The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Programming Perl and MySQL - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
The Perl CD Bookshelf
O'Reilly's CD Bookshelf series is a great innovation, bringing together over
3,500 pages that can be searched as a single corpus and viewed with a Web
browser. The CD contains the text of, usually, six titles; the print version of
one (usually the relevant Nutshell title) is also included in the package. As
well as a master index that covers all the included titles, each one has its own
index. The CDs are created in ISO 9660 format, and should be readable over all
platforms; the files are in HTML and search features are improved with each
version. In this instance a Java-based search engine, QuestAgent Pro, has been
included.
The content of Version 4 of The Perl CD Bookshelf has changed from that of
earlier versions; some titles previously included have been dropped and replaced
by others. In total there are over 3,800 pages of text. Version 4 of The Perl CD
Bookshelf contains: Perl in a Nutshell 4/e; Learning Perl 3/e;
Programming Perl
3/e; Perl Cookbook 2/e; Learning Perl Objects, References, and Modules; and
Mastering Regular Expressions 2/e. The changes - especially the inclusion of
Mastering Regular Expressions - make for a better-balanced 'library'.
A departure from the normal format is that the Regular Expressions title is in PDF format and its contents are not included in the master index. Another,
welcome, change is the inclusion of popular Perl-related articles from the
O'Reilly Network.
For anyone who uses Perl on a regular basis, the convenience of having such an
online reference is well worth the cost. Consultants who have to carry reference
material about with them should find this, and other CD reference libraries in
the series, a boon.
|
The Perl CD Bookshelf Version 4.0 ISBN 0-596-00622-5 Published by O'Reilly, CD + paperback copy of Perl in a Nutshell 2/3, RRP $199.00 incl. GST |
 |
MySQL
If you have a need for a real relational database management system (RDBMS), and
would like something in the no-to-low cost range, MySQL is "an SQL (Structured
Query Language) client/server . [RDBMS]. originating from Scandinavia . includes
an SQL server, client programs fo accessing the server, adminisrative tools, and
a programming interface for writing your own programs". MySQL is an Open Source
project; it is fast (performance comparisons can be found at
http://www.mysql.com/benchmark.html);
in comparison to larger systems it is easy to use; it enables multiple client
connections at the same time; it is portable (runs on Unix/Linux, OS/2, MacOSX,
and Windows); it provides encrypted connections; and users don't need to be
programmers. As with most Open Source programs, MySQL has a community of
supporters that encompasses developers and non-developers whose experience and
expertise is available on a free mailing list.
MySQL carries the sub-title, "The definitive guide to using, programming, and
administering My SQL 4", which it deserves. Readers are expected to know
something about relational database management systems in general and the
structured query language (SQL) in particular, but they are not expected to be
experts or to have any special technical knowledge.
The first part of the book introduces MySQL, catering to the complete newcomer
and those readers who "already know some SQL". It is not a cursory introduction
that glosses over detail, but presents a tutorial that should provide readers
with a firm grounding in "basic MySQL and SQL concepts". The four chapters in
this section make up about a quarter of the total content.
The second part deals with programming, beginning with an introductory chapter
and then dealing with APIs for C, Perl and PHP. The third part covers
administration issues. There are nine appendices that contain detailed reference
information, such as an SQL syntax reference, and a MySQL programming reference.
An impressively comprehensive guide to MySQL that will serve new through to
experienced users. Exceptionally well written, it has undergone careful
technical editing and a rigorous peer-review process.
Anyone approaching serious database management for the first time should find
this an excellent introduction and guide. It is also a valuable resource for
anyone who wants to assess MySQL, especially in the context of its many
implementation options.
|
Paul Dubois: MySQL 2/e ISBN0-7357-1212-3 Published by SAMS, 1219 pp., RRP $105.95 incl. GST |
 |
Reprinted from the July 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
