Creating The Database.
If you've gotten all the AF files uploaded to your hosting account, we can now create the Mysql database to be used with Article Friendly!
Is this going to hurt?
Only a slight sting... Seriously, it's easy to do and a very good thing to learn if you want to use dynamic sites which are far easier to update with new stuff. Static sites have no database and the content never changes unless you manually do the work.
First, you will need to log into your hosting account's version of cpanel. This is the place you can create email accounts, create subdomains, addon domains, buy a new car (just kidding!) and of course, create databases.
Your hosting account's version of cpanel (or whatever it is called) may be different than the images shown below, but not to worry! It's still the same procedure for creating a database in any host's database creation tool.
Inside the beast....
Once you've logged into your hosting account cpanel, you need to find the database creation icon or link. If it doesn't look like the images below, ask your host how to get to the right spot. For this tutorial, we will be using standard Linux cpanel.
The standard Linxu cpanel icon for creating a database may look similar to the image to the left. Yours may look a little different, but it does the same thing. Double click on the Mysql Databases icon now to go to your database creation page, and we can begin creating your new AF database.
Alrighty, I'm in!
We are going to only work on sections of this page in order to not become confusing. You can see the first section we will be working with as there is an arrow pointing right to it!
This box that the arrow is pointing to is where you will create the new database's name. For example (don't actually use this name!), mydb. Enter your chosen database name into the "New Database" box and click on the "Create Database" button to the right... This will take you to a page that says your database was created, and what it's new name is. Stop There!
Database names may have different formats. Look at the page I stopped you on, and see what the database name is. If you named it mydb (and I HOPE you didn't), and your hosting account's username is myhost, your database name may look like "myhost_mydb". Or, it may be just the database name with out the attached hosting account name and underscore. However it is formatted, you will need to copy it just they way it is, or your database connection will not work!
Now, back to the tutorial.
You need to copy/paste the new database name into something like notepad, and minimize it, then click on the "Go Back" link to return to your database creation page in cpanel. You can now see the next part we will be working with which is to create a database username & password. This will be the username & password that the Article Friendly database will use in order to store information, display your articles etc.
As you can see from the image above, we are now going to create a database username/password. Enter the username you wish to use, and then a password in the box below the username box. Try not to use a dictionary word for a password. Mix it up with different caps and numbers!. Once you are happy with both, click on the "Create User" button, and you will again go to a page that tells you the user/pass was successfully created! Click on the "Go Back" link.
Last but not least...
You should be back at your cpanel's database creation page, so locate the last part of the database creation tutorial from the image above. You will first need to choose the database username from the "Users" dropdown menu. This is the username you previously created. Then choose the database name from the "Database" dropdown menu. This is the database name you previously created. Then, click on the "Add User To Database" button below and you will go to a page that will tell you the user was associated with the database. Stop There!
Very Important Stuff!
Now is your oportunity to copy/paste both the database name (if you haven't already) and the database user name to notepad and save it. Also add the password you created so you don't forget it by the time we get back to needing all that information!
Watch The Movie!
One last thing ... Really!
After adding the user to the database and clicking on the "Return" link, look at the bottom of that page. You may have a phpmyadmin link (in older versions of Cpanel), and if so, click on that link to go to your phpmyadmin. If not, click on the "Home" link at the top left (in cpanel but elsewhere in other hosting schemes), return to the cpanel home page, and look for the link that says "phpMyAdmin". That will be where we start the last part of the database tutorial and finishing the last of the actual installation!
