TutorialsPoint provides online users with a variety of free educational content. The company’s mission, “Simply Easy Learning,” is strictly educational.
TutorialsPoint provides beginner SQL users with an introduction to MySQL in a PHP environment here. The tutorial begins at a most basic level with an introduction to databases, MySQL, and its syntax. As users click through the pages of the tutorial, they will learn the basic definitions, relational database management systems (RDBMS), and their related content. It presents a definition of terms useful to understanding databases, allowing users to understand the workings of databases before diving into specific syntax for creating a new MySQL instance or managing data.
Pros:
- Download/setup assistance: Users are guided in downloading and installing MySQL on Linux/Unix and Windows, setting up MySQL accounts, and getting started on creating their own database.
- Quick reference: The tutorial provides a “Useful Functions” section, which allows for quick syntax reference supplemented with examples.
Function example section - Connection to web development: Users who are experienced with web development, specifically those using PHP, will likely find this a great resource for integrating databases into their sites.
Cons:
- No Mac assistance: The site unfortunately does not provide instruction for downloading and installing MySQL on OS X.
- Assumption of experience working from command-line or using PHP: TutorialsPoint suggests that the information presented will be most easily understood by users who are at all familiar with web development and/or working in a Linux environment. The specifics of MySQL syntax are presented for both PHP files and the command line, which may be limiting to new users unfamiliar with these environments.
tl;dr? Ultimately, this resource is both comprehensible and thorough enough to be useful to anyone who is beginning to use SQL, regardless of their level of programming experience; however, new users may likely find other tutorials more useful as a more general starting point for database creation and design. TutorialsPoint provides an introduction to MySQL that will be most useful for users experienced with web design who are looking to add database functionality to their websites.