SQL - Where to start ?

[cookie_monsta]

Hi
Really need to learn how to set-up SQL databases.

I've taken a look - but haven't got a clue where to start.

Does anyone know of any courses available where I can learn this?

Thanks
Mike

[tbp]

I can really recommend the Sams "Teach yourself..." books. They start right at the beginning, and give a solid grounding that you can then build on. Theres obviously thousands of tutorials on the net which can help you. Use the Sams to find out about SQL, how you use it and what it does, and then you can use the net to lookup answers to specific problems.

Make sure that you choose the right book for the type of SQL you are using it. Most of the base of SQL is the same whichever database server you use it, but they all have extended functions specific to the server eg Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL.

I wouldn't learn Access, because it shields you in some senses from the SQL - but this doesn't help you learn. It's also a bit not standard because its a desktop database package rather than a server, and it's not great for use on the net (I presume that you want to learn to use SQL for creating websites?)

MySQL is great to start with, because it's free unlike Microsofts SQL server. As a result, hosting with a MySQL database is a lot cheaper than hosting with an SQL server database. You can also download MySQL free from: MySQL :: The world's most popular open source database , so can install it on your computer to practice with. PHP is great with MySQL as it has a number of commands built in to enable it to work with MySQL. These commands are used for opening connections on database server, running queries etc, you still need to learn SQL as well.

Theres an amazing amount you can do with SQL, and the more you learn, the less you have to do through code. It's not just for reading data from a database, you can perform complex calculations on the data, manipulate words and numbers and much more.

[cookie_monsta]

Wow - thanks for taking the time to write all that
Very much appreciated.

Thats right i am looking to use it for on my website.

I am currently running a few databases on my website but I can't pullout the info and do all the tricks and flips like you mentioned.

I have MYSQL
I'm not that great with code and it does look daunting

I'm trying to weigh up whether its worth spending hours learning it all - Don't have many spare these days.

I probably will as the benefits seem worthwhile.

Thanks again
Mike

[tbp]

Its definately worth learning.

If you only want to do simple things, then its fairly easy and you should be able to pick it up quite quickly.

For more complex jobs, it works far faster and with much less code than if you just read the data out and manipulated with PHP instead, so it will actually save you time and give you a more efficient site - so again is worth learning

The reason i`m so keep on Sams books is that they take the reader up to speed pretty quickly, and are clear and easy to understand. I`d by the relevant MySQL book, and then you can top up your knowledge with free tutorials from the net.

[cookie_monsta]

TY again I'll take your advice

'Sam' thinks he can teach me in 10 minutes LOL I will find out

I Prefer using a hard copy so I found one on amazon

I know its not much but if you pm me an AFF link then I'll go through it

Thanks
mike

[tbp]

I know its not much but if you pm me an AFF link then I'll go through it

Thanks, thats kind of you but I`m not set up an Amazon affiliate so don't worry about it

[cookie_monsta]

Please dig one out from somewhere else if you have any.

[accelerator]

If you can, get some hosting that gives you access to phpMyAdmin, that will allow you to create new MySQL databases easily.

Installing the MySQL Query Browser and the MySQL Administrator on your local computer is also a good idea.

[cookie_monsta]

Yep I have access to PHP

Why is installing it on my computer a good idea? and how would I do this ?

[accelerator]

To clarify what I meant, if you have a hosting account which runs php, often they have phpMyAdmin ready installed, and with its online control panel its easy for you to create a new MySQL database and administer it.

MySQL Query Browser is software installed on your local computer, and then you can use this to connect to the MySQL database you created and view your data, which helps if you have just done some php coding to add data into a database and you want to check everything is working.

MySQL Administrator is installed on your local computer and allows you to connect to your MySQL server and create / modify databases but using phpMyAdmin is probably easier.

For what it's worth I use Navicat as well as a tool for adminstering MySQL, and although you have to pay for it, the interface is a lot easier to use than MySQL Administrator.

Rgds

Accelerator

[Donk]

Installing mysql on your local computer is very simple if you use WAMPserver. It takes about 5 mins and installs Apache MySql PHP and PHPmyadmin.

I find it much better for testing as you don't have keep ftping your files to test them.

Three useful resources you should bookmark are W3schools , PHP and this MySql page.

Bob

[cookie_monsta]

thanks for all your help