Why this decision matters
Most database courses stop at "here's how to write a query." This one keeps going. By the time you're done, you'll have actually deployed a database to the public internet — which is a different (and more interesting) skill than just designing one. Hostinger costs about $36 for the semester and gives you a permanent professional asset: your own domain, your own database, a real portfolio piece.
What you walk away with
A live database-driven web application at YourName.com, accessible from anywhere. This is the artifact you point hiring managers at. It outlasts the course.
Materials
Key concepts to know
- 3-tier architecture — client (browser) → middle tier (PHP API) → database (MySQL/PostgreSQL).
- Shared web hosting — what you actually get for $3/month, what you don't.
- phpMyAdmin / cPanel — the consoles you'll use to manage the live DB.
- SQL injection — the most common attack on web databases. Defending with prepared statements.
- API basics — REST endpoints, HTTP methods, JSON in/out.
- Concurrency & transactions — what happens when two users hit the same row at the same time.
3-tier architecture
- 3-Tier Architecture — Class Notes
- From SQL to Application — Class NotesHow a SELECT in a database becomes a row in a web page.
Hands-on: MySQL on Hostinger
- MySQL on Hostinger — SlidesFrom signup to running a query on the live DB.
- HealthOne on MySQL/Hostinger — WalkthroughDeploy the HealthOne schema to a real Hostinger MySQL instance.
- Web Hosting Consultants — HandbookReference for shared-hosting concepts and gotchas.
Hands-on: PostgreSQL (Aiven)
- Introduction to PostgreSQL — Slides
- Aiven (managed PostgreSQL) — SlidesA modern managed-Postgres setup, end-to-end.
Building the full-stack app (PHP + DB)
- "Vibe-Coded" Web/Database App — GuidebookFrom idea to live app — using AI to accelerate, not replace, the work.
- From Zero to Live — Step-by-Step Guide
- AI Prompt Playbook — Full-Stack App
- AI Prompt Playbook — Part 2: Security
- example-site-setup.phpPHP starter for site setup.
- example-wipe-everything.phpPHP starter to clear/reset your sandbox DB.