mysql help

[[deleted]]

I'm learning MySQL at this time and I want to create a newsletter subscribe/unsubscribe php script as my project for learning.

My web host provided me with the following that I have created.

host, username, password, and databasename.

They told me I need to create a table name with elements in it. In my case I would create a table called subscribers and the element that will be inserted will be the subscribers email address.

So basically the table should look like this.

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

My problem is how do I create this stuff and how do I use it. Does anyone know a good MySQL book that works with PHP?

Also can you please help me out.. at least point me in the right direction to get me started.

I got the following information from a PHP book, but it doesn't explain what %s and %d are and so-on.

$host = "xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx";
$user = "admin";
$pass = "adminpass";
$dbname = "newsletter";
$tableName = "subscribers";

$stmt = "CREATE TABLE %s (EMAIL CHAR(255))";

if(!($link=mysql_connect($host,$user,$pass))) {
printError(sprintf("Error connecting to host %s, by user %s.", $host, $user));
exit;
}

if(!mysql_select_db($dbname, $link)) {
printError(sprintf("Error in selecting %s database.", $dbname));
printError(sprintf("Error: %d %s", mysql_errno($link), mysql_error($link)));
exit;
}

if(!mysql_query(sprintf($stmt,$tableName), $link)) {
printError(sprintf("Error in executing %s stmt", $stmt));
printError(sprintf("Error: %d %s", mysql_errno($link), $mysql_error($link)));
exit;
}

function printError($errorMesg) {
printf("<br> %s <br>\n", $errorMesg);
}

What do I do with this and what do I need to do after. I'm only collecting the email address and inserting it into a table.

Thanks a bunch!

[cvincent]

MySQL good book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735709211/o/qid=978662237/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_3/105-7353211-3635923

Links:
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_Reference.html#CREATE_TABLE
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_Reference.html#SELECT
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_Reference.html#INSERT
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_Reference.html#DELETE

You are going to want to create a table with:
CREATE TABLE list (email varchar);

And select stuff with:
SELECT * FROM list

And enter stuff with:
INSERT INTO list "email@addy";

Delete with:
DELETE FROM list WHERE email = "email@addy"

-Chris

[girish]

The %d and %s things are for the Programming language. The %d represents a number and %s is the string.(for more information http://www.phpbuilder.com/manual/function.sprintf.php) So Basicly in your sprintf statement they print what ever string, and then in the string they use %d's and %s's where they need to. After the string you just pass all the variables into the function seperated by commas. For example if I wanted to print "my name is girish" but girish is in the variable "name" which is a string, you would "sprintf("my name is %s", $name)" and that would send the name as a argument to the function sprintf, allowing it to know what %s's value is. Hope this helps.

[Anon]

Hey,

I don't know which OS you are using, but if it's Linux, MySQL comes with a pretty good manual to help get you started. It's a lot cheaper than a book.

Beyond that, there is pleny of help and advice on line. Chris provided some great links and both have some good advice for you.

Another tool you may want to consider is PHPMyAdmin. It's a web based administration tool for MySQL databases that let's you do a ton of stuff. Really saves on effort. There is a version for Postgress as well. My mSQL, there is a program called DBUI.

Lastly, check the list of stories here and read about database normalization. This is very important stuff and understanding just the basics of it will save you tons of headache. Especially on the larger projects like the one I'm finishing up now.

Later on,
Terrence

[andyman]

I am doing the same kind of thing at the moment to make an emailing list for my band. An excellent book is "Beginning PHP4" published by Wrox. This takes you through all the basics of PHP to quite a high level and has 3 chapters on integrating it with MySQL, as well as an intro to SQL. I knew absolutely nothing before I got this book, and I've nearly finished my project now.

hope this helps

Andy