Im very new to mysql, and I'm trying to do a small database to link campers to addresses and specific camps and such. I know about setting primary keys and such, but one point eludes me. How does mysql actually link info in different tables properly? I have a name table, an address table, a camp table, and so on, but when I enter data into each of these tables seperately, how does mysql know what camp a person is in? I have the primary key name_id, and in every other table, I have this as a secondary key, as my manual explains to do, but it never explains how mysql will know what data goes together. Sorry this is so vague, I know so little I don't really know what it is I don't know. I've read lots of material on this, but nothing really covers this simple question.

This url from the MySQL tutorial gives a brief intro to implicit joins

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/multiple-tables.html

You could search the MySQL for more details about joins

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/index.html

but just quickly something like

SELECT * FROM name LEFT JOIN address ON name.name_id = address.name_id;

might be what your looking for.

the ON clause tells MySQL to associate the data.

You should look into foreign keys eg:
FOREIGN KEY (Name) REFERENCES Names (Name)

This is added to the create statement on child tables of the Names table (eg Addresses table). When you add a row to Addresses, the DB will only allow it if a row exists on the Names table with the same vale for the Name column on both tables.
ie
FOREIGN KEY (col_on_this_table) REFERENCES other_table (col_on_other_table)