Re: database

Michael Havens wrote:
> Regardless of which is easier to do I need to learn them all! Was my list complete?
>
>>1- HTML
>>2- PostgreSQL
>>3- PHP
>>4- Apache
>>
>

While we're chatting up Databases and Webservers, for anyone using
databases with a PHP environment, I highly recommend installing
phpmyadmin and/or phppgadmin. These tools will let you build and query
databases from a web based PHP interface. It is very nice to be able to
see, sort, update and insert data from a web interface. The CLI is
faster, but sometimes a different perspective is nice.

PostgreSQL and MySQL are both usable databases. MySQL was designed with
speed and simplicity in mind (think "race car"). It is not extremely
picky about your SQL syntax. It is also quite speedy when dealing with
small databases. I use MySQL for small (under 50 MB) databases where the
traffic is mostly SELECTs.

PostgreSQL was built with reliability and scalability in mind (think
"tank"). PostgreSQL often gets "knocked" because it is slower than
MySQL. This is because PostgreSQL should be tuned to the system it is
on. We recently did some database tuning and a search that was taking 7
seconds now takes 2 seconds. PostgreSQL has some very nice features
available "out of the box" like Transactions, Views and Inheritance. You
can do some of this with MySQL too.

As far as a roadmap for learning databases, I would read one of the SQL
introductions on the PostgreSQL website and work though the examples. I
would also see about finding other Free or Open PHP programs out there
that do something similar to what you want. Start simply in your PHP,
first just try to connect to the database and display the results of a
SELECT. Then try adding new fields with INSERT. Make a screen to do
UPDATEs. As your comfort level rises, you'll understand how to plug
more of the functions together. Finally, don't forget that there's
always more than one way to do something -- If you get stuck using a
fancy SQL statement, see if yuo can so it in PHP and vice-versa.

Hope this helps!
Tony





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