Database Resources

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Which database resources will be most useful to you depends, obviously, upon which database management system (DBMS) you are using. The most common database used with PHP is MySQL, although PostgreSQL may be a close second and PHP supports most of the standard ones.

To learn more about using MySQL, begin with the official MySQL (http://www.mysql.com) Web site (Figure C.4). You can download the MySQL manual from there to use as a reference while you work. There are also a handful of books available specifically on MySQL ranging from the entry-level Sams'Teach Yourself MySQL in 21 Days by Mark Maslakowski and Tony Butcher to the more technical MySQL & mSQL written by Randy Jay Yarger, George Reese, and Tim King, published by O'Reilly.

Figure C.4. The MySQL Web site has most of the documentation you will need as well as the downloadable files of MySQL itself.

Information on using PostgreSQL databases can be gathered by first visiting their Web site (http://www.postgresql.org). One popular book about this database is PostgreSQL: Introduction and Concepts by Bruce Momjian.

You might also want to consider getting a general book on database design, such as Michael J. Hernandez's Database Design for Mere Mortals. While books such as this one will not go into the specifics of using MySQL or PostgreSQL, it will help you to better understand the underlying thinking behind creating and using databases. Since PHP can be used with many different databases, getting a broader sense of the topic can pay off in spades.

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