Learning Databases - an easy way?

Report · May 03, 2006

I have a project coming up that it would be more efficient to do it as a database rather than a flat site.

However - I know little about the subject.

Without insulting the programmers amongst you - is there a fairly quick and easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?

I've got to start somewhere - so I figured I'd ask those who had been there first!

Any help is greatly appreciated.

t

Report · May 03, 2006

tiger2808 wrote:
> is there a fairly quick and
> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?

Nope.

The book that eventually helped me is "Database Design for Mere Mortals"
by Michael Hernandez. If you locate the book on Amazon, you'll find that
it's got gazillions of reviews, and that people either love it or hate
it. It's repetitive, and Hernandez's style got up my nose, but it did
help me understand databases much better. One of its main advantages is
that its software neutral. It doesn't teach you Access, MySQL, or any
other specific database, but databases in general.

--
David Powers
Author, "Foundation PHP for Dreamweaver 8" (friends of ED)
Author, "Foundation PHP 5 for Flash" (friends of ED)
http://foundationphp.com/

Report · May 03, 2006

On Wed, 03 May 2006 16:32:34 +0100, David Powers <david@example.com>
wrote:

>tiger2808 wrote:
>> is there a fairly quick and
>> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?
>
>Nope.

>
>The book that eventually helped me is "Database Design for Mere Mortals"
>by Michael Hernandez. If you locate the book on Amazon, you'll find that
>it's got gazillions of reviews, and that people either love it or hate
>it. It's repetitive, and Hernandez's style got up my nose, but it did
>help me understand databases much better. One of its main advantages is
>that its software neutral. It doesn't teach you Access, MySQL, or any
>other specific database, but databases in general.

I agree. It also helped me to work through his example steps using
the database structure I was trying to build. There's nothing like
real-life examples to help you grasp a concept! Working with
information I already had my head around helped.

Win
--
Win Day, Wild Rose Websites
http://www.wildrosewebsites.com
winday@NOSPAMwildrosewebsites.com
Skype winifredday

Report · May 03, 2006

> Without insulting the programmers amongst you - is there a fairly quick
> and
> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?

For me, it was trial and error + lot's of questions.

Wasn't terribly quick nor easy, though.

-Darrel

Report · May 03, 2006

I'll add my vote to this as well. Good book.

Now - beyond this what really helps is get Ben Forta's book - Teach Yourself
SQL in Ten Minutes and really study it. You see half of designing databases
is understanding what you will need when communicating with them, and that
takes SQL.

Next get the latest version of MS Access and start designing databases, just
noodling around. Then using the principles in "Mere Mortals" take a second
and third look at what you designed and ask yourself... Is it extendable?
Is the data broken down into it's smallest possible components? Is it
relational? Will it support referential integrity?

Taking the time to do this will allow you to learn enough to allow your
first production database to be good enough that you wont have to later try
to hide when you see the client coming. :-)

WARNING: Access is a really good tool because it makes it so easy to get
started and learn - BUT it also way too forgiving and will let you develop
atrociously bad databases. Just because it works in Access doesn't mean
it's right. Make sure you follow the principles in "Mortals" and don't just
go ahead with whatever Access will allow.

Hope this helps.
--
Lawrence Cramer - Adobe� Community Expert
email: lawrence at cartweaver dot com

Cartweaver CF, ASP & PHP Shopping Cart for Dreamweaver
www.cartweaver.com
news://support.cartweaver.com
=====================================================

"Win Day" <winday@NOSPAMwildrosewebsites.com> wrote in message
news:vglh52pfdel7mpc814v18vf1ue3e0tbe7m@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 03 May 2006 16:32:34 +0100, David Powers <david@example.com>
> wrote:
>
>>tiger2808 wrote:
>>> is there a fairly quick and
>>> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?
>>
>>Nope.

>>
>>The book that eventually helped me is "Database Design for Mere Mortals"
>>by Michael Hernandez. If you locate the book on Amazon, you'll find that
>>it's got gazillions of reviews, and that people either love it or hate
>>it. It's repetitive, and Hernandez's style got up my nose, but it did
>>help me understand databases much better. One of its main advantages is
>>that its software neutral. It doesn't teach you Access, MySQL, or any
>>other specific database, but databases in general.
>
> I agree. It also helped me to work through his example steps using
> the database structure I was trying to build. There's nothing like
> real-life examples to help you grasp a concept! Working with
> information I already had my head around helped.
>
> Win
> --
> Win Day, Wild Rose Websites
> http://www.wildrosewebsites.com
> winday@NOSPAMwildrosewebsites.com
> Skype winifredday

Report · May 03, 2006

if your into using gui tools sqlmanager is not too bad, from sqlmanager.net,
it has an interface like access but one can do alot more with it.

ok it is not as good as just doing everything by hand, but there is so much
to learn now a days any bit helps.

regards

kenny

"tiger2808" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:e3ahfv$qco$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I have a project coming up that it would be more efficient to do it as a
> database rather than a flat site.
>
> However - I know little about the subject.
>
> Without insulting the programmers amongst you - is there a fairly quick
> and
> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?
>
> I've got to start somewhere - so I figured I'd ask those who had been
> there
> first!
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> t
>

Report · May 04, 2006

As others have pointed out, it is important to learn as much as you can
about databases if you intend to build database driven sites. An awful lot
of people in your position seem to adopt the opinion that the front end is
all important and the DB is a bit of an afterthought. This is definately NOT
the case. If your DB is bad then the functionality of the site is bad. While
your user interface is of course important, it all comes to nothing if you
have not given time and thought to your database.

Take time to gain some understanding of Databases and how they work.

Pat.

"tiger2808" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:e3ahfv$qco$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I have a project coming up that it would be more efficient to do it as a
> database rather than a flat site.
>
> However - I know little about the subject.
>
> Without insulting the programmers amongst you - is there a fairly quick
> and
> easy route to learning the basics of such an animal?
>
> I've got to start somewhere - so I figured I'd ask those who had been
> there
> first!
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> t
>

Report · May 04, 2006

I appreciate ALL the responses. Thanks. I want to create the cleanest databases possible, so I would take the time to do it correctly or at least to the best of my knowledge!

Thanks!