Question

I want to get sql running on my mac. I’m just messing around with sql for now to see what it can do, but essentially what I would like to do is this:

• Get sql running and connect it with excel or some sort of database server. Whichever is better for creating relational databases.
• create a few sample databases and run some practice queries. I’m not doing anything too complex, I just want to be able to follow along with the examples in the book I’m reading (The book doesn’t explain how to install sql).
• to get C, java or python to interact with sql. I’d like to be able to randomly generate arbitrary values through those languages, call a sql function to store these values, then run a few sample programs on this data.

Specific questions to achieve this:

1. Where do I download sql? What packages should I install alongside? I googled all this information myself, but 9/10 times I find it near impossible to get these languages running on my own.

2. Do you have any specific recommendations for basic and simple databases to run on a mac. Where can I download these?

3. What are some recommended IDEs for SQL?

4. What packages should I install to communicate between C/Java/Python with SQL? Is this even necessary?

Keep in mind I am an absolute novice when it comes to SQL, so simplicity is key 🙂

Answer 1

I use MYSQL and the MYSQL Workbench. After you download it, you could use the tutorial on how to use it, build databases & such here:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/workbench/en/wb-getting-started-tutorial.html

you will also probably want to enable the apache server that comes with Mac OSX:

http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/28/working-with-php-5-in-mac-os-x-105/

then you will want to learn a bit of PHP or Ruby on Rails to interface with your C, Java or Python.

This is what I did with my mac and I had everything up and running within 2hrs.