Database for Dummies?

I'm the dummy

[microcars]

Prior to today, the websites I do are all Static.

Text and pics. Nothing fancy, they do their job.

Now I'm starting to develop a small site that I COULD do as a Static site, but I would like visitors to be able to call up certain things based on a Search query.

I'm somewhat familiar with using Databases only in terms of using them for maintaining mailing lists and generating labels.

Bascically I'm about to put together a database that contains:
A Photo
A URL
A text description
A date

I really don't know what my options are, I'm posting this here because I am a Webmaster that USES a Mac only (sites are hosted elsewhere with MySQL and PHP and CGI capabilities)

For example, should I just use Filemaker Pro or something?

suggestions for reading material, online or in bookstores or other pointers would be welcome. private messages with links or suggestions are welcome as well if you don't want to post something here.

[Matt Probert]

How many records do you intend? It sounds like a simple database, with a single flat-file text based file with an optional linked photograph by record format, which could easily be done as a text file (even simpler as HTML) and accessed by Perl through the CGI.

Pictures could be embedded with standard html code in the record, <img src=picture.jpg> for example.

There are lots of free search facilities for Perl available, or sticky mail me for one we developed and use on our big site.

Matt

[microcars]

how many records?....hmmmm

I'm starting out with about 100 and I expect to add approximately 25-40 per month.

and yes, it would be the simplest thing possible, I'm not looking for something fancy. I'd just like people to be able to call up stuff by Date, Descriptive Type or one or two other choices.

I have to format all the data in advance anyways, I just want to make sure that whatever keywords or whatever are correct before I even start.

[Matt Probert]

I did have a Perl script that did just this. It was an automated FAQ expert system, sorry, it gave sensible answers to questions asked by users from a simple, preformatted HTML file by matching search words/phrases with the data. I'll see if I can find it, unless any of my old muckers from AWW are here and have a copy, Tina?

Matt

[whoisgregg]

Speaking from recent experience, you can knock together this entire functionality in MySQL and PHP in a few hours. You just need to leave WebmasterWorld open. ;)

The best part is you can run the whole thing off your mac while you develop it then just export your SQL tables and import them to your hosted databases. Super easy.

You'll need your hosting to include a MySQL database in the plan, but this is fairly common anyways. It would be, IMHO, a mistake to build this in Filemaker unless you are your own host or you already have experience with a Filemaker hosting company.

[microcars]

I like the idea of drawing from a single HTML file!

also- I'd have to setup a database on my hosting service but they offer that already with a click of a button.