Microsoft SQL vs MySQL
 

In college I learned the basics of Microsoft SQL. Built some small databases and websites with ASP.net / Microsoft Visual Web Developer / etc.

Is Microsoft SQL a waste of time? Should i now focus on learning MySQL? Seems like everything runs on MySQL, why is that? Does ASP.net go well with MySQL or should i learn PHP? Is it easy learning MySQL if you know Microsoft SQL?

I just want to practice designing some simple database dependent websites. :)

php/mysql is where its at, son

MySQL is crap, but it's free. PHP is crap, but it's free.

You'll find now this correlates throughout every industry, however. You can still do some pretty amazing things with crap. :thumbsup

Mysql all the way....this is not even a question.. you'll find 100x more support for your things

Development cost in Php/mysql is far less then php/mysql. Also sites used to be more stable if they ran on unix. Not sure if that's really true since I think Amazon & Amazon both run windows now.

just like everything else we learned in school, It's worthless in the real world.

Bingo.

Don't touch PHP / MySQL unless you want to jump on the whole Linux Apache Mysql bandwagon. Despite all the hype caused by free open source products and so forth, they tend to suck, particularly the aforementioned language.

Unless you want to spend your time wallowing in filth, stick to the commercial enterprise grade stuff. Mssql, Asp / .NET.

Allright, installed MYSQL. Seems easy enough. I have the time, might as well learn both!

As in MSSQL, is there a 'Enterprise Manager' for MYSQL? A visual interface would be nice. Having to do everything in command line is boring/tedious.

Really? I've been running Linux/MySQL servers since 1998 and they couldnt have been more stable and would completely outperform any NT setup. I had one server that had an uptime of almost 3 years, show me an NT server that could do that.

Anything wrong with using ASP.net and MySQL? Would rather go that route then learning php. ASP is simple with a Visual Basic background.

If you were so inclined, there is MySQL Connector .NET.

for websites - yes, myhspq and php are the way to go.
For serious Data ware house - MS SQL is way more stable and better performing than mysql or oracle.

install mysql-query-browser for gui

I disagree, using PHP, there is no concept of framework / struts... much time is wasted trying to achieve some very simple things due to this absence, not to mention plain shortfallings of the language.

Unless it is something dead simple, PHP / MySQL just don't cut it.

EMS MySQL Manager is the most amazing tool for working with MySQL. The Lite version is free.