working with mySQL vs. Access on a webhost

[rh71]

I've always worked with Access ODBC and I would simply setup a DSN name on my webhost's control panel. Just give it a DSN name and tell it which Access database correlates to it.

Now I'm trying to build my skills and move over to MySQL. My questions:

1) Is it faster and more robust than Access? Some of my new sites will probably need more database access and MS Access may not handle it... is MySQL much better?

2) How do I set up to use MySQL through a webhost in general? Do they have a control panel for it? Is it just setting up another ODBC connection?

3) I normally create the Access DB then upload to my webhost. MySQL isn't as easy to simply create locally and upload... how do I go about it?

Thanks much for any advice or direction.

[roly]

mySQL can handle more constant connections.

No ODBC has nothing to do with mySQL

To use mysql make sure you have PHP and get phpMyAdmin (http://phpmyadmin.sf.net)
To install phpMyAdmin ask your host for your mysql db info and config it into phpmyadmin configs

To use mySQL use PHP or Perl (ASP won't work)
See http://php.weblogs.com/ADOdb if you want to connect to mysql from PHP

[rh71]

Thnx for your response. Ok, let me put it this way... no PHP for me... I am using ColdFusion for this project (and most future projects)... so I guess mySQL will never be for me.

I am basically looking for a more robust database to support CF... Access seems really slow and people always complain about Access' simplicity in nature anyway... so I don't believe it's built for the way I use it. Bottom line, is SQL Server 2000 that much better than Access? Is that ODBC compliant ? Obviously the webhost must support it, what do they usually use besides Access or mySQL ?

[GregT]

Originally posted by roly
mySQL can handle more constant connections.

No ODBC has nothing to do with mySQL

To use mysql make sure you have PHP and get phpMyAdmin (http://phpmyadmin.sf.net)
To install phpMyAdmin ask your host for your mysql db info and config it into phpmyadmin configs

To use mySQL use PHP or Perl (ASP won't work)
See http://php.weblogs.com/ADOdb if you want to connect to mysql from PHP

not true , ASP scripts can use MySQL databases

[roly]

Well with some good coding you could use mySQL with Cold Fusion:)

[GregT]

It would be easier just to use M$ SQL , than recoding ur ColdFusion script for mysql and MSSQL is ODBC compatible :)

[rh71]

Thx again. My host (readyhosting) supports MS SQL Server for an additional $25/yr. Do you guys think this DB provides that much better performance over Access ? For example, My Forums (http://www.rh71.com/forum/) run on an Access DB backend and it's noticeably slow. I've seen other FuseTalk forums run with SQL Server 2000 backends and loads as fast as this forum here does.

Think it'll definitely help out ?