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So...I'm just getting really frustrated now.  I've been reading through several of these chapters several times.  My school always tends to not choose books well.  On to the issue though.

 

In several sections I've noted it stating "Connect to MySQL and select the forum database."  This is where the issue lies.  I have MySQL and PHP installed in both operating systems of my laptop (Linux and Windows) and in neither does the referenced database exist.  The book does not even state WHERE or HOW to have this included.

 

How is a person supposed to follow the examples if some crucial components were left out?  It's like giving directions by saying "Just follow me" while in a car to a person on a bicycle.  Saying follow me would be completely worthless. 

 

If someone can at least point me in the right direction to actually have these referenced databases...or to a quality book.  Either way. 

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See Chapter 5, Introduction to SQL. The first section is "Creating databases and tables". That will teach you how to create databases and tables. Then make sure you read Chapter 9, "Using PHP and MySQL". The second section of that chapter is "Connecting to MySQL". 

 

Of course, the book was designed to be read in order, but those two specific sections have the content you're looking for. 

 

I think the first use of "Connect to MySQL and select the X database" after Chapter 9 is Chapter 17. And the very first section of that chapter explains how to make that specific database (the same goes for Chapters 18 and 19). 

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It only shows creating one's own. The databases used for MySQL are the ones in question as the tables for practicing the JOINS are non-existant.

 

Also, the second section of which chapter...though it raises the question of why the book references connecting to a database it has yet to provide the information on connecting to. Ironic to be irrational in order in a programming language instruction based on rationality.

Edited by xanscorp
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All of the databases used in the book, except for the "mysql" database, is "your own", that you create in your MySQL installation. Put another way, the "mysql" database is the only database referenced in the book that would exist outside of the book. That's why the book explains what databases and tables you need to create to follow the examples.

 

There is not a single case in the book where you are instructed to connect to a database that doesn't exist (i.e., that you haven't previously been told to create). If you read the book sequentially and follow all the steps, you'll most certainly have everything you need to follow along. 

 

If you are still confused, please provide a specific example that has you confused--chapter, section, or page number would be great--and I'll be able to point to the specific preceding section that explains the steps you missed. 

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So...the section on JOINS which consist of a bunch of records in the example which are never created by the reader (page 208 for example) are magically created out of nothing?  I think you forgot something major there.  If the respondent is the author of the book (as is assumed by many) I'll state this plainly for you.  Examples in learning material should ONLY be done with tools available.  In other words, your examples should not consist of records which the reader would not actually have.  It is similar to expecting you to be able to properly upgrade a laptop's hard drive if the only tool you have available is a hammer.  (It isn't going to work no matter how hard you smack it with the hammer.)

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The SQL script you can download from my website--included in amongst all the other scripts from the book--have the SQL commands for populating that table for the JOINs content on page 208. 

 

On page 136, I say "I will be performing queries based upon the records I entered into my database. Should your database not have the same specific records...". 

 

On page 137, I say "On the downloads page of the book's...Using some of of those commands, you can populate..."

 

On page 193, I say "You'll probably want to download the SQL commands from the book's corresponding Web site, although you can populate the tables with your own examples and then just change the queries in the rest of the chapter accordingly."

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