A.1 Download and Install MySQL

The MySQL database management system is one of the most popular open source database management systems. That popularity stems from the fact that MySQL is free, fast, and reliable. You can read more about MySQL at the following URL:

http://www.mysql.com

The database examples in this book were tested with MySQL version 3.23.49 on Windows XP, and the instructions in this appendix pertain to that operating system. MySQL runs on many other operating systems, including Windows 95/98/2000/NT, Linux, Solaris, Mac OS, and OS/2. If you are using an operating system other than Windows XP, you can use this appendix as a guide and consult http://www.mysql.com for instructions specific to your operating system.

You can download MySQL at the following URL:

http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql-3.23.html

When you access the preceding URL, you should see a Web page like the one shown in Figure A-1. Scroll down that page to find download areas for the operating systems supported by MySQL.

Figure A-1. The MySQL Download Page

For Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP, you will download a ZIP file; for MySQL version 3.23.49, that ZIP file is named mysql-3.23.49-win.zip . After you download the ZIP file, you should create a directory ” C:\mysql works best ”and unzip the ZIP file in that directory. ^[2] When you are done, you should have a directory with the files shown in Figure A-2.

^[2] You can use the Java jar command to unzip the MySQL ZIP file, like this: jar xvf mysql-3.23.49-win.zip . If you install MySQL in a directory other than C:\mysql , you will have extra work to do ”see the MySQL installation documentation.

Figure A-2. The MySQL Directory and Its Contents

Next , you need to run the MySQL setup program; the icon for that program is circled in Figure A-2. That setup program will launch InstallShield to install MySQL. Installation is easy; just follow the instructions in the install wizard. After installation, the install wizard may ask you to reboot your computer.

That's all there is to downloading and installing MySQL; however, to run the database examples in this book, you need a JDBC driver. The next section shows you how to download and install a JDBC driver for MySQL.