Use
these bookmarks to jump around the tutorial:
Congratulations! You’ve
finished the Database Basics tutorial. This tutorial should give you a good
understanding of the fundamental concepts of adding, updating, retrieveing and
deleting data using SQL.
Anything Else?
Remember, the skills
that you have learned here are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more
concepts and helpful tools just waiting for you out there.
The next best step in
learning how to work with databases is to actually create one yourself. Take
some time and investigate the databases that are available to you.
If you are looking
something simple to start you off I would suggest Microsoft Access. Access will
provide you with a straight forward interface to design and create tables. It
will also allow you to use some the SQL commands that you have learned here.
If you do not own a copy
of Access and don’t want to spend the money to get one, I would suggest
investigating MySQL. MySQL is downloadable and free to individuals (be careful
not to apply MySQL to commercial uses without a proper license). You can
download MySQL at MySQL.com. A
word of caution, though. MySQL comes in just under 100 different flavors for all
sorts of operating systems (alright, 100 is a bit of an exaggeration). It may
take you some time to find the one that will work for your system and get it
implemented correctly.
If you are interested in
continuing your education in SQL, there are several books available including
Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes. We will also be doing an
intermediate series on SQL in the future, so check HTMLGoodies often.
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What
Next?
Once you have decided on
a database, create a small project for yourself. Start with something simple
like an address book that has your friends’ names, addresses, telephone numbers
and email addresses. This will provide you with a perfect opportunity to
practice your skills.
So, what are some other
uses for a database?
If you take a moment to
examine our information based world, you will probably notice that databases are
used in almost everything we do. They track our checking accounts, our buying
habits, our credit cards, our personal contact information, our taxes and more.
They also provide us with information we need in the form of news content,
product information, technical information and more. Information on almost
anything you can think of is stored somewhere on a database.
Let’s look at some
specific examples that can be applied to the web. We’ll start off with some
personal database projects:
-
A friends directory that
can be accessed form your website. -
A list of photographs of
your children that your friends and family can download. -
A schedule of events for
your child’s school activities that friends and family can access. -
A DVD exchange that
allows friends to post new DVD’s they buy and loan movies out.
Those are just a few
suggestions. I’m sure you will come up with many more as you continue to develop
your own personal websites.
Now let’s look at some
commercial web uses:
-
A newsletter site that
displays old articles stored in a database. -
A banking site allowing
access to account information. -
A scientific research
site that provide white papers to researchers. -
An online store of any
kind. -
A technical support site
with technical information and downloads.
Again, these are just a
few of the instances where a database plays an iatrical role in providing
information.
So, how do I use a
database with my web development?
Well, there are many
different technologies available to you that allow you to access all sorts of
DBMS’s. Some of the more notable ones would include
ASP,
ASP.NET, Perl,
PHP and
JSP. Each have
their own advantages and disadvantages, so take some time to check them out. And
if none of the technologies I list here appeal to you there are many more out
there.
Good luck and happy
programming!
