MySQL is one of the most popular database management systems available, powering everything from Internet powerhouses to individual corporate databases to simple end-user applications, and everything in between. This book will teach you all you need to know to be immediately productive with the latest version of MySQL. By working through 30 highly focused hands-on lessons, your MySQL Crash Course will be both easier and more effective than you'd have thought possible. MySQL is a DBMS; that is, it is database software. MySQL has been around for a long time, and it is now installed and in use at millions of installations worldwide. Why do so many organizations and developers use MySQL? Here are some of the reasons: MySQL is open source, and it is usually free to use and even modify the software; MySQL is fast—make that very fast; MySQL is used by some of the most important and prestigious organizations and sites, all of which entrust it with their critical data. MySQL is easy to install and get up and running. In fact, historically the only real criticism of MySQL has been that it has not always supported the functionality and features offered by other DBMSs. But as new features have been added to each new version, that has changed, and it continues to do so.