GENESIS – A MySql virgin

[himagain]

Hello,

Have been forced at an advanced age to try and figure out how to operate a mixed program bag.

A small company, we were sold a dog of a program in Delphi that works through MySql under XP ( at moment) and sends reports out via Excel.

I know almost nothing about any of the three and although now have the Source for the Delphi, can't afford to pay for playing with it any further.

The Delphi is very poor coding. Extremely poor. It is full of holes that I'm trying to cover with Excel. MySql has me bluffed after trying to read the “simple tutorials” on it I've found to date.

I have just found SQLyog 3.x and downloading it to try again after confusing myself with 2.5.

What I need to do is:

1. find out how to erase data from a MySQL database and leave the structure intact. ( Cleanup trial data)

2. Export data from the MySQL DB to something more useful than the pathetic Delphi frontend I am stuck with. (Something easier like Approach)

3. Eventually get this data to a Website.

ANY pointers appreciated, especially to non-geek tutorials. :ph34r:

[CalEvans]

QUOTE

Have been forced at an advanced age to try and figure out how to operate a mixed program bag.

Sorry to hear it.

QUOTE

1. find out how to erase data from a MySQL database and leave the structure intact. ( Cleanup trial data)

Using SQLyog:
* Select the table in the left hand navigation tree.
* Right click on it
* Select 'Empty Table'

QUOTE

2. Export data from the MySQL DB to something more useful than the pathetic Delphi front end I am stuck with. (Something easier like Approach)

Using SQLyog:
* Create a result set (enter select * from tablename in the command window area, press F5.)
* Right click on the result set (the data that just appeared below the command window) and select 'Export Result set' You now have 3 options, 2 of which are useful in this situation. CSV and XML.
* Select a file name and any appropriate options. (You may have to experiment a little, different programs like difference CSV options.
* Open Excel and open the export file you just created. I know Excel will open CSV's, I THINK it will also open XML.
Now you should be able to slice, dice or export your data into anything you like. (Sorry, I'm not familiar with Approach.)

QUOTE

3. Eventually get this data to a Website.

Easy Way
* Slice, dice and scrub the data until it looks the way you want it to then use Excel to save as HTML. Push the resulting file to your web server. Optionally, if you get to the point where you can extract the data using SQL statements and don't care about the formatting you can use the Export feature described above to export the file as HTML.
Hard Way
* Install and configure PHP and MySQL on your web server.
* Write a program that will extract, format and present the data in the way you want it to.
(Note, I almost ALWAYS use the hard way.)

Sorry you got burned. I hate it when that happens. Makes us consultants look bad.

HTH,
=C=

*
* Cal Evans
* Stay plugged into your audience.
* http://www.christianperformer.com
*

[himagain]

Hello cal,

Thanks for the sympathy and help! 🙂

I will try it out.

As a tyro I was/am looking for perhaps a *real* entry level tutorial on MySql.

For example I couldn't even follow the “simple” instructions for SQLyog – the terms meant nothing! 🙁

[Ritesh]

The MySQL help docs will be a good place.

[CalEvans]

QUOTE (himagain @ Feb 4 2003, 12:30 PM)

Hello cal, Thanks for the sympathy and help! 🙂 I will try it out. As a tyro I was/am looking for perhaps a *real* entry level tutorial on MySql. For example I couldn't even follow the “simple” instructions for SQLyog – the terms meant nothing! 🙁

Grab yourself a copy of SQL for Dummies. It's the best reference I've found. Once you make it through that, Paul Dubois book on MySQL is good and of course, my favorite, Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties. It's more of a cookbook but it paid for itself the day I bought it.

I don't know of many good tutorials on-line except for (as mentioned) MySql Dot Com I know of several good 'Using PHP with MySQL pages but that's doesn't sound like where you want to go.

HTH,

=C=

[CalEvans]

QUOTE (himagain @ Feb 4 2003, 12:30 PM)

Hello cal, Thanks for the sympathy and help! 🙂 I will try it out. As a tyro I was/am looking for perhaps a *real* entry level tutorial on MySql. For example I couldn't even follow the “simple” instructions for SQLyog – the terms meant nothing! 🙁

Grab yourself a copy of SQL for Dummies. It's the best reference I've found. Once you make it through that, Paul Dubois book on MySQL is good and of course, my favorite, Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties. It's more of a cookbook but it paid for itself the day I bought it.

I don't know of many good tutorials on-line except for (as mentioned) MySql Dot Com I know of several good 'Using PHP with MySQL pages but that's doesn't sound like where you want to go.

HTH,

=C=

[himagain]

QUOTE (Ritesh @ Feb 4 2003, 02:52 PM)

QUOTE:  The MySQL help docs will be a good place.

Hi there,

Actually they are more difficult than the lovely short Yog 3.1 docs to follow! 🙂

The terminology means zilch for the most part to a tyro – might as well be in Russian.

I need a REAL Newby tutorial. 🙂

I'm sure someone out there somewhere has written a step-by-step tutorial with a glossary ……… although maybe not –

I remember trying to help the folks at Mandrake over a period of years – but the *geeks* (see note1) on the Mandrake Newbie (?!) list would attack any suggestion of making things easy to do, with a ferocity like Religious mania.

The only one who did listen started a business called Lindows and overnight is the only light for the future of Linux against the Forces of Darkness.

Mandrake is dead in the water, sadly.

It *IS* hard to do. The more expert you are, the more help you need in writing a sensible tutorial for the inexperienced. I know, I've been there in business, writing Manuals to transfer Western Technology to 3rd World countries.

What the inexperienced writers forget is that there is a minimum of 3 levels to write for:

1. Same or near level as the writer (Academic) (Geek)

2. Explaining new processes or technology for field/industry-experienced people (Geek)

3. INSTRUCTION Manual: (End User) (Note 2:)

3a. Never seen a widget before

3b. Seen it, know what it does, never used it.

3c. Used Widgets before, not this hi-tech new one.

The easiest way is to write a simple How-To aimed at 3b to begin with and point to glossary for any tech terms and expand from there.

Keypoint: The least successful manual writer is the actual inventor/designer. (Geek)

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Note 1: GEEK/S A person of any of the four sexes who would rather wrestle with a technical problem in the field of their supreme interest, than Britney or Nicole. 🙂

Note 2: USER/End User. Someone who has no interest in the technology, no matter how Kewl and who only wants to use it as a tool to get a specific job done. Just wants to know how to use it, period.

---

Having said all o'that, a big thanks to the people who wrote this package and put it out there for anyone to use as a gift.

I KNOW it is amazing – all I need to do is find out how to drive it……………….

Cheers,

Himagain (John)

[McGruff]

QUOTE (himagain @ Feb 3 2003, 12:52 PM)

What I need to do is: 1. find out how to erase data from a MySQL database and leave the structure intact. ( Cleanup trial data) 2. Export data from the MySQL DB to something more useful than the pathetic Delphi frontend I am stuck with. (Something easier like Approach) 3. Eventually get this data to a Website.

Maybe you plan on doing this all yourself but, if not, I could create a php front end for your website database. Of course, you'll have to have (or get) a server which supports php..

Send me an email with some more details: [email protected]. I do this professionally – but not expensively : )

PS: the above site is just a rough draft at present so don't be put off by that!

[Author]

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