This book provides a complete application- and example-oriented introduction to the database system MySQL. No previous knowledge of SQL or database design is assumed.
MySQL is on the verge of repeating in the database market the success achieved by Linux in the operating system sector. In combination with PHP or Perl, MySQL is increasingly used as the database system for web sites. (A favorite combination is Linux + Apache + MySQL + Perl or PHP. Such systems are called “LAMP systems” for short.) MySQL is not just for small web sites; it is used by large firms with huge amounts of data, such as Yahoo!, Slashdot, and NASA.