See below... On Monday 20 May 2002 10:33 pm, Hoa Doan wrote: > Hi, > > Please don't kill me. I want to learn about databases. I hear MySQL is a > good start. I have RedHat Linux and I've download and (I believe) > installed mysql. > > Okay, my questions are? What is the difference between the mysql server > and the client program? Do I need both? What is the role of the server > and what is the role of the client program? How do I start inputing data > into the database? > > Thanks in advance for your help. > > Hoa
Dear Hoa, the newbie... MySQL is simply one of the many SQL implementations. You run the server on a server, and the client runs on an access/workstation, as in anything that can access the server. In my opinion, without a GUI front end, it is sorely limited in what it can attain in the marketplace for market penetration. However, with that said, the version that comes at no charge is robust, powerful, and quick. To take advantage of this, however, you're going to need to invest heavily in a steep learning curve. I have JUST started gaining benefits and that is only because I decided I HAVE to implement the GUI front end. IF MySQL is distributing a new client front end, I am unaware of that product. I am beginning only recently to accomplish anything worthwhile through writing Perl scripts which access the MySQL database through DBI. All of these are VERY unforgiving--one typo, one comma misplaced, etc. and you're hosed. And, unfortunately, the state of the art in debugging is unbelievably poor, but you can muck your way through. Maybe I am retarded, but that has taken me some time to break through the paradigm shift I had to do (having only worked with Cobol, Fortran, and extensivley with Business Basic). How long is some time? It is a "while..." The languages of the net are very C and C++ oriented, at least the GNU implementations. I had to slow down and first learn something about classes, objects, and methods, and then a bit about scalars, arrays, and hashes. Not a lot, mind you, but enough that they no longer intimidate me. Then I purchased and have read many books--the Perl Black Book, Apache, Linux, the Perl DBI, Perl and CGI, the RedHat Interchange Development Guide, etc. The biggest hurdle, of course, is knowing even WHY you are doing this. What do you want to accomplish with MySQL? If it for a net application, as in an ecommerce system, then the learning curve will be intensive, as in months if not years. If is to just install MySQL to see what the database can do, I would HIGHLY recommend an admin front end, such as mySQLMan from Gossamer-Threads. Don't do anything else until you install something like this or the phpMyAdmin program (I still haven't made that one work). Both of these are free and very useful. If you want to see it in action, go to http://hostahaven.com, click on What's New, then go to the database links. Keep in mind that I'm only crawling, only recently being able to stand erect. For immediate productivity, I found Mohammed J. Kabir's book on RHL 6 very helpful in his section on MySQL. That book, coupled with the mySQLMan for Gossamer-Threads is how I really got going. Of course, for the thousands of records there, I had to thorougly understand CSV data, MS-Access, and a spreadsheet (Excel is what I used), all relatively trivial compared to MySQL. I believe Paul Dubois also has a great book out that comes highly recommended. I imagine that book will be next in my repertoire, but you might want to make it your first. Skip all the agony and pain I went through and just buy the book. BTW, if you go to the MySQL documentation pages, check out the Dynamic Help section, and the chapters offered in HTML through your browser. Maybe you'll get so good so quickly that you can come back here and help people like me with technical questions! Good luck! Oh, and no one here will kill you. Flame you, maybe, but not "kill you". Ciao! Andrew Lietzow The ACL Group, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php
