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 you 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 reveals 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.

About the Author
Alligator Descartes has been an itinerant fiddler with computers from a very early age ruined only by obtaining a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. His computing credits include several years of Oracle DBA work, multi-user Virtual Reality servers, high-performance 3D graphics programming and several Perl modules. His spare time is spent trudging around Scotland looking for stone circles and Pictish symbol stones to photograph. Alligator Descartes is not his real name. Tim Bunce developed and released the first version of the DBI and DBD::Oracle modules in 1994. Just as Perl5.000 was released. Since then he has developed the DBI into the most popular database access technology for Perl. Tim has been an active perl5-porter since 1994, contributing to the development of the Perl language and many of its core modules such as DynaLoader, MakeMaker, and Exporter. He was responsible for building and releasing maintenance versions of Perl from 5.004_01 thru to 5.004_04. He is also the author and co-maintainer of the Perl Module List. Tim is the Technical Director of the Ingram Group where he designs and develops large scale data processing, storage, and reporting applications in Perl. In 1998 was recognized by British Telecom for his role in the launch of their Call Management Information service, a system implemented in Perl.

Reviews
'The book is very well written with frequent examples. It certainly maintained my interest from beginning to end. I mirrored the authors' examples with my own MySQL databases and had no problems. I learnt SQL as well. If you need to interact with databases and you have access to Perl, then this book is a must.' - Mick Farmer, news@UK, June 2000



Book Information
ISBN 9781565926998
Author Alligator Descartes
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint O'Reilly Media
Publisher O'Reilly Media