What Is MySQL ?

What is MySQL actualy???

Mysql is a RDBMS (Relationnal Database Manager) system. It's free, so it's rather popular. It's competitors in the non-free world are named Oracle and DB2.For instance, if you choose to create your own forum or your own photo gallery here in the Xisto forum, using your cpanel controls, the instructions will be given in php language, and the data will be stored in a mysql database.You will probably find a lot of topics here at Xisto forum concerning mysql, and the reason to choose it rather than another database. You mainly need a database if ou need to store data, query data, retrieve data.Hope this helpedYordan

If you look up a mysql tutorial somewhere, you would quickly see the breadth of capabilities of the database system. It's really quite good especially being open source (free). I know I've been using it alot at work lately and we are starting to set up a huge database with it. Databases are pretty cool so I'd reccomend checking out more info on it.

mySQL is just like SQL, a structured query language to manage databases. Here is a more detailed description of it:

SQL is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard computer language for accessing and manipulating database systems. SQL statements are used to retrieve and update data in a database. SQL works with database programs like MS Access, DB2, Informix, MS SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, etc.
Unfortunately, there are many different versions of the SQL language, but to be in compliance with the ANSI standard, they must support the same major keywords in a similar manner (such as SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE, INSERT, WHERE, and others).

For more information about SQL and other sources of programming questions, refer to this place, this is where I learn most of my stuff.

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_intro.asp

mySQL is just like SQL, a structured query language to manage databases.

No it's not. It's a database management system, not a a query language. SQL is a general query language used in relational database systems and each database management system interprets in its own way; some more standard compliant some less.

To put is short: SQL is a simple language, MySQL is complicated software.

There are 2 major types of databases, relational and object orientated. Mysql is a relational. It's free and is ideal for small projects or even small companies. But, as in it being free, it's doesn't have all the capabilities as most of the top-leading commericial databases. SQL (structured query language) is used to communicate with relational databases. A database is obviously used to store data. In my opinion, it kind of acts like a hard drive, but organizes the data in ways that can be retrieved and displayed easily.

Remember that SQL supposed to be a "natural" (English) query langage. Looks like english words, supposed to be natural to every english-speaking guy. For instance, "insert into mytable values myname, myage".

Edited May 21, 2006 by yordan (see edit history)

There are 2 major types of databases, relational and object orientated. Mysql is a relational. It's free and is ideal for small projects or even small companies. But, as in it being free, it's doesn't have all the capabilities as most of the top-leading commericial databases. SQL (structured query language) is used to communicate with relational databases.

MySQL might not be as feature rich as, say, Oracle, but performance wise it does really well. Considering this, it can be used in larger projects as well.

A database is obviously used to store data. In my opinion, it kind of acts like a hard drive, but organizes the data in ways that can be retrieved and displayed easily.

I would say that a database acts on top of a hard drive. Well because it does. It basically adds the fast retrievability and organises the data. On a very basic level a text file is a database, it's just slow to search and poorly organised.

I am still clueless about SQL. Could you provide a tutorial or a website with one so i can further understand what exactly SQL is and how to use it. How does SQl relate to the web and what exactly does it do. Please PM me with the info.

Edited June 8, 2006 by CyberReaper (see edit history)

How does SQl relate to the web and what exactly does it do.

The web is a way of accessing computers all around the world.These computers store data.
SQL is a way of storing data inside computers, retrieve them, query them.
SQL is not the only way of storing data, a lot of proprietary databases use non-sql databases.
Simply, using relational databases allow writing down complex programs on big computers. Non-SQL programming on small computers some years ago needed a lot of science in order to achieve correct response times.
By the way, you probably missed it a few lines above in the present topic, kgd2006 explained you where to look for the info :

For more information about SQL and other sources of programming questions, refer to this place, this is where I learn most of my stuff.
http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_intro.asp

you should really have a look at that document, it's clear and rather complte, it's a good starting point before going back to school.
Edited June 8, 2006 by yordan (see edit history)

If you are looking for a tutorial then go to the W3C schools to find out all you want to get a good start at this SQL Tutorial.

A quick refresher:

 

 

 

 

MySQL: A Relational Database Management system (a software), which uses the SQL specifications for retrieving data.

 

 

SQL: A generic Language Specification (only a standards based proposition), to efficiently retrieve data from Databases, like a one created by MySQL. SQL is supported in most RDBMS software like Oracle and MS SQL Server. It's like, learn one language, retrieve data from any database...

 

 

What is the need of RDBMS?: Just think of a company employee data base (of more than 1 million records) stored as TXT files and just imagine how data retrieval will be done... Imagine an Excel or Calc worksheet as a RDBMS 'Table', where every column is an 'Attribute' and every row is a 'Record'. However worksheets are not relational databases, and neither are they used for data retrieval or storage purposes. It was just for letting u picturise. Now, a Database consists of several of these Excel worksheet like 'Tables', which are interdependent on each other, and linked by atleast one attribute.

 

 

What is the use of SQL?: To retrieve information in a standard way. A SQL statement looks like:

SELECT employee_name, employee_address FROM employee_details WHERE employee_address LIKE '%Napier Town%'; //Returns all employees who live in Napier Town or have it in their address.

MySQL is getting very hard for me to understand. I've got a script I've been working on with a database, and some of the MySQL lines are coming up as errors. I've found W3Schools website good most of the time. If its just the very basic, then I'm probably going to have to find something else. I'm reading the online book 'Practical PHP Programming', and though its not all about MySQL, it does touch on it. But it doesn't, in my opinion cover them in the detail I would like. I've been looking at Amazon.com for some books, and looking at getting a book called "MySQL Tutoral (2nd Ed.)" by Luke Welling and Laura Thomson. If anyone has heard anything, good or bad about this book, let me know. I'm also looking at getting "PHP in a Nutshell" to help me there as well. I figure every little bit helps

Here are some links that might be of help with MySQL and PHP as well.
MySQL Basics tutorial
PHP MySQL Tutorial
PHP MySQL Tutorial (different site)
MySQL Tutorial (Dev Shed)
These links cover from the most basics to creation of guestbooks and even form validation.

Thanks for those sites Houdini! The second on the list was very helpful in what I was looking for. In the future, I think the Dev Shed will be a help, but right now, I think it is a little advanced for me. I need to get the basics and I found it a little confusing at that site. But I think I can get things working now from some things I learned from these sites. Thanks again, very helpful.