Help with database

[PinkXcstasy Tylman]

Hello,

Seeking some help with creating an inworld database that connects to outworld. I need to be able to toggle the stats on Huds such as health, money etc  from an outworld database.

[PeterCanessa Oh]

If you want something that already exists - post in the wanted (http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Wanted/bd-p/Wanted) forum

If you want someone to write something for you - post in the inworld employment (http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Inworld-Employment/bd-p/InworldEmployment) forum

If you want some help writing this yourself - you're in the right place but we'd need to know what help you want.

 

[LepreKhaun]

Setting up what you need isn't trivial. Here's what the requirements are:

1. A dedicated web site for the off world database.
2. Access to tools such as cPanel, myPHP and mySQL on the website.
3. A database set up on the web site.
4. A way to communicate with the database, usually through a PHP file, which is ideal for this.
5. Finally, a web server/client written in LSL to go within the HUD that would then interact with the PHP file.

 

In short, the scriptor should have a working knowledge of site administration, mySQL, PHP, HTTP protocols and the http LSL functions.

 

If you look for someone to do this, try to find someone who has set up a similar system before. It isn't easy the first time and you may end up paying (dearly!) for their learning experience otherwise.

[Yingzi Xue]

Everything LepreKhaun said is spot on.

 

I've set up such a system for my SL business needs. It isn't something I would recommend you pay someone else to do for you. The main reason, it's perpetual. What that means is, once you have it set up, you need to maintain the server, modify code internally and externally to accommodate new data and new/changing products. Not only that, you have to pay for a server, be familiar with all of the above (as LepreKhaun listed) and be capable of doing what needs to be done as necessary. If you're lucky enough to find a person willing to set it all up for you, even rent you server space, you would pay through the nose for their expertise and the continued work that would be needed for your project.

 

If you're technically inclined and want to do this yourself then reference the list and get started. You can find LSL examples here for HTTP functions, but the external side is beyond the scope of this forum.

 

Again, this is a technical project with many facets. I don't recommend you attempt it if you're not willing to invest the time and effort beyond having someone else do it for you.

[steph Arnott]

This is pro work, I have no idea were you would start and I imagine the time involved would be considerable to the extent of doing nothing else. As you asked the question in the forum, I very much doubt that you have the expertise to pull it off, sorry I know that sounds hard, If the others here that posted have reservations then I myself would not even start the project. But if you determined then good luck.

[PeterCanessa Oh]

---

Yingzi Xue wrote:

...continued work that would be needed for your project.....

---

That is such an important point.  It's not creating a couple of database tables or PHP web-page <-> LSL script communications that's the killer, it's the continual and continuing maintenance such a tool requires.

[LepreKhaun]

 Yingzi, Steph and Peter all bring up valid issues but it's not all bad news, by any means. It's just a matter of taking things step by step, in order of increasing difficulty.

 

1. Get a web host with cPanel. Cpanel will have all the other site tools and has an easy to learn graphical interface with a user manual that will practically walk you through setting up the server side. Shop around for a web hosting solution, keeping price secondary to reputation- "cheap" could end up being be rather expensive otherwise.
2. Learn the basics of PHP, which is actually much easier to learn than LSL and you don't need to learn it all, there are many beginner tutorials that cover exactly what you need to know 
3. Set up the MySQL database. This may take a couple of days since you'll need to learn some terms if you haven't worked with databases before. But plenty of beginner tutorials on that as well.
4. Get PHP and MySQL working together. Your PHP file/script is the intermediary between your database and the internet. It receives messages from you and passes commands to the database as well as receiving the results of these commands and relaying them back to you.
5. Implement the LSL, which will require a basic understanding of the HTTP protocols and getting to know the llHTTP* functions. Here's a link that may help, but only after completing the first 4 steps- http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LSL_HTTP_server/examples
6. Debugging the set up. Because of the LSL<->PHP<->MySQL interplay, any number of problems might rear there ugly head at this point. And some of the problems may have not-so-obvious solutions. A telnet application may be needed to find some causes. Just keep Hexagram 5 in mind throughout this- Perseverance brings good fortune.
7. Learn database maintenance. You can save this for last but don't skip it, the knowledge will be needed eventually. DB's are fickle critters and require care and feeding.

Google will be your friend throughout this. There's a wealth of knowledge, especially beginner tutorials. The idea here is to find the ones that are specific to the step you're working on at the moment.