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MySQL and Perl for the Web
Craig Maloney writes "MySQL (love it or hate it) is one of the most popular databases for deploying websites. Perl (also love it or hate it) was almost synonymous with website programming. Arguably there are different choices for different needs in web development (PostgreSQL, PHP, Java, etc.), but there is no argument that if you are planning on putting together a website, using MySQL and Perl that MySQL & Perl for the Web will aid immensely in that development." Read on for the rest of Maloney's concise review of the book. While not new, he says it's still a valuable volume.
MySQL and Perl for the Web
author
Paul DuBois
pages
552
publisher
New Riders
rating
10
reviewer
Craig Maloney
ISBN
0735710546
summary
A clear, well written book for Perl and MySQL
Who is this book for? Developers looking for a quality book on Perl and database development should not pass this book up. While the title of this book is MySQL & Perl for the Web, it could have easily been called DBD/DBI & Perl for the Web. The SQL examples may or may not work with various databases, but the DBI interface code should remain the same. This book will also do well as a reference for experienced coders looking for well-crafted examples of web-based applications. What's good? The second chapter should be enough to get anyone up to speed with using Perl, DBI, CGI, Apache, and MySQL. After a brief introduction and configuration of MySQL and Apache, the author settles in to discuss coding DBI and Perl. The remainder of the chapter details the best practices for using Perl and DBI together. Near the end of the second chapter, the author creates a fully functional to-do list, demonstrating ways to add, update, and delete information from the database using Perl and DBI. Instead of taking small baby steps over many chapters, the author shows important concepts and best practices for those concepts quickly. Even seasoned (hardened?) programmers may learn new tricks or methodologies from the second chapter of this book.
Is that the end? Are we left with one very well written tutorial chapter? Thankfully, the rest of the book has plenty to offer. Subsequent chapters include:
- Improving performance with mod_perl
- Generating and processing forms
- Writing form-based applications
- Automating the form-handling process
- Performing searches
- Session management
- Security and privacy issues
- E-commerce applications
Each chapter is clearly written, with several examples used to demonstrate the concepts presented. The examples are clearly written, and the author makes the whole learning process enjoyable and fun. The examples range from a give-away contest (including a random drawing), an electronic greeting card program, polling programs, and a shopping cart program. Each of the examples is presented completely, but are introduced in pieces (subroutines, modules, etc.) The full source code is available from the author's website at http://www.kitebird.com/mysql-perl/
What's in it for me? MySQL & Perl for the Web is the book that Perl programmers on any project will wish The Other Guy had read. The examples are clear, the writing is engaging, and the code is maintainable. This is a practical book and should not be overlooked in any serious Perl programmer's library.You can purchase MySQL and Perl for the Web from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Two snaps down!!!
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I find there are a lot of books and resources which each Perl, or teach SQL, but don't teach you how to use Perl, or use SQL. For example, it is perfectly possible to read a book, learn Perl, and not be able to actually use it for anything useful (in regard to websites). Not many books that I've seen have addresses this. My personal knowledge of Perl for use in webpages is scraped together. Perldoc.com helps a lot, however. Books like this seem useful as a starting ground. PHP is gaining a lot of ground on PHP (It's overtaken it, I hear). This may be because it is more suited to suited to web development, or it may be more because all it does is web development: As soon as you know PHP, you know how to make a website using PHP. Most Slashdot readers will be past this point in learning a language I should imagine, so, without reading anymore than this book review, I might suggest it wouldn't be worth buying, but this is certainly the sort of book which should be on the bookselves in shops. A lot more helpful than 101 books about how to use IOSTREAMs in C++.
- Jax
PerlScript ASP is available for Apache on Linux, ready to work with MySQL through a REAL scripting language, ASP. Makes PHP look like a kids' toy, really.
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