Web database?

For someone that doesn't know programming?

[deanj garrett]

Hi, I'm looking for a low-cost service that will let me publish a web database and hook it up to my website. I have a catalog of dealerships that I want my customers to search through. I'm not a programmer, and I know nothing about databases. I'm using a web host that doesn't provide database software so I don't want to go out and buy some. help!

I heard about a service called www.ecriteria.net but haven't tried them yet. anyone know more???

thx.

Dean Garrett

[txbakers]

Before you go looking for hosts, I'd learn something about database programming, and working with web pages and databases.

I like Dreamweaver UltraDev for this, but there are lots of alternatives.

Learn about either ASP, JSP, or PHP before going any further.

Also, learn about databases. Access is a good place to start, and you can grow from there.

[brotherhood of LAN]

hi deanj welcome to WMW

Ive followed along the lines of what tx suggested. I also got myself a cheap online hosting account for "trial and error". There is no subsitute for learning code than typing it out yourself. I've heard that countless times and it still rings true.

IMO, yes, access is a good place to start. all GUI, with the option of "SQL views" and the like to give you an introduction to what is going on behind the scenes. Once you are familiar with the mechanisms of a database, you might get choosy as to what database you want to use /why/how much does it cost etc.

One thing is for sure, web database has been more of a buzz "word" than web page........so much can be done in a datbase :)

[webpupil]

Deanj
It seems such providers are few. From Google, I can across quickmodules.com, they say they are database and application service provider.
You can just try www.ecriteria.net, using their free/standard package. It looks like their service is simple to set up.
I think it is good idea for you to learn about basic database terms and properties like records, fields, data types, etc if you decide to have/upgrade to a database-backed website.
This is because you may encounter such terms even when setting up an account with such database service providers.
Another thing you may consider as usual is cost. You may be better off getting one of the php/mysql free (or low cost)scripts, and moving to a host that includes mysql database;instead of paying a database service provider.

[deanj garrett]

Hi,
I appreciate your recommendations (several others posted a reply too), but I'm not a programmer, and don't want to spend the time to learn this. I'm barely able to use the homestead.com automated point-and-click tools for creating my website. Problem is, homestead doesn't offer any database capabilities, and even if I did learn programming, they don't even tell me what type of hardware they run on. All I need is to create and publish a simple searchable web database.

Since my original post, I tried out eCriteria, and it suites my needs very well. I hooked up with another homestead user who used eCriteria for his database; he managed to do something very nice: www.DeadCellZones.com.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I do appreciate it.

Dean

[brotherhood of LAN]

Dean,

As a newbie I begun with frontpage, then moved to frontpage XP, you can make databases with that (and access) fairly easy in the grand scheme of things. Its an option, but its a costing option

[diddlydazz]

Perl and MySQL is the only way to go ;)

Very easy to setup a simple database and even easier to interogate it.

You will find Perl support and Access/MySQL offered by most (if not all) hosting providers.

Spend 1 day learning Perl and you could easily write your own script, or find one free on the net.

But addictive when you start :)

Dazz

[deanj garrett]

Hi!
I looked at PHP and MySQL along with ASP/Access; a friend even told me he'd let me use his company's Oracle database, but all these methods would require me to learn programming, or at very least a lot more technology than I'm capable of.

My site's up and running with my database, and I'm only paying $19.95 per month to them. It only took me an hour to upload the data, create a web database, and auto generate the interface html. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it myself, but it went fine.

Thanks to all you guys!

Dean