Hi, I`m a complete newbie when it comes to MySQL and Perl.
I`m confident with Perl and flat file databases and have some knowledge of ASP and building MSAccess database powered sites.

My question is.. how difficult is it to take a Perl programme (for example, dbman, yeah I know its been done, its just an example) that uses flat file database and convert it to using a MySQL database?

What are the differences, is it just an opening and reading-writing thing using connections and queries or is there a lot more to it?

thanks

chmod

Well anything you know about flat file systems you can throw out. DBI is a completely different system... Instead of lengthy algorithms for opening, perusing through files, etc., you just call DBI functions on a database handle, use plain English (hence the name SQL), and MySQL does the dirty work. Your 100 line + plain Perl database routines can be simplified down to less than 5.

Overall, SQL is quick to pick up on. Once you've learned the basics, you ought to be able to convert your old CSV systems to SQL pretty quickly.

--Philip
Links 2.0 moderator

Hm. Maybe the following links will be of use to you:

• Flat File DataBase 2 MySQL DataBase
• Perl Flat File to MySQL
  

- wil