Learn SQL, Design Real Databases, and Program Inside MySQL

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Stop guessing at SQL. Learn MySQL the way developers really use it.

Most applications store their data in a relational database, and MySQL is one of the most widely used. Yet many developers learn just enough SQL to get by — and then reports come out wrong, pages slow down, or two customers buy the last item at the same moment. This book teaches MySQL from the ground up for developers: how to query it, design it, protect its data, make it fast, and program it — all with one small, realistic sample database you can load and query yourself. Every chapter ends with graded exercises and worked solutions.

• 542 pages · 28 chapters + 4 appendices
• Install MySQL 8.4 with MySQL Shell, Workbench, or Docker and load the sample database
• SQL from zero: SELECT, filtering, functions, aggregates, joins, subqueries, and CTEs
• Change data safely with transactions, upserts, and safe-update habits
• Design real schemas: keys, relationships, normalization, and constraints
• Indexes and EXPLAIN, transactions, isolation levels, and locking — explained for developers
• Window functions, recursive queries, JSON, full-text search, views, and generated columns
• Stored procedures, functions, error handling, triggers, events, and least-privilege security
• Use MySQL correctly from Python, Node.js, PHP, and Java, plus imports, exports, and migrations

Table Of Contents

Part I — Getting Started with MySQL

• Ch 1 · What MySQL Is and How Relational Databases Work
• Ch 2 · Installing MySQL and Its Tools: Server, MySQL Shell, Workbench, and Docker
• Ch 3 · Your First Database: Creating Schemas, Tables, and Rows
• Ch 4 · Querying Data: SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, and LIMIT
• Ch 5 · Data Types in Practice: Numbers, Strings, Dates, and NULL

Part II — Essential SQL

• Ch 6 · Functions and Expressions: String, Numeric, Date, and Conditional Functions
• Ch 7 · Aggregating Data: GROUP BY, HAVING, and Summary Reports
• Ch 8 · Joining Tables: Inner, Outer, Self, and Cross Joins
• Ch 9 · Subqueries and Common Table Expressions
• Ch 10 · Changing Data Safely: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and Upserts

Part III — Designing Databases

• Ch 11 · Relational Design: Entities, Keys, and Relationships
• Ch 12 · Normalization and When to Denormalize
• Ch 13 · Constraints and Data Integrity: Keys, Foreign Keys, UNIQUE, CHECK, and Defaults
• Ch 14 · Indexes for Developers: How They Work and How to Choose Them
• Ch 15 · Transactions and Concurrency: ACID, Isolation Levels, and Locking

Part IV — Advanced SQL

• Ch 16 · Window Functions: Rankings, Running Totals, and Moving Averages
• Ch 17 · Recursive CTEs and Hierarchical Data
• Ch 18 · JSON in MySQL: Storing, Querying, and Indexing Documents
• Ch 19 · Full-Text Search and Working with Text
• Ch 20 · Views and Generated Columns

Part V — Programming Inside MySQL

• Ch 21 · Stored Procedures: Parameters, Variables, and Control Flow
• Ch 22 · Stored Functions, Error Handling, and Cursors
• Ch 23 · Triggers and Scheduled Events
• Ch 24 · Users, Privileges, and Security for Developers
• Ch 25 · Query Performance for Developers: EXPLAIN and Common Fixes

Part VI — MySQL in Applications

• Ch 26 · Connecting from Applications: Python, Node.js, PHP, and Java
• Ch 27 · Imports, Exports, Backups, and Schema Migrations for Developers
• Ch 28 · Case Study: Building the Copperleaf Market Database

Appendices

• App A · MySQL SQL Cheat Sheet
• App B · Templates and Reference
• App C · Schema and Query Review Checklist
• App D · Glossary

WHO IT IS FOR
Beginners who want to learn SQL properly, web and back-end developers who use MySQL every day, students and career changers preparing for developer or data roles, and analysts and testers who query application databases.

FORMAT
PDF (A4), 542 pages, English, clickable table of contents and PDF bookmarks. 1st Edition, 2026. Published by thenexbooks.

This book is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Oracle. MySQL is a trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

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