Python 2.3.5 (#1, Nov 26 2007, 09:16:55) 
[GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5363) (+4864187)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import MySQLdb

Standard Operation

Create a database.

>>> dbName = 'testDB'

>>> c = MySQLdb.connect(user='username', read_default_file="~/.my.cnf")
>>> cur = c.cursor()
>>> ex = cur.execute
>>> cmd = "create database " + dbName + ";"
>>> ex(cmd)
1L
>>> cur.close()
>>> c.close()

Connect using that new database.

>>> c = MySQLdb.connect(user='username', db=dbName, read_default_file="~/.my.cnf")
>>> cur = c.cursor()
>>> ex = cur.execute

Create a table.

>>> ex('create table holidays (name text, date date)')
0L

List all table names.

>>> ex('show tables')
1L
>>> cur.fetchall()
(('holidays',),)

Put in some data.

>>> import datetime as dt
>>> t = ('Independence Day', dt.date(2009,7,4),)
>>> ex('insert into holidays values(%s,%s)', t)
1L

Get some data.

>>> ex('select * from holidays')
1L
>>> cur.fetchall()
(('Independence Day', datetime.date(2009, 7, 4)),)
>>> t = ('Halloween', dt.date(2009,10,31),)
>>> ex('insert into holidays values(%s,%s)', t)
1L
>>> ex('select * from holidays')
2L
>>> cur.fetchall()
(('Independence Day', datetime.date(2009, 7, 4)), ('Halloween', datetime.date(2009, 10, 31)))

Change data in-place.

>>> new = (dt.date(2009,9,16), 'Independence Day')
>>> ex('update holidays set date=%s where name=%s', new)
1L
>>> ex('select * from holidays')
1L
>>> cur.fetchall()
(('Independence Day', datetime.date(2009, 9, 16)), ('Halloween', datetime.date(2009, 10, 31)))

Delete some data.

>>> t = ('Independence Day',)
>>> ex('delete from holidays where name=%s', t)
1L
>>> ex('select * from holidays')
1L
>>> cur.fetchall()
(('Halloween', datetime.date(2009, 10, 31)),)