If you're a programmer new to databases-or just new to My SQL & its community-driven variant Maria DB-you've found the perfect introduction This hands-on guide provides an easy step-by-step approach to installing using & maintaining these popular relational database engines Author Russell Dyer Curriculum Manager at Maria DB & former editor of the My SQL Knowledge Base takes you through database design & the basics of data management & manipulation using real-world examples & many practical tips Exercises & review questions help you practice what you've just learned Create & alter My SQL tables & specify fields & columns within them Learn how to insert select update delete join & subquery data using practical examples Use built-in string functions to find extract format & convert text from columns Learn functions for mathematical or statistical calculations & for formatting date & time values Perform administrative duties such as managing user accounts backing up databases & importing large amounts of data Use APIs to connect & query My SQL & Maria DB with PHP & other languages