Re:Pre-requisite Packages... (Score 1)

Yes, DuBois' book is better source of MySQL knowledge. But most people I know use MySQL along with a scripting language like Perl/PHP, so "The Definitive Guide" definitely has its merit.

On the other hand, what I didn't like about this particular book is that it covers use of many languages (Java/Perl/PHP/C/VB) on the surface, without getting into the gory details of any language that one needs for real programming.

For example, last week I was trying to figure out the best way to use "datetime" types in MySQL through Perl. Although Chapter 16 covers MySQL interfacing with Perl, it doesn't cover such topics in detail.

So basically, the definitive guide is useful as a reference or to get you started. But ultimately to solve a particular problem at hand, you very often end up googling or refering to the mailing lists.