Re: Complete Newbie with a difficult question

[Peter Brawley]

There are standard methods that work in MySQL for that kind of query. But you need to understand MySQL to apply them,

And there are standard methods for developing a database whose structure will support that query with data imported from your .csv files, but that requires considerable MySQL knowledge too.

How much? About two semester cpurses' worth. This ain't like learning to ride a bicycle.

OTOH, an experienced MySQLer could get your database up in a few hours of work, and write your query in an hour.

So if you're not in a hurry, read about SQL database structures and normalisation, work through the first few chapters of the manual, then study database design, make a couple that work, then design yours.

If you need the result sooner, hire a MySQLer for a day, and be sure she explains the result thoroughly.