hello blueplanet!

wow, you've got quite a question that's reminded me of fun times when i last worked with dreamweaver and php-mysql database here goes..

SQL –
Well, depends on what you want to use..

If you want to go the Microsoft way, there’s always the free Microsoft “MSDE”. It’s Microsoft’s free version of an SQL database.

If you want to go the “free-open-source (FOSS)” path, you can easily download “XAMPP”. XAMPP is a compilation of FOSS projects, primarily it stands for Apache-MYSQL-PHP-Perl that is designed to easily run for Windows (or MAC/Linux). I use XAMPP for Windows because its easy to configure and understand.

XAMMP contains the Apache server -- you can use Apache if you do not have a web server yet, OR you can user Windows IIS is that is your preference.

XAMPP contains MYSQL – this is essentially an SQL database, so SQL commands and theories will work with MYSQL. Unless your project specifically needs the Microsoft branded “Microsft SQL Server 20XX”, you can settle with MYSQL or other free/paid SQL databases.


Download XAMPP here: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html

When you have XAMPP installed and running, you should see the XAMMP control panel similar to the one below..


Make sure that MYSQL server is running.

If you will be using Apache as the web server, then it should be running as well. If you are using Microsoft IIS or a different webserver, then disable the Apache server.

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Some things to remember:


Enable these to have incoming and outgoing access on the Windows Vista/ Windows 7 Firewall:

• Dreamweaver.exe
• MySQL – mysqld.exe
• Apache – httpd.exe

Remember to create a MYSQL account that has access to the MYSQL database which you’ll be working on
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Now onto Dreamweaver + MYSQL..

Im using Dreamweaver 8, its an old version as of now, but configuring Dreamweaver with a MYSQL database should be of the same concept as below:

1. Define a new “Site” in Dreamweaver
   
   
2. Setup the other fields specific to your files location, and server info
   
   
3. In the settings of the new site, make sure that the Testing Server is set to use PHP MYSQL
   
   
   
4. Copy your static files (html, pictures and media etc) onto the folder location of the new Dreamweaver site.
   
   
5. When you get to the page where you need to define a database connection, open Dreamweaver’s Database window. Go to Dreamweaver Menu – Window – Databases (or press Ctrl+Shift+F10). Click on the “+” sign to add a new database connection
   
   
   
6. Input the details for connecting to your MYSQL database. The values here depend on the login account that you created on the MYSQL database itself.
   
   You can press the Test button to make sure that the login and database connection is correct. Click the Select button to select the database that you need to work on.
   
   
7. The Database window of Dreamweaver now changes. Dreamweaver is now actively connected to MYSQL. You can view the three basic parts of your MYSQL database – stored procedures, database tables, and your custom database view.
   
   
   
8. Notice that a new file has been created. It has been named as “Connection name” that we had input earlier. Viewing this file in Dreamweaver shows the PHP contents that is responsible for connecting to MYSQL.
   

There you go, with this setup, Dreamweaver is already connected to your MYSQL database

One of the advantages coding with Dreamweaver is that it's able to fetch the MYSQL table names, so when you're in the process of creating your sql statements, Dreamweaver can help with the autocomplete of database tables/field names.

Goodluck on this feel free to post back if you have questions