LinkLib: Database: Links

WARNING: Hardly changed since 2004 - of course SQL has also hardly changed either.

Database servers/engines

MySQL
This is the most popular databases (the free Community Edition) and is commonly used with low/medium size web servers, typically used with a PHP interface.
Comments: I've been using it and am quite happy with it.
URL: www.mysql.com
License: Free, open-source.
Links to MySQL clients, etc
Description: Lots here.
URL: www.mysql.com/portal/software/admin/index.html
MySQL frontend
URL: www.mysqlfront.de/
Article on installing J/Connect JDBC driver for MySQL
URL: stardeveloper.com/articles/display.html?article=2003090201&page=1
PostgreSQL
Description: A good, complete, free, open-source database which has improved greatly over early versions. Unix, but available for Windows reportedly only with complicated Cygwin installation.
License: Free, open-source.
URL: www.postgresql.org
Hibernate
Description: Java programming interface to JDBC. From their website:

Hibernate is a powerful, ultra-high performance object/relational persistence and query service for Java. Hibernate lets you develop persistent objects following common Java idiom - including association, inheritance, polymorphism, composition and the Java collections framework. Extremely fine-grained, richly typed object models are possible. The Hibernate Query Language, designed as a "minimal" object-oriented extension to SQL, provides an elegant bridge between the object and relational worlds. Hibernate is now the most popular ORM solution for Java.


License: Open source.
URL: www.hibernate.org/

Clients

All database engines provide some kind of client interface, even if it is as primitive as a text based DOS window. Here are some other client programs that either interface via a general ODBC connection, or can use the native protocol to a particular server.
WinSQL
Description: Windows interface to SQL databases via ODBC.
Comment: It's a nice SQL interface. I've used it and like it, but the recent free version seemed too crippled.
License: Lite Version Free
Size: 0.7 MB
URL: www.indus-soft.com
Visualizer for databases
Looks nice, free personal version.
URL: www.minq.se/products/dbvis/info.html

Misc. Database Links

Tutorials
Jim Hoffman
Introduction to Structured Query Language www.computer-books.us/sql_2.php This is a downloadable pdf tutorial. Good.
Selena Sol
Introduction to Databases for the Web wdvl.com/Authoring/DB/Intro/toc.html Comprehensive; intro level.
Intuit
Ultimate Web Guide to SQL Database Language Looks quite good, but I haven't used it much.
Philip Greenspun
Chapter 12: Database Management Systems photo.net/wtr/thebook/databases-choosing.html Not a how-to, but a good read. Also his SQL for Web Nerds might be useful..
SQL Interpreter and Tutorial
With live practice database sqlcourse.com for beginners.
Ian Gilfillan
Database Normalization wdvl.com/Authoring/DB/Normalization/ good basic tutorial on why normalization is important.
Database books
  • MySQL by Paul Dubois, New Riders. This is one of the best computer books I've read.
  • The Practical SQL Handbook by Bowman, Emerson, and Darnovsky 1966 is a good introductory book.
  • SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming by Joe Celko. There is a lot of practical info I haven't seen elsewhere, but it is not an introductory book.
  • SQL in a Nutshell O'Reilly. So so. Summaries for MySQL, Postgresql, MS SQL Server, Oracle. Not a good intro to SQL.
  • Database Design for Mere Mortals and SQL Queries for Mere Mortals both by Michael J. Hernandez. SQL QfMM is also by John L. Viescas. These two books are popular with many. I've read DDfMM and was disappointed that it contained almost no technical info, tho it did do a good job of covering many of the issues in the requirements analysis phase. SQLQfMM is good, but not very advanced; perhaps OK for beginning SQL programmers.