php-mysql question

Hello, I am a recent return to the list. Wow has the traffic grown! This is awesome. I have a couple of questions and one may be a RTFM but I can't find the answer. #1) While I thought I was extremely familiar with the MYSQL functions available in PHP I found on e in a code snippet that I have not used before and can't find. It is simply MYSQL(dbname, querystring). On a *nix box with Apache it is returning a resource ID but on a w2k box with apache (or iss) it is returning nothing at all. It does execute the query however. Any ideas or any pointer as to where I can actually find this function would be appreciated! Thanks. #2) Does anyone know of a convention / conference which will have any PHP coverage in the North East? Thanks, Gerard Onorato