Well I'm going to have to move my forum to a new host soon, how can I move the database in such a way that once its uploaded, I dont have to do anything and it'll work with the files like it would in the old host?
as long as you keep the directory structure of your site the same and export the full db, then there shouldnt be any problems at all. The only issue you may face is when importing the DB to your new host as mySQL/phpmyAdmin does not like importing large .sql files. Instead upload it as an SQL file to your hosting and then email your host and ask them if they will import it for you as they can do it straight on the server which is faster and more reliable.
You need to create the same MySQL database, username with the same old password so that you dont have to change them in your site too BTW, it should not be a problem if you have to change it.
- Directory structure should not be changed in the new server file system. - You need to download the database backup and restore it in the database at the new server. Download backup using phpmyadmin or mysql administrator and restore it using the same tool using which you take the backup.