I am considering using MySQL for the first time. Can someone please breifly tell me the pros and cons of using it?

Pros :: Excellent database. Open Source (free). Fast. Flexible.
Cons :: Can't actually think of any at the moment. I suppose it is a bit daunting if you've never used any SQL database before, but that would be the same for all it's peers.

Hi,
Totally agree with "someguy" - I cannot think of any "cons" at the moment.

In relation to learning it, I think the basics are fairly simple to pick up, you just need a book that will walk you through these such as Larry Ullmans PHP and MySQL. Some say that this is just a cookbook, but its actually a very good start point and will get you up and running fairly quickly. Once you have a taste for it, you can expand your horizons at your own pace.

Regards
Ian