[thelist] 2 Tips: MySQL

Frank lists at frankmarion.com
Tue Feb 3 21:49:50 CST 2004


<tip type="MySQL" author="Frank Marion">

It's very useful to get familiar with your favourite database's built in 
function. I needed a quick way to get unique names and email addresses out 
of a big mished, mashed and abused database. I could have spent 20 minutes 
setting up a script for it in my programming language, but it seemed faster 
to do it with MySQL's built in functions. To wit:

SELECT DISTINCT CONCAT(first_name,' ',last_name,' <',email_address,'>')
from client_info;

Total time: 30 seconds.

</tip>


<tip type="MySQL" author="Frank Marion">

If you want a quick and easy reference to learn MySQL functions, check out 
the following URL:

http://www.mysql.com/documentation/index.html

You'll find that MySQL is very well documented, and in a wide variety of 
formats:

Softcover book, published by O'Reilly
Searchable, with user comments
HTML, one page per chapter
HTML, one page per chapter, tarball
HTML, all on one page, tarball
HTML, all on one page, ZIP
PDF (US letter)
PDF (A4)
Windows HLP
Windows CHM

The site itself organises the information very well, and even more 
usefully, you can download the documentation. My favourite is the .chm 
document. It's quick to load, and has a search function that allows you to 
find what you want though the concept index almost instantly.

</tip>




--
Frank Marion     lists at frankmarion.com      Keep the signal high.  



More information about the thelist mailing list