What does mysql actually do?

[heartdesign]

Hi, i'm David, i'm extremely new to this website business. What does mysql actually do?

I've got a contact page where people can sign up to newsletters, could mysql sort all their information into a database?

any help would be appreciated.

[navaldesign]

Re: What does mysql actually do?

In Just a few words: My SQL is a relational Database Management System. It allowes you to store and retrieve data on a server, providing a set of specific instructions (commands) that allow you to set criteria when searching / retrieving / storing / editing the data.

Nowdays is the most common database management system used on the net.
Scripts that make use of MySQL databases can be writen in almost all commonly used programmimg languages. However, php is the most common in Unix (Linux, etc) systems as the ones VH has.

[heartdesign]

Re: What does mysql actually do?

Thank you for your reply but did i mention im extremely new?

how hard will it be to write the codes to set up a mysql?
could a novice such as myself do it?

thanks.

[navaldesign]

Re: What does mysql actually do?

depends on what you want to do. For simple tasks, you can use pieces of code that you can find on the net, for more complicated tasks it will be rather hard.

Coding for MySQL implies coding in php. So you need to learn the basics of php first, tehn learn specific comands for mysql.