Critical Skill 1.7 Know Your Resources

The main sources for information regarding MySQL are available through the company web site at www.mysql.com. As you have seen, the company maintains a worldwide network of mirror sites for users not located near the company headquarters in Sweden. The site also offers company profiles, product listings, and information about various support and training services, as well as extensive documentation in a variety of forms. You can access most of this information via the tabs at the top of the MySQL home page.

When you click a tab, the subtopics of each tab topic appear in the stripe immediately below the chosen tab. While there is both useful and interesting information on all the tabs, clearly two of them ”Downloads and Documentation ”will be your most visited destinations. MySQL subtlety acknowledges this by choosing a darker color for those two tabs to make them easy to locate.

Downloads

The Downloads tab of the MySQL web site, as you have seen, contains a general overview page listing all the offered downloads and a page listing the worldwide mirror network. It works best to choose the download you are interested in, and then choose the closest mirror.

Aside from the MySQL database and the MaxDB (a supplementary database targeting large enterprise environments), several other items are offered:

• Graphical client interfaces

• APIs, both official (for C, Java and C++) and contributed (from Perl, Ruby, Python, .NET, and Ch)

• MySQL logos (with an explanation of when you can and can t post one on your web site without permission)

There are related downloads for Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, SCO, Win32, NT, and OS/2, which you can explore, if your interests lead to any of those areas.

The final entries on the Downloads page are Contributed Software, Certified Hardware, and Certified Hosting. The Contributed Software downloads are applications and/or APIs developed by other companies to work in conjunction with MySQL. The Certified Hardware and Certified Hosting links feature companies that have entered into agreements with MySQL and have been certified to operate at certain predetermined levels or within predetermined agreements.

This page is arranged so that it can be searched by category or by keyword. The products listed on this page are described and have links to the sites where they can be obtained. Anyone can propose to add a link to these pages if they are registered with MySQL, but MySQL reviews the submissions before they are added to the site.

The More Information and Read Comments links lead to pages on the MySQL site. The Site or Publisher s Site links take you to where you can obtain the product and get information about cost or availability of trial versions.

Documentation

Now that you have MySQL installed, the Documentation tab on the MySQL web site, may prove useful. It contains links for the MySQL Reference Manual in several downloadable and online formats, mailing lists, articles, presentations, benchmarks, feature comparisons, and a searchable list of other MySQL-related sites.

The MySQL Reference Manual

The MySQL Reference Manual comes in two forms of PDF files (US Letter and A4). There is also a link to a softcover book, which can be purchased if you don t like the idea of printing out the 1,029-page PDF. For most beginning users, however, the style of writing and the depth of information provided in the manual can be intimidating. There are many assumptions about the reader s level of experience, which is why a beginner s guide such as this one is the easiest way to develop the experience required to make the advanced information accessible.

As the beginning MySQL user progresses in knowledge and experience to more advanced levels, the most useful part of the documentation may be the online searchable manual with user s comments, available at http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/index.html. The list of section topics on the left will expand to show the subtopics for easy navigating once you ve gone through the initial pages. The search box in the upper-left corner allows for keyword searches and returns all instances within the manual. For a reminder, clarification , or brief explanation of an advanced command syntax or concept, this is undoubtedly the quickest way to find what you are looking for (providing you already have an understanding of the item in question and are simply looking for the details without explanation that manuals typically supply).

The last two indexes in the manual are the SQL Command, Type, and Function index and the Concept index. These indexes are worth putting in your browser bookmarks for the inevitable syntax reminder and concept clarification, as your experience with MySQL continues to progress.

The Mailing Lists

The mailing lists (http://lists.mysql.com/) are a way to obtain advice from other MySQL users. There are lists for general information, beginners , programmers, and application-specific questions. Lists can be a valued resource. Most members are genuinely helpful. Furthermore, the worldwide nature of the MySQL user base means that when you are trying to find an answer to a question, someone else is probably also online and may be able either to answer you or point you in the right direction.

MySQL recommends that all MySQL users join the Announcements list, which keeps you up-to-date on new releases and related products and services. It is not a high-volume list and is probably the best way to stay abreast of the improvements and innovations available with each new version.

Even if you have subscribed to a list before (and definitely if you haven t), read through the Frequently Asked Questions page at http://lists.mysql.com/faq.php in order to learn the eccentricities and etiquette of these lists. Realize that MySQL AB does not moderate these mailing lists and has no control over the quality of content or service.

Support & Consulting

Another resource from MySQL (and certainly the last resort for most noncommercial users) is available from the Support & Consulting tab of the MySQL web site. For the home user, it may be cost-prohibitive. For the commercial user, the situations and demands of your individual company s requirements will dictate which of the many levels of support available from MySQL you need and/or can afford.

Company

The Company tab of the MySQL web site lists MySQL partners who provide more in-depth support, consulting, and training in various locations around the world. You might be interested in this information if your MySQL usage becomes sophisticated enough to require professional-level training.