finally just dove in and started trying stuff.

See, MySQL can be so complex -- MySQL statements can have so many permutations -- that it was impossible to find just straightforward, cookbook-type examples in any book. But it's easy to get started with simple SELECT statements and moving into more capable, powerful statements on your own.

I could not have done it, though, without a whole bunch of help from the MySQL forum:

http://forums.mysql.com/

which has a subgroup made just for you and me:

http://forums.mysql.com/list.php?10 , or select "Newbies" from the main forum page.

These folks are tremendously helpful and patient: they were willing to lead me through some of the subtleties and the insanities inconsistencies of the MySQL docs.

The book that some describe as the "MySQL Bible" is Paul DuBois, MySQL (4th Edition) [Paperback], which is another 1200-page monster doorstop that I don't need. I don't recommend it at all: it's largely a rearrangement of the docs, it has no tutorial to speak of, and the index is incomplete and just plain wrong. I actually bought this book a year ago and got rid of it last month.

You'll be a lot better off, as I say, just trying stuff on your own.

I think that MySQL is comparable in complexity and power to the C language; and it takes just about as long -- two or three months, say -- to become self-sufficient and usefully competent.

Good luck! You will do just fine.

Upvotes: 2

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