I'm forwarding this to the list, as someone asked me on list today about this, and I can't find their post to respond to... > >Speaking as someone new with MySQL. I can see your point Ed about this > >being a general database question, but were do you draw the line? If > >the tool you are using is MySQL and what you are looking for is a > >solution with that tool, then isn't this the place to post that > >question? If you were to find an "alt.database" news group, the first > >thing they would ask you is what database are you using? So the finger > >pointing becomes circular. This group says it is the databases job to > >help, the database group says it is a MySQL's group to help. Not really > >trying to be sarcastic, just looking for a valid source of information > >when I am trying to solve database issues using MySQL as the tool. > > >From my POV, if it's a generic SQL question, it really doesn't belong on the > MySQL list - stuff like "how do I join two tables" or "how do I update all > records with x". That's why I suggested a decent book on SQL, because most > SQL you will find applies to any database running SQL. > > For example, a "select * from xyz" will run the same, regardless of the > database, be it MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Informix, Sybase, what-have-you. > Most of the database-specific stuff comes in two forms - (1) features in the > SQL specification that aren't supported by the database or (2) extensions to > the standard. That I would expect to have answered by the list - but only > after at least glancing through the manual (which, by the way, has an > excellent search tool). I think that in the two years I've been using MySQL > I think I've posted two questions to the list, and the last question I had > that I couldn't find in the manual was answered by searching for the error > message in the list archives. As a general rule, if you're having a problem > with MySQL, someone in the past has probably had the same problem, and it is > a great time-saver to look through the FAQ section of the manual and the > list archives to see if someone has already answered the question rather > than post it yet again to the list. > > Make sense? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php
