MySQL from Zero is a hands-on three-module course that teaches you to install MySQL, import the Sakila sample database, query it from the terminal, and build a Bash to Python to Rust pipeline that surfaces the same answer through three increasingly type-safe layers. Module 1 starts you in `mysql -u user -p` with `SHOW DATABASES`, `USE sakila`, and `SELECT ... LIMIT`, then walks through `mysqldump` for safe backups, INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE on a real schema, and the `INTO OUTFILE` to `http.server` to `curl` pipeline that turns a SQL query into an HTTP endpoint with zero new packages. Module 2 dives into the Sakila schema itself: the customer to rental to inventory to film traversal that drives most queries, INNER vs LEFT JOIN with row-by-row materialization, and B-tree indexes paired with `EXPLAIN ANALYZE` so you can predict query cost before you ship. Module 3 closes with a typed Rust client: `sqlx::MySqlPool` against the same Sakila, the `FromRow` derive mapping rows to a struct, and four runtime `assert!` contracts that fail loudly when data drifts. By the end you can pick the right query for a real database problem and ship it as a single static Rust binary.
What you'll learn
install MySQL
work with the Sakila sample database
perform CRUD operations
execute SQL queries using different programming languages
implement JOIN operations
understand B-tree indexes
use 'EXPLAIN ANALYZE' for query optimization
create a Rust client with sqlx
Course objectives
develop hands-on experience with MySQL
gain an understanding of database schema management