Don't know why query works this way

I have been writing my queries like this....... $link = mysql_connect ($host, $username, $password); $query = "insert into $table ('joe', 15)"; if ( mysql_db_query($dbname, $query, $link)) { } But then I was reading that I should use mysl_query instead of mysql_db_query. But I was having a problem with where do i put the $dbname. When I used: mysql_query ($dbname, $query, $link) I got an error message saying i had too many arguments. So I changed it to: mysql_query ($query, $link) I then got an error message saying it didn't know what database I was connected to. I finally got around the problem by including the database name in the query, like so: $query = "insert into $dbname.$table ('joe', 15)"; I shouldn't have to say, but this is a simplified example. I didn't want to include all the fields, tables, values that the true example has. The question is, am I doing this right? Do I have no choice but to retype the $dbname all over the place if I want to use "mysql_query"? Thank in advance for any help. -- Michael Cortes Fort LeBoeuf School District 34 East Ninth Street PO Box 810 Waterford PA 16441-0810 814.796.4795