Trouble with PHP mysql_select

Question

Ok, I've just started learning php, and for some reason the mysql_connect() and mysql_select_db() do not appear to connect to the database. I also need a good example of a mysql table, as I am not sure what to put in my table. How do I manage to connect my site to the database?! Here is the code I am using in my connect.php page.

    <?php

    //not working
    $connect = mysql_connect('localhost',
    'myuser',  'password', 'mypass')
    or die("This function should work.");

    //still a lingering error

    $db_select = mysql_select_db("mydbname", $connect);
    ?>

Yeah you may way to not post your passwords on here, as nice as everyone is... — itsmequinn, Feb 18 '12 at 13:56
i think this'd be one of the worst places to post passwords to.. as everyone knows what to do with them... — Bogdan, Feb 18 '12 at 13:58
Also, since you are just beginning, do yourself a favor and learn PDO instead of using the legacy `mysql_` family of functions. — Andrew Moore, Feb 18 '12 at 14:02

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 18 '12 at 14:05

If you just start with PHP then a good idea would be to get Apache and MySQL on your own computer. There are plenty of easy installable packages like WAMP (http://www.wampserver.com/en/). There are examples and HOWTOs there. The good in this package, is that there is a PHPMyAdmin that comes packed, and you can use it to make a sample table, or just to play around.

Next, for the concrete code, there is a nice example at the PHP documentation site (http://php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-connect.php).

<?php

$link = mysql_connect('localhost', 'mysql_user', 'mysql_password');
if (!$link) {
    die('Not connected : ' . mysql_error());
}

// make foo the current db
$db_selected = mysql_select_db('foo', $link);
if (!$db_selected) {
    die ('Can\'t use foo : ' . mysql_error());
}
?>

When using the local server you can use the ROOT user in MySQL. For a test table you can make one called, for example friends, with two VARCHAR fields for name and phone number. And you can play around to list them edit them and so on.

Good luck.

Trouble with PHP mysql_select

1 Answers1