I am using PHP 5.2 / Apache 2.4 / MySQL 5.0, and using the book Beginning PHP5, Apache, MySQL Web Development by wrox. I am working on configuring php with mysql but one issue I'm having with MySQL is that many of my commands will return the Error 1046: No database selected.

Here is an example of code

C:\>mysql -u root -p
Enter password: ********
Welcome to the MySQL monitor..
..
..
mysql>show tables;
ERROR 1046 (3D000): No database selected
mysql>SELECT user, host FROM user;
ERROR 1046 (3D000): No database selected
mysql>show databases;
*---------*
Database
----------
information_schema
mysql
test
--------
3 rows...



------------

As you can see I've got mysql installed and everything, and PHP works with mysql, but I don't know where this error message is coming from. What can I do to fix this? Keep in mind that I don't have an extensive background with setting up networks. Thanks

have a look at the USE <database> statement

an alternative to consider is downloading the MYSQL administrator tools from the MySQL website.. this includes adminstrator, query browser amongst others

if you are no up to speed with the MySQL command line then the adminstrator tool can be very useful

Yes, as healdem says...
There was nothing wrong with any of the commands you produced, but unfortunately you failed to tell the MySQL command line which database it was you wanted to perform those queries on.
USE test;
will allow you to use the 'test' database and you can then perform any queries you have against that.