Programming the Perl DBI

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.

Dedication;
Preface;
Resources;
Typographical Conventions;
How to Contact Us;
Code Examples;
Acknowledgments;
Chapter 1: Introduction;
1. 1 From Mainframes to Workstations;
1. 2 Perl;
1. 3 DBI in the Real World;
1. 4 A Historical Interlude andStanding Stones;
Chapter 2: Basic Non-DBI Databases;
2. 1 Storage Managers and Layers;
2. 2 Query Languages and Data Functions;
2. 3 Standing Stones and the Sample Database;
2. 4 Flat-File Databases;
2. 5 Putting Complex Data into Flat Files;
2. 6 Concurrent Database Access and Locking;
2. 7 DBM Files and the BerkeleyDatabase Manager;
2. 8 The MLDBM Module;
2. 9 Summary;
Chapter 3: SQL and Relational Databases;
3. 1 The Relational Database Methodology;
3. 2 Datatypes and NULL Values;
3. 3 Querying Data;
3. 4 Modifying Data Within Tables;
3. 5 Creating and Destroying Tables;
Chapter 4: Programming with the DBI;
4. 1 DBI Architecture;
4. 2 Handles;
4. 3 Data Source Names;
4. 4 Connection and Disconnection;
4. 5 Error Handling;
4. 6 Utility Methods and Functions;
Chapter 5: Interacting with the Database;
5. 1 Issuing Simple Queries;
5. 2 Executing Non-SELECT Statements;
5. 3 Binding Parameters to Statements;
5. 4 Binding Output Columns;
5. 5 do( ) Versus prepare( );
5. 6 Atomic and Batch Fetching;
Chapter 6: Advanced DBI;
6. 1 Handle Attributes and Metadata;
6. 2 Handling LONG/LOB Data;
6. 3 Transactions, Locking, and Isolation;
Chapter 7: ODBC and the DBI;
7. 1 ODBC-Embraced and Extended;
7. 2 DBI-Thrashed and Mutated;
7. 3 The Nuts and Bolts of ODBC;
7. 4 ODBC from Perl;
7. 5 The Marriage of DBI and ODBC;
7. 6 Questions and Choices;
7. 7 Moving Between Win32::ODBC and the DBI;
7. 8 And What About ADO? ;
Chapter 8: DBI Shell and Database Proxying;
8. 1 dbish-The DBI Shell;
8. 2 Database Proxying;
DBI Specification;
Synopsis;
Description;
The DBI Class;
Methods Common to All Handles;
Attributes Common to All Handles;
DBI Database Handle Objects;
DBI Statement Handle Objects;
Further Information;
See Also;
Authors;
Copyright;
Acknowledgments;
Translations;
Support/ Warranty;
Training;
Driver and Database Characteristics;
Acquiring the DBI and Drivers;
DBD::ADO;
DBD::CSV;
DBD::DB2;
DBD::Empress and DBD::EmpressNet;
DBD::Informix;
DBD::Ingres;
DBD::InterBase;
DBD::mysql and DBD::mSQL;
DBD::ODBC;
DBD::Oracle;
DBD::Pg;
DBD::SearchServer;
DBD::Sybase-For Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server;
DBD::XBase;
ASLaN Sacred Site Charter;
Colophon;