Choosing a Database

[cphinney]

So I have been out of web development for a few years but a friend asked me to help him with a project so I thought I would take a crack.

I need to create a database with information about jobs that he is doing for his customers. He wants it to be web based. I manage an application at work that uses an MS SQL 2000 database. I am familiar with writing queries and using the server management tools on a windows platform.

The host that I use offers MYSQL and MSSQL. If I am going to learn to manage a database, write web queries etc I am looking for advice on what I should invest my time learning. It seems to me that it would be best to learn PHP and write the site in that. Should I learn MS SQL or MYSQL? What the difference etc.

Whatever your recomendation, what tools do you use to manage the databases? is their a software like enterprise manager or query analyzer for MYSQL.

I have the advantage of having the server right here on our network at work. But for this I will be dealing with the host and only have access to their domain / account control panel.

what he needs is fairly simple so I will be hoping to look at some online tutorials to start.

thanks in advance.

[bubbisthedog]

PHP is relatively easy to learn. I use PHP MyAdmin, which is available from my host, to manage my MySQL databases. It's a very intuitive system, PHP MyAdmin is. If your friend doesn't already have SQL Server installed, I would go with MySQL and PHP, for they can install these programs for free should they decide to have everything hosted on their own server.

[cphinney]

So I just created a MySQL databse and checked out their admin tools. They have this phpMyAdmin tool. I see there is a query window etc so I guess thats where I can execute commands to create tables, columns etc.

[bubbisthedog]

True, you execute CREATE statements in that part of the application, but I think the easiest way to create a table is to click on the database name to display all of the tables, and then at the bottom I think there's a field to enter a new table name, and then you can use a facility to define all of the fields (I use the auto_increment option for my primary keys). It's a very quick way to create tables.

[cphinney]

Seems easy enough. So now I just need to find a tutorial that will take me through setting up a database, creating some pages to query and edit the info etc.

[bubbisthedog]

http://www.phpsimple.net/tutorials/update_multiple_records/