Information of Value Before the Semester Starts

Class Policy The class policy statement include rules about grading, due dates, withdrawals, etc. Class Policy statement

Credit/NoCredit Info on the option of taking this course as a (Pass/Fail) class

The midterm and final exam are in-person exams to be held on the Phelan campus on Saturday March 10 and Saturday May 19, 2012
The class has no other required in-person meetings.

Software Versions: This classes uses MySQL version 5.5 or higher
You must install MySQL on your local computer to do the work for this class. You can download the MySQL software for free from the MySQL site . It would be a good idea to install the software before the semester starts. I cannot provide individual help for installation issues

Textbook: Rick F. van der Lans; SQL for MySQL Developers; Addison-Wesley; ISBN 978-0-13-149735-1; The list price is $55. (it discounts for about $45)
I do not give assignments from that book and some people prefer to use the online notes and another beginning MySql book.

Email address: Your CCSF Email account Class email, including info on Insight and email I send you about adding from the Waitlist, is sent to the email account that CCSF displays on the class list. Check your email address from the Web4 page.

WaitList: This class has a waitlist set up. If the class is full when you try to enroll, add yourself to the waitlist. Waitlisted students will be added by the system if other students drop during the preregistration period. Refer to this Link for information on waitlists. I generally add all students on the waitlist. If you are on that waitlist, I will contact you at the start of the semester to see if you still want the class. Other requests for AddCodes will be handled after the waitlisted people.

NoShow Policy If you do not log into the Insight page for this class by Sunday Morning Jan 22 10:00 am, I will consider you a NoShow and may remove you from the class list and replace you with someone from the waitlist. Email me before that date if this is a problem and you want to continue in the class.

Insight Notes for my classes This is a document that explains the way my classes are set up on Insight; this is sufficient for most students to use Insight for this class. Remember that the class is not open to login until the semester starts. Orientation Notes

Plan: When are you going to do the work for this class?
Organization Ideas This is a 3 unit class so you need to set aside a period of time to work on the class material on at least two days during the week. This is not a "self-paced" class. There will be weekly readings and assignments will be due almost every week.

On the First Day or Two of Class, You Need to Do the Following

Log into the class Insight web site. Please click on this Orientation Link for info on Insight.

General Preparation for Classes

You can visit http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Distance_Education/students.htm to prepare for learning online.

Students who need academic accommodations should request them from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Rosenberg Library,Room 323 on the Ocean Campus. Telephone: 415-452-5481 (V) 415-452-5451 (TDD). DSPS is the campus office responsible for verifying disability-related need for academic accommodations, assessing that need, and planning accommodations in cooperation with students and instructors as needed and consistent with course requirements.

General Information for CS 155A

This is a first semester course in the use of MySQL. This class focuses on the use of SQL to work with data in MySQL databases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why MySQL?
A1: MySQL is a major player in the database field and version 5 has added many features

Q: Why learn SQL?
A: Most companies store their data on a database. If you are going to work with computer systems you will be working with databases. SQL is the standard language for working with a database. Using SQL is a much different approach to accessing data than the traditional programming approach. The different companies that produce database systems have different versions of SQL. It is helpful to know more than one version so that you start to see how a "standardized language" varies by vendor.

Q: What background do I need for this class?
A: There is no specific prerequisite for this class but I do assume that you have some basic computer experience.

Q: What if I have already taken another SQL class or a database programming class? Is this worth my time?
A: That is a bit harder to answer in general. I have found that many students need to learn SQL at least twice to really understand it. Often you do not fully understand the initial concepts until the end of the semester. And MySQL has some unique features and philosophies about SQL.

Q: What about writing procedures in MySQL?
A: If you want to learn MySQL programming concepts, the class you want is CS 155P.

Q: Which version of MySQL are we using?
A: Currently we are using MySQL version 5.1; version 5.0.52 or higher is acceptable. You need to use a local installation of MySQL version on your computer. You can download MySQL at no cost.