Chapter 11: Working with Databases

This chapter covers the core principles of relational Database Management Systems (DBMSs), which are essential components of most dynamic websites. We will cover the essential, core concepts that you will need to know to build dynamic, database-driven sites. You will see how these databases are designed and administered, and learn about Structured Query Language (SQL), which allows you to search through data in the database efficiently. Finally, we illustrate connections and queries through a variety of PHP techniques. Databases taught at the university level go far beyond the scope of this practical, hands-on chapter. We cannot hope to cover all database concepts, and so we focus on key terms, principles, and tools that allow you to get working with databases right away. Nonetheless, this is the lengthiest chapter in the book; this material is, however, essential for creating any dynamic website.