databases, tables, cells, etc.

[giants10]

okay so im trying to come up with a model for the database that I'm going to have to set up for my new website. Does each table have to link together in some sort? Also when it comes to forums, how do you think I should organize everything?

I have a table called forums but how should I set it up to organize everything?

[Fumigator]

You really need to read a book or two.

Google "relational database design". Pick up a couple of books at your library on Relational Database Design. Do some studying for a while. Work through examples-- actually do the work of creating tables and writing queries for the tables in the examples. You have to roll up your sleeves at some point; we can't magically make your brain understand the concepts that entire books have been written to explain.

[o0O0o.o0O0o]

You need to Draw the Entity Relationship Diagram before building the website .
It will tell you which tables are linked with which other tables . Without ER no website can e designed .

[giants10]

i drew up a sample relational database design and i had a few questions. one, does every table have to link with another one?

also, inside of tables are what rows? so if you put in a table

my_id
my_username
my_password

and in another table you put

my_id
my_books

then if you were to have "my_id" for anyone, you could find out their username, password and books?

[Fumigator]

one, does every table have to link with another one?

No, not every table has to be related to another table. Some tables are just out there. It depends entirely on your requirements.

then if you were to have "my_id" for anyone, you could find out their username, password and books?

Yeah.

[giants10]

what do you think the best way is to organize the database for groups that have forums?

[giants10]

because i read on some other post to have 3 tables for a forum but if you have multiple groups, how could you link them all together?

[Fumigator]

http://www.codingforums.com/showpost.php?p=680918&postcount=2