hi

My new host offer MS SQL with there package. I know it is a database of some sort but could some one tell me what it is about or where could i learn more and which program do i need to make and MS SQL database. Im just using MS Access database at the minute.

Thanks

MS SQL is an enterprise level database server. It is extremely powerful and a great choice for any web applications back end. In order to build your database you will need a tool of some description.
Most people choose to use Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Manager as it is a tool Administrators use to manage SQL Server. If you would like to try this tool and any other components of SQL Server, you can download a 120 day evaluation copy from Microsoft’s website at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluation/trial

You can also use MS Access to connect to a SQL Server database using a Data Access Project. You can build tables and queries that way but it is not ideal when compared to the proper tools.

Microsoft SQL Server is similar to Access, but it is built for enterprise level developement. What this means for you is that it's a lot more complicated to use, but runs much much faster. SQL Server comes with an "Enterprise Manager" program, which could be used to access and modify your database, I do not know if microsoft offers this program for free or not, but I dont believe they do. In addition there are web-based management options available, which may be offered by your web host for free, I would check with them about this possibility.

Web Based Solutions:
http://www.aspenterprisemanager.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=C039A798-C57A-419E-ACBC-2A332CB7F959&displaylang=en

All-in-all, if you dont know what SQL Server is it is probably too powerful for you needs, but you asked for information and I tried my best to give it to you.

Thanks, i'm want to learn every thing there is about web development. My cousen said he going to uni to learn about computers and the web and i said i could learn all they would teach and more for next to nothing on the web. I m proving him wrong!

Plus i will never no if i don't ask!

If you want to find out more about MS SQL then here are a couple of links for you:

http://www.sqlteam.com
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/default.mspx

Good luck with your research :)

Would i need SQL server 7/2000/2005 on my machine to be able to use it on my host?

No you do not. You simply need the tools. When you install any of those it will give you the option to just install the tools and not the server if you want to.

You only need the client tools in order to connect. I would suspect that your hosting provider's license fee covers your use of the MS client tools, but you may want to check this.

If you've only used Access and are not fussed with learning about MS-SQL, then look for the Access Upsizing Wizard, this will port your Access code to SQL Server. It's worth noting though, Access has the database backend and also a forme based front end. MS SQL is burely the database backend, you'll need to code your own frontend using ASP (or one of the .NET languages if your provider supports them)

PS MSSQL 2005 is only in beta (not even full public beta if I recall correctly), the current beta tools don't yet support backwards compatibility with SQL 2000. Stay clear unless you fully understand what you are doing !

I don't understand yet but i hopfully willsoon!

Ask your hosting provider for a web based administration tool, they will probably have it like aspenterprise or something else so you probably won't even need to install client tools like enterprise manager or something else but rather manage it via the web based application your hosting provides.