recommend a good tutorial site for setting up a database?

[stumaniac]

I am a complete beginner (a horse trying to learn calculus) and I am looking for a website that can explain how to set up a database on a website with forms (HTML? CGI? Perl?) that hit the database and do the stuff I need to do. I have heard that MySQL is probably the way I want to go but I know nothing. Can anybody recommend a website where they give really good, concise, easy-to-follow instructions to a newbie how to program database stuff, preferably with examples? I see answers to specific questions here but no basic step-by-step instruction (or maybe I'm not looking in the right place on this site?) Many humble thanks.

[jtara]

I think first you need to know what it is you need to know...

You probably really don't need to know "how to set up a database". That is the least of your worries.

Unless you are a programmer, and/or willing to dive-in to PHP or some other programming language (in which case, you don't have to worry about datbases for a while...) you need to get first things first.

Which is, to identify already-written specific software packages to perform the particular functions you need.

Said software packages will normally come with complete installation instructions, including how to set-up the database.

Otherwise, pick a language and start teaching the horse to multiply (learn a programming language) before worrying about calculus. The horse will be ready to learn calculus in 6 months to a year.

[stumaniac]

Well, I know enough about Perl to look at, say, a guestbook script and figure out what the commands are doing. I've looked at a couple of PHP tutorials and it doesn't seem insurmountable that I could do most of the beginning stuff I've seen there. What I need is a tutorial that will tell me how to put a database on a website and then how to get specific web pages to get the stuff off the database, add to the database, and utilize SQL queries to feed into web pages to do the stuff I need to do.

[jtara]

I still wonder if what you are doing is so unique that it really requires custom applications? Although I've been programming for 30 years, I *always* search for a pre-built solution first - usually one that I can customize if necessary - and nearly always find one.

Since you do know some Perl, perhaps you should start there.

I am sure there are good online tutorials, but personally I prefer books. I can read them lying on the couch - can't do that online.

I'd recommend a thin book called "Programming the Perl DBI".

It's not a particularly new book, so you should be able to pick it up used for next to nothing.

Besides, who can resist a book authored by "Alligator Descartes"?

On MySQL itself, the documentation on the official website isn't half-bad.

[mcibor]

I use the [dev.mysql.com...] quite often myself, but really the best page for learning mysql is www.webmasterworld.com :)

But to learn databases, first learn one of the languages (I prefer PHP)

Here you've got some links to teach yourself:
[webmasterworld.com...]

Examples of authentificating users:
[webmasterworld.com...]

Something about searching:
[webmasterworld.com...]

or just click Here [webmasterworld.com]
and have fun browsing

Regards
Michal

PS. But in my opinion the book is the best option, but I would buy/borrow a book on language, not mySQL (however check if it has sth about mySQL usage)

[stumaniac]

Jtara, you are probably right that I don't need a custom application. If there is a pre-built solution that will fit my purpose, I'm sure I can use it. Like I said, I'm just a complete beginner to adding databases to websites so I don't even know where to go.

My previous experience has been writing HTML code in edlin and Notepad. Did a few JavaScripts that way too, but never have gotten around to any automated solutions.

One suggestion I have had is to get Dreamweaver UltraDev, get a site that hosts ASP pages, and have the application create an ODBC connection to the database. Another person suggested that I go with MySQL/Apache. I am probably more likely to go with the second path.

What I am trying to do is set up a site where junior tennis players in the Austin area can set up weekly meeting for tennis matches. We am pretty much already using a pre-built solution. We already have something on Yahoo groups (search for "Austin junior tennis" on Yahoo groups if you want to see what is there, don't know if I can post URLs here), but our needs are outgrowing what Yahoo can do. Since it is all volunteer, can't hire programmers to make a snazzy site, so I'm the guy to do it.

So if anyone knows of an automated solution, by all means, let me know.

[stumaniac]

I should mention that any software solutions that y'all know of should be cheap or already bundled with a hosting web site, as my budget is way limited.

[jtara]

I would do search for scheduling scripts. It's a common need, and has to have numerous pre-built solutions.

[mcibor]

Try serching

[hotscripts.com...]

they've got a really nice database of ready solutions, most of them free.
Michal