What is localhost and root in mysql?

Hello.

I'm trying to set up a very basic mySQL database. I'm having some problems with the terminology, specifically what "local host" and "root" refers to in the line "$link = mysqli_connect('localhost', 'root', 'password');"? One of them I guess is the file path of the mySQL directory file (which I assume would be stored in my web host's files). But which of the two is it, and what does the other term refer to?

Thanks in advance for any help.

This post has been edited by JRBobDobbs: Apr 18 2010, 08:33 PM

The parameters are the hostname ('localhost' is the same machine), the username ('root' is the superuser account for UNIX/Linux systems), and the password (the password for the username specified).

Note that it is better not to use root.

QUOTE(Darin McGrew @ Apr 18 2010, 10:03 PM)

The parameters are the hostname ('localhost' is the same machine), the username ('root' is the superuser account for UNIX/Linux systems), and the password (the password for the username specified).

Note that it is better not to use root.

Thanks for the reply.

I still don't know what you mean by "hostname", though. Are you referring to the URL of my web service provider?

That is useful information about the root, I didn't realize the root was optional (I don't know anything about UNIX/Linux systems so I assume it doesn't apply to me).

I stumbled across my hostname, that's OK now.

Thanks again for the help.