basic question - getting started with mysql

[Jim Flack]

I have a new website hosted by www.easily.co.uk which contains a mysql
database (I have the initial access codes etc ). My problem is I have never
used PHP or dealt with mysql before. I have tried looking at a few web
tutorials (which talked about accessing the mysql bin) which I cant seem to
find in my webspace.

Can anyone help me with advice or a decent BASIC url tutorial that will take
me through setting up a database up (and showing me where and how its set up
as well).

My objective is to create a 'genealogy based' database (names, dates, places
etc). I appreciate that I have to learn PHP (my choice) to send queries to
the database then get html results back (virtually), but I'm damned if I can
see where to put a database once I've found out how to create one.

I can appreciate (from my time in html newsgroups) that these initial
floundering questions will give most of you a good laugh (I chuckle
myself) - but I have to begin the learning process somewhere - so your help
and guidance would be most appreciated.

Thanks for any help you can give.

--
Jim Flack
www.jimflack.co.uk/
www.flackgenealogy.co.uk/

[Aggro]

Jim Flack wrote:

I have a new website hosted by www.easily.co.uk which contains a mysql
database (I have the initial access codes etc ). My problem is I have never
used PHP or dealt with mysql before. I have tried looking at a few web
tutorials (which talked about accessing the mysql bin) which I cant seem to
find in my webspace.

Do you know what operating system is on your website server?

Do you know what is a shell?

Can you log into the shell via ssh?

If you can, you should see the shell aka command promt aka "black window
with texts". There you can type commands like "ls" or "dir" (which
should show a list of files and folders in your current folder). If you
can get into place like that, try typing command "mysql", and you might
or might not get into mysql server, logged in as a test user (with
access only to test database, if such exists).

[Jim Flack]

"Aggro" wrote

Do you know what operating system is on your website server?

Do you know what is a shell?

Can you log into the shell via ssh?

If you can, you should see the shell aka command promt aka "black window
with texts". There you can type commands like "ls" or "dir" (which
should show a list of files and folders in your current folder). If you
can get into place like that, try typing command "mysql", and you might
or might not get into mysql server, logged in as a test user (with
access only to test database, if such exists).

Aggro

I sent a "phpinfo" query to the website and got back the information that I
am running PHP version 4.1.2. It also tells me the system is linux
daffy.perf.redhat.com... Is that the info you were after ??. (sorry - no
idea what a shell is)

I've also just had an email back from the website suppliers giving me the
access codes to the MySQL Admin control panel. Now I have found out how to
access the control panel its making a bit more sense. I can probably do what
I need to do from there.

Thanks for your interest Aggro - much appreciated

Jim

[Jay Donnell]

You will most likely have shell access or phpMyAdmin. A shell is like
dos and it's where you type in commands. You webhost may not give you
shell access.

I'd recommend getting a good book. There are plenty that cover both
php and mysql.

Jay

"Jim Flack" <ja********@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<BI*****************@newsread2.news.atl.earth link.net>...

"Aggro" wrote

Do you know what operating system is on your website server?

Do you know what is a shell?

Can you log into the shell via ssh?

If you can, you should see the shell aka command promt aka "black window
with texts". There you can type commands like "ls" or "dir" (which
should show a list of files and folders in your current folder). If you
can get into place like that, try typing command "mysql", and you might
or might not get into mysql server, logged in as a test user (with
access only to test database, if such exists).

Aggro

I sent a "phpinfo" query to the website and got back the information that I
am running PHP version 4.1.2. It also tells me the system is linux
daffy.perf.redhat.com... Is that the info you were after ??. (sorry - no
idea what a shell is)

I've also just had an email back from the website suppliers giving me the
access codes to the MySQL Admin control panel. Now I have found out how to
access the control panel its making a bit more sense. I can probably do what
I need to do from there.

Thanks for your interest Aggro - much appreciated

Jim

[Jim Flack]

"Jay Donnell" <ja********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a6**************************@posting.google.c om...

You will most likely have shell access or phpMyAdmin. A shell is like
dos and it's where you type in commands. You webhost may not give you
shell access.

I'd recommend getting a good book. There are plenty that cover both
php and mysql.

Jay

<snip>

Jay

You are correct above - when I got my access codes it goes to phpMyAdmin
control panel.

And yes I have order a book (just came yesterday) - Samms 'Teach yourself in
24 hours' - a tight target but at least their hearts in the right place
......lmao.
Actually, I used their books for learning my 1st html (and then JavaScript)
and they don't seem to be too bad. I must admit I don't want to become an
expert - just need enough knowledge to create/import/steal a programme to
run a searchable database for a genealogy site I am creating - maybe tailor
the programme a bit - keep updating the database every so often - then leave
it well alone. My main time is spent dealing with the dead bones of
genealogy rather than at the cutting edge of php and MySQL.

Thanks for your help anyway.

Jim
www.flackgenealogy.co.uk

[josh]

Hi Jim

I to am with easily and have a web site that uses a mysql database.
Trouble is i am using ASP scripting instead of php.
Have you accessed your control panel and able to create tables in your
database?

If you decide to use asp instead of php, i could give you some
guidance.

Josh

On Fri, 14 May 2004 02:39:56 GMT, "Jim Flack"
<ja********@earthlink.net> wrote:

I have a new website hosted by www.easily.co.uk which contains a mysql
database (I have the initial access codes etc ). My problem is I have never
used PHP or dealt with mysql before. I have tried looking at a few web
tutorials (which talked about accessing the mysql bin) which I cant seem to
find in my webspace.

Can anyone help me with advice or a decent BASIC url tutorial that will take
me through setting up a database up (and showing me where and how its set up
as well).

My objective is to create a 'genealogy based' database (names, dates, places
etc). I appreciate that I have to learn PHP (my choice) to send queries to
the database then get html results back (virtually), but I'm damned if I can
see where to put a database once I've found out how to create one.

I can appreciate (from my time in html newsgroups) that these initial
floundering questions will give most of you a good laugh (I chuckle
myself) - but I have to begin the learning process somewhere - so your help
and guidance would be most appreciated.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[Jim Flack]

"josh" <Jo**@noshernasher.com> wrote in message
news:7k********************************@4ax.com...

Hi Jim

I to am with easily and have a web site that uses a mysql database.
Trouble is i am using ASP scripting instead of php.
Have you accessed your control panel and able to create tables in your
database?

If you decide to use asp instead of php, i could give you some
guidance.

Josh

<snip>
Hi Josh

Thanks for the encouragement - I'm only using PHP cos its there - and most
of the 'off the shelf progs' I want are written in that too.

I can access my admin center - and there is no doubt everything I need there
to "do things", but at the moment I feel I am blindfold and in the dark at
the same time.

I currently fail to see the basic outline of what I want to do, how to do it
or basically how it all works. If I had a web folder I could dump it all
into I'd e a happy man .lol (maybe I have and just cant see it).

I just downloaded a free script that hopefully will give me a VERY simple
messageboard - the same sort that operates in
http://genforum.genealogy.com/flack/.
The free script is at http://www.cobra-scripts.com/downloads.html and it
tells me to just **** Upload the PHP script on your server in the directory
with CHMOD at least 0777 **** .(where on earth is my folder with CHMOD in it
???)

I must admit to not having a clue if I just upload this to my main web space
and access the php page and 'whoosh' it all appears like magic - or if I'm
supposed to put it in a new folder somewhere - and if I do that are there 'a
href links' to change.

Basically - I'm a little loath to press the 'nuke' button until I know whats
about to happen and where everything is going to dissapear and/or re-appear.

Are the MySQL folders in my webspace ?? or are they elsewhere ??? and thats
why I can't see them ??

I must admit I'm still searching for the whole php/mtsql 'overview' - before
I can launch myself into the component parts - I really do feel quite
helpless at the moment - -arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh - is there a samaritans
php/mysql help line anywhere ...lmao.

I'll just have to go and look at a few more tutorials and see if the penny
drops.

Cheers.

Jim