Database driven sites

Help

[curlykarl]

Hi

I have a e-comm site with static pages, I am looking at building something new that pulls from a Database to make updating easier.

Does anyone know of a good online resource to get me started, I was hoping to use my newly acquired Ultradev to build it with, any ideas?

Regards

CurlyKarl :-)

[lazerzubb]

First you need to give us more detail.

What type of database, MsSQL, MySQl, Access etc.

What does your webhosting company support?

What resources do you have, do you have a IIS server you can play with, do you have an Apache server which you can play with.
Do you want a free database or are you willing to pay for it?

(MySql is free, MsSql, and Access are not)

How many users will access it at the same time? (access have a restriction of 255)

Related thread:
Web database? [webmasterworld.com]

[ukgimp]

I was hoping to use my newly acquired Ultradev to build it with, any ideas

No worries re ultra dev. There are lots of tutorials out there and quite a few ready made free cart softwares.

Should do all you need. Access based as well so quite easy to do as opposed to messing around with schemas when wishing to use mysql etc.

Cheers

<added>
do a google for "charon cart"
and also look at this

princeton.edu/~rcurtis/ultradev/

</added>

[curlykarl]

Hi

"What type of database, MsSQL, MySQl, Access etc."

I was hoping to use Access

"do you have a IIS server you can play with"

Yes sir, I have PWS on a Win98 machine I can play with

"How many users will access it at the same time? (access have a restriction of 255)"

Only getting around 100 uniques per day at the moment

"What does your webhosting company support?"

Apache servers?

"Do you want a free database or are you willing to pay for it?"

We are willing to pay, but free would be better

"related thread:
Web database?"

"princeton.edu/~rcurtis/ultradev/ "

Thanks, I will have a look

CurlyKarl

[lazerzubb]

Since you have PWS you can play around with it before you publish it.

Take a look at:
directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Programming/Internet/ASP/Code_Samples/

There is a lot of help and tutorials available.

The next problem is that if you're host only uses Apache you will not be able to use Access on it (not from what i know anyway)

But you can use ChiliAsp (it costs, it's used for running ASP on Apache servers.), and you can convert your database to MySQL (Free), then, even though that might take a little bit more knowledge.

[curlykarl]

Hi

I have managed to find out a little bit more info on my hosting :

"Our servers are a minimum of dual Pentium III 800 systems with at least 1024MB of ECC RAM running Linux as operating system and Apache as web server. The machines are protected by RAID5-systems"

What set up would you recommend? Would Chilli ASP be the way forward or go with mySQL

If I am going to take the time to learn it, I want to make sure it is commercially viable, I may take the skills with me to a new job....I hope.

Thanks

CurlyKarl

[lazerzubb]

I would recommend that you learn MySql then, it's free, and since you can play with it quite easily either by uploading pages/database on the server or on a test machine.

There is also very many tutorials out ther on how to use MySql, and then you would probably use Php or something like it to present the results.

You can also use ChiliAsp to connect to a MySql database if i'm not wrong, but as stated before it's not free.

Also a tip to make it easier to administrate MySql, and have a "microsoft" experience i would suggest downloading MySql-Front.

Also on a note, Access was never intended in the first time to be used for the web, and therefore it doesn't support all the functions that MySql and MsSql does.

[curlykarl]

Thanks very much for all your help :-)

[txbakers]

Let me dive in as well. mySql is definitely the way to go and it will work on W98 with the PWS.

However, if your host is using Apache, you might want to use PhP as your scripting language from the get-go, rather than using ASP. You can still install PhP for W98.

That way, when it's time to upload your pages to the server, you won't have to worry about chiliASP.

Dreamweaver MX does write in PhP, but I believe UltraDev only writes in JSP and ASP.

[curlykarl]

Once again thanks, I am using Mals E-comm and they have a tutorial on using Mals with MySQL and PHP, I think that is the way I am going to go :-)

I have just installed MySQL, it looks very confusing but after spending about the last 2 hours looking at it, I am starting to make sense of it.

I will let you guys know how I get on.

Regards

CurlyKarl

[jatar_k]

Another option for mysql admin is phpmyadmin, pretty straight forward stuff.

other thing you might want to look at, if you haven't already
www.mysql.com
www.php.net

links of note
www.php.net/manual/en/tutorial.php
www.php.net/docs.php
www.php.net/manual/en/funcref.php

[curlykarl]

"Also a tip to make it easier to administrate MySql, and have a "microsoft" experience i would suggest downloading MySql-Front"

The above product has now been discontinued, I managed to download a copy, it took me ages to find it but I cant make it work :-( and there is no online support anymore.

Is anyone aware of a similar product I could try, free would be nice ;-)

I have given up with phpmyadmin at the miniute, it looks easy but I have been trying to connect all morning with no success

Regards

CurlyKarl

[lazerzubb]

You can still download different version of MySQl-Front HERE [mysqlfront.venturemedia.de]

And if you don't use the latest version, almost all problems have been found and there is earlier threads for them.

[ukgimp]

firepages.co.au

They have some readymade packages that you can download.

some with perl, php, mysql, phpmyadmin

Easy to install and lets you know when you have it running correctly.

[curlykarl]

Thanks guys ;-)

[curlykarl]

Hi

Its me again :-)

Hooray, I have managed to get phpmyadmin installed, my web host kindly did it for me

what a nice chap ;-)

Thanks for all the advice, it is appreciated.

Kind regards

CurlyKarl