Programming the Perl DBI
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One of the greatest strengths of the Perl programming
language is its ability to manipulate large amounts of data.
Database programming is therefore a natural fit for Perl, not only for
business applications but also for CGI-based Web and Intranet applications.
The primary interface for database programming in Perl is DBI.
DBI is a database-independent package that provides a
consistent set of routines regardless of what database product is actually
in use--Oracle, Sybase, Ingres, Informix, you name it. The design of
DBI is to separate the actual database drivers (DBDs) from the
programmer's API, so any DBI program can work with any database,
or even with multiple databases by different vendors simultaneously.
Programming the Perl DBI is coauthored by Alligator Descartes, one
of the most active members of the DBI community, and by Tim Bunce,
the inventor of DBI. For the uninitiated, the book explains the
architecture of DBI and shows you how to write DBI-based programs.
For the experienced DBI dabbler, this book explains DBI's nuances and
the peculiarities of each individual DBD.
The book includes:
- An introduction to DBI and its design
- How to construct queries and bind parameters
- Working with database, driver, and statement handles
- Debugging techniques
- Coverage of each existing DBD
- A complete reference to DBI
This is the definitive book for database programming in Perl.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Introduction
From Mainframes to Workstations
Perl
DBI in the Real World
A Historical Interlude and Standing Stones
2. Basic Non-DBI Databases
Storage Managers and Layers
Query Languages and Data Functions
Standing Stones and the Sample Database
Flat-File Databases
Putting Complex Data into Flat Files
Concurrent Database Access and Locking
DBM Files and the Berkeley Database Manager
The MLDBM Module
Summary
3. SQL and Relational Databases
The Relational Database Methodology
Datatypes and NULL Values
Querying Data
Modifying Data Within Tables
Creating and Destroying Tables
4. Programming with the DBI
DBI Architecture
Handles
Data Source Names
Connection and Disconnection
Error Handling
Utility Methods and Functions
5. Interacting with the Database
Issuing Simple Queries
Executing Non-SELECT Statements
Binding Parameters to Statements
Binding Output Columns
do( ) Versus prepare( )
Atomic and Batch Fetching
6. Advanced DBI
Handle Attributes and Metadata
Handling LONG/LOB Data
Transactions, Locking, and Isolation
7. ODBC and the DBI
ODBC-Embraced and Extended
DBI-Thrashed and Mutated
The Nuts and Bolts of ODBC
ODBC from Perl
The Marriage of DBI and ODBC
Questions and Choices
Moving Between Win32::ODBC and the DBI
And What About ADO?
8. DBI Shell and Database Proxying
dbish-The DBI Shell
Database Proxying
A. DBI Specification
B. Driver and Database Characteristics
C. ASLaN Sacred Site Charter
Index
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews: 7 Average Customer Rating: Jun 26, 2002 John Day (johnday@wordsnimages.com) from Melbourne/Australia and Toronto/Canada
Solid and reliable
I have been using the Perl DBI module for nearly 4 years relying mainly on the module documentation. When the Descartes.Bunce book came out I bought it immediately and was not disappointed. This is the best single resource on using the vast array of databases supported by DBD/DBI/Perl and is a must have reference. It still sits on my desk in front of me every day.
Dec 21, 2001 Satish from California, USA
Good explanation of DBI features
This book turned out helpful in my job. I had written a perl DBI script with bits and pieces of information found on the Web. But after reading this book, I realized that I could have used the many features of DBI. The authors not only provide a good description of DBI itself, but also point out helpful coding practices and tips as they relate to DBI, like error handling. Though most readers of this book would already have had experience with SQL and databases, they would pick up some info on what some DBD drivers might or might not do. Well written - 5 stars!
Oct 25, 2001 Kris from west coast
Very helpful resource
This book has proven to be very helpful to the database programmers in my office. I found the explanations to be clear and pertinent to the problems we are solving. The authors consistently anticipated our questions and explained a number of concepts better than any other book we found. (For example: the purpose and relationship between the DBI layer and drivers, as well as the DBI objects, methods and attributes.) Personally, I appreciated the comparison of DBI and ODBC which was very informative.
Jan 27, 2001
Book didn't work for me
The book falls short because it tries to cover all the different databases you can use with DBI. I just needed to connect to mySQL, and the DuBois book on mySQL book has far better coverage on using the DBI with mySQL than this book offers.
Jan 11, 2001 Bob
Very Good Resource on DBI's
Even though alot of the content found on this book is found on cpan the examples are well explained (They did a better job then cpan). The only problem, I wished they went through some real life examples with flat files and filename manipulations. And they concentrated on Oracle TOO MUCH!
With alittle luck I used both the Learning Perl (small camel book) and this book to write my first perlscipt. Just took me a week w/o any perl nor programming experience at all. But to summarize, a very good investment if you're a dba, and have to do data conversions, and reports between several hetrogenous db apps.
Jun 27, 2000 Larry W. Fox (larry.fox@aimco.com) from South Carolina
Disappointing
Of the 331 pages of text, 145 pages are an exact reprint of the CPAN DBI documentation (which I had already printed on my laser printer); 76 pages deal with text files, DBM, and SQL. This leaves 110 pages for DBI. For $34.95, I was expecting more.
The actual 110 pages of DBI are fairly good. The authors should have included examples other than Oracle, and I did not notice any treatment of areas that are different between databases, such as date/time fields. But, the examples included should be quite helpful.
Eventhough I am returning my copy back to the book sellers, I would still recommend it for O'Reilly groupies, or people who can not print out the CPAN documentation, or if your job situation requires you to use DBI and you're starting from ground zero. Otherwise, check out CPAN and the message boards.
The greatest asset for this book is the "Tigger" factor -- "It's the only one", on DBI currently being published (that I know of).
May 24, 2000 A review from Midland, MI, USA
Simply the best book on the subject
The definitive tome on the subject. With no DB/DBI experience, I had a working model up and running with MySQL in two weeks of part time effort. Additionally, the authors are readily available on the DBI mailing list to answer questions. Well done indeed!
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