Databasing

[yanng1]

Hi, thanks for taking a moment to read my post.  I want to build a forum on my company's website, but it's seriously difficult to get involved with database tools when you have zero guidance.  My webspace provider has a tool which I can use to generate a MySQL database, and I have employed that tool, but I dont' know what to do now.  I have tried to research this online, (same way I learned everything else over the years) but have only found sites and articles which seem to assume the user already knows alot about MySQL or PHP.  Any input from an experienced MySQL user would be greatly appreciated.  My biggest Q is " how do I interface with the database now that my webspace host has automatically installed the software?"

Thanks for reading

[unlovedwarrior]

do you want to build a forum from scratch??

[soybean]

Are you the webmaster for the company's website?  Do you have access to the cPanel on your hosting service's site?  If not, I'd get together with whoever has access, logon to the web server for the company's website and see whether forum installation is available as part of their service. 

Many hosting services provide forum software as part of the benefit package of the hosting plan and they make installing a forum very easy.  I'm assuming the company pays for hosting for their website; my comments will not apply to free hosting.  A fee-based hosting service will normally have any user control panel, often called cPanel, where you can control various aspects of your account, and this is where you'd find a menu or button to install a forum.  Of course, you would then need to logon to the forum admin panel and set up your forum sections, etc.

[yanng1]

I am admin, I subscribe to a hosting package from a large firm.  there is a tool which installs a MySQL database on the control panel of the hosting site.  I have installed the database.  there is literature on the site but as I said earlier it assumes the user knows at least how to interface with the database, which I do not.  this is frustrating to me as I am not a newbie to computer sciences or programming.  I am just new to databasing.  furthermore, the literature on the site is very limited.  no article is more than 2 or 3 sentences long, which I think would be a little lack-luster even for a novice.  So if anyone might point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it

[soybean]

Here's a screen print of cPanel from totalchoicehosting.com.  It shows SMF Discussion Boards (circled in red) as being available for installation, and clicking on the link for New Installation (circled in red) executes the installation.  No installing of MySQL is needed.  The installation procedure initiated from cPanel installs all the required files for the forum.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/farmpond/cPanel1.jpg

[yanng1]

That would be a very sweet option, but I do not have it.  netFirms (my host) only offers "30 mySQL databases" with the level of account I have chosen.  On the cPanel I have the exclusive option to "install MySQL database".  having chosen that option, it prompts me to choose under which URL I would like to install the database.
I chose the appropriate url, but it seems that I am on my own from here, to use the installed files to program a forum into the site.  How hard can it be right? XD

[soybean]

With my hosting service, the option to install an SMF forum is not at all conspicuous by looking at cPanel.  cPanel has a button for a feature called Fantastico.  Only by clicking on the Fantastico icon do I see the panel where the option to install SMF appears. 

Are you sure the option is not hidden somewhere in your cPanel options?

[soybean]

Here ya go, from Netfirms: How do I install phpBB so I can add a forum?.

[yanng1]

Thank you Soybean.  My site has a forum on it.  NOw I just gotta figure out how customise it's appearance.  but that is a question for another forum!

[soybean]

So, you installed a phpBB forum based on the info on the link I posted?  Yes, phpBB has a support forum; it's at http://www.phpbb.com/community/ if you haven't found it yet.  Your host service also has a forum, doesn't it?  And, phpBB has more support options @ http://www.phpbb.com/support/.  Getting into the admin panel and navigating around through the various screens should also help you familiarize yourself with the features.