Beginning MySQL Database Design and Optimization: From Novice to Professional

I liked the book! It was on my taste like almost all of the apress books that i own. :D I would recommend it!

The first three chapters of this book deal with the basics of MySQL including basic concepts, column and table types, keys, indexes, and normalization. The authors have written an excellent introduction to MySQL that provides all the core information you need to start using it right away. The chapter on finding the bottlenecks is one of the best sections in the book and details some of the finer points to be considered when creating your database. On the other hand, the part on optimizing queries is excellent for the beginning MySQL student (which is the target audience for this book) but not as good as it could be for the more experienced MySQL user. Perhaps I am just more sensitive to this area because of all the badly done queries I have had to deal with before. A good understanding of just this part can make a tremendous difference in optimization. If you are new to SQL queries the authors have done a great job of explaining why this is important and how to understand it when a query takes under a minute to run and then after a small change takes twenty. The last section covers accessing the MySQL database via other programming languages such as PHP. Beginning MySQL Database Design and Optimization is a recommended read for its target audience - the beginning MySQL programmer.

If you already know the basics of MySQL, then this book can be a nifty boost to your productivity. The authors plow straight into giving good tips for better table design. For example, the first chapter covers MySQL basics. But it furnishes very understandable advice. Like never using spaces in identifier names. While MySQL permits this, it greatly increases chances of logic errors. Later in the book are far more complicated tips. Crucially, on how to optimise complex queries. While SQL notation is standard across vendors, each database has different ways to best phrase queries. So since you have committed to using MySQL, it helps to know what are best here. The authors also instruct in how to hook up to external languages like PHP, Perl and Python. (What is it about all these languages that start with P?) Each has its adherents and is quite popular. So they try to give coverage of the combinations with MySQL.

I was hoping that there would be more about designing databases. Though I was pleasantly surprised at the solid introduction to MySQL that the book gives. In fact it spends the first two thirds of the book on the basics, before getting into optimization and finally programming. The design aspect of the book is in the third chapter, which is one of the books best. There is some good high level material on the fundamentals of schema design, and then material on relation mapping, and then into it's implementation in MySQL. There is a lot to like in this book. And I like the fact that someone is finally giving some attention to MySQL, which, if it's not the most advanced database in the world, is probably the most ubiquitous. This is a fine book for anyone who works with MySQL.

I had the pleasure of doing the technical review for this book, and I found it to be a great resource for those who have already had their first taste of MySQL and are looking to improve the design and performance of their databases. There is good coverage of normalization and advanced MySQL features, and the information contained within is great for those looking to advance their existing knowledge. The book may have the word Novice in the title, but you should have some knowledge of the basics of SQL and MySQL before using this book. If you know how to perform basic queries but want to ensure that your database is well designed look here. There is good discussion of INDEXing, and using SQL more effectively in order to take work away from client applications and put it in the database where it belongs. The book is a good read and is not a rehash of the manual. The authors have a nice writing style that makes it easy to understand the concepts presented.