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database programming

E

eLiTeGoodGuy

Golden Member
I would like to make a database to keep track of customers, equipment out, details on equipment, etc... This will be used by the office I am at, but quite possibly a couple of other locations as well. What would be easiest? Access Database, just send to everyone in the office? Or a webpage based database interface? I would love the webpage based interface but I don't know much about that type of programming. If I go the web based route what is a good place to get started?
 
Well do you have a budget? Is there existing infrastructure? (Either an existing DB, Web Server, Access, etc.)

-geoff
 
Access database on a server shared by everyone in your office probably is the easiest way. If other offices can access this server as well (VPN) even better.

Webpage route AFAIK would be much harder. Perl might be the way to go there tho'.
 
hehe I'd like to do it free 🙂 (myself) with the only cost being the hosting (should I go the web route) and there is no existing infrastucture that it would be linked to.
 
Originally posted by: RishiS
Access database on a server shared by everyone in your office probably is the easiest way. If other offices can access this server as well (VPN) even better.

Webpage route AFAIK would be much harder. Perl might be the way to go there tho'.
Click to expand...

that's what I was thinking... we have an internal network with has shares it could be accessed by (almost) anywhere in the company
 
Originally posted by: Avatar26
Couldn't you do that with PHP/MySQL?
Click to expand...

Cheap webserver probably involves Apache, mySQL, Unix/Linux, host in-house, register doman with godaddy....
 
Originally posted by: RishiS
Access database on a server shared by everyone in your office probably is the easiest way. If other offices can access this server as well (VPN) even better.

Webpage route AFAIK would be much harder. Perl might be the way to go there tho'.
Click to expand...


I definitly prefer php for web based programming. It's a lot cleaner than perl tends to be 😉

That and I prefer writing php in my html pages, not writing html in my perl scripts 😉
 
An access database will suck if more than 5 people are going to be connected at once. Hmm....for cheap, it's gotta be mysql, I don't think there's anything that can compete with it at the price range (free). Mysql also supports ODBC, right guys? So, design your database and write the gui in visual basic.

Well that's one possibility anyway. I think that the most popular choice is php/mysql, like most here have suggested.
 
The two easiest ways to do it, IMO are:

1) Access using the MSDE instead of Jet engine on a server. The MDBE is available on any OXP CDRom. Now you can use SQLServer mangement tools with MSDE...pretty much a poor man's SQLServer. VPN for remote users.
2) Server with PHP/mySQL. Not as many management tools available, and I'd trust MDBE more than mySQL if you're going to have more than a couple of users. External IP or port-forwarded domain name on the server for remote users.

All in all, it comes down to how you'd prefer to develop it and which languages you are proficient in...the PHP/mySQL route would be easier in the sense that Access can be a total PITA when it comes to forcing it to do what you want it to do, but you'll probably spend more time tracking down typos and other errrors. Access is nice because if you're DB is simple enough, you could create it without ever seeing a line of code...but I don't think I've ever implemented an entirely-Access database without writing any VB.
 
Originally posted by: RishiS
Originally posted by: Avatar26
Couldn't you do that with PHP/MySQL?
Click to expand...

Cheap webserver probably involves Apache, mySQL, Unix/Linux, host in-house, register doman with godaddy....
Click to expand...

why would you need to get a host name when its internal, you can just update your internal dns server.
 
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: RishiS
Originally posted by: Avatar26
Couldn't you do that with PHP/MySQL?
Click to expand...

Cheap webserver probably involves Apache, mySQL, Unix/Linux, host in-house, register doman with godaddy....
Click to expand...

why would you need to get a host name when its internal, you can just update your internal dns server.
Click to expand...
I was wondering the same thing, but then I noticed in the orignal post that he will have some remote users. They could always VPN, then connect to the server, but an external address saves the endusers a step...this is almost always a good thing. 🙂
 
would like to make a database to keep track of customers, equipment out, details on equipment, etc... This will be used by the office I am at, but quite possibly a couple of other locations as well. What would be easiest? Access Database, just send to everyone in the office? Or a webpage based database interface? I would love the webpage based interface but I don't know much about that type of programming. If I go the web based route what is a good place to get started?
Click to expand...

It look like the bast way for you to go is PHP/MySQL/HTML forms trio....
It took me about 25 hours to setup a simple MySQL db for my company (keep track of the cusomters, expenses, parts, status etc, etc). You can get MySQL and PHP free. Apache web server is free as well. Once you will have everything installed, please download PHPMyAdmin, which is a GUI interface for MySQL and it is VERY handy.
After that, you will have to think twice about setting up the design for your relational database. Make sure you will sepend some time thinking about the ER-diagram.
This will help you out a lot with setting up the actual database in PHPMyAdmin.
Then, either start doing PHP coding by yourself, or download this program, which will CREATE everything for you....
It took me about 6 hours to create a db, and then my buddy used appgini to create the web interface....
Easy...
Also, see my computerfix web page for the db I created manually....
Hope this will help
 
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: RishiS
Originally posted by: Avatar26
Couldn't you do that with PHP/MySQL?
Click to expand...

Cheap webserver probably involves Apache, mySQL, Unix/Linux, host in-house, register doman with godaddy....
Click to expand...

why would you need to get a host name when its internal, you can just update your internal dns server.
Click to expand...


Well, for a second I thought I was RossMAN and just wanted to spout off all the cheap deals I'm aware of. 😉

Actually, I threw those out in case he wanted access from locations outside the office, since AFAIK, it wouldn't be too much more of a hassle to have an external address.
 
I was thinking about MSDE also, but you're limited to 5 simultaneous connections with it, so that may not work. A .Net application would work well with it though, using a disconnected database architecture.
 
mySQL isn't gonna help if you are not familiar with it and have to learn it vs. access
Click to expand...

See my post, the link to the program, and example which was done in 5 minutes....
Sure, it aint pretty, but the fuctionality is there...Oh and the "lots" option is acting up for some reason, but we will fix that....
Just do not add anything to the database.....
Edit: took off the link to "example" because the login script is not ready yet....
 
Originally posted by: tkdkid
I was thinking about MSDE also, but you're limited to 5 simultaneous connections with it, so that may not work. A .Net application would work well with it though, using a disconnected database architecture.
Click to expand...
Do you know about the SQLServer "hack" for MSDE? You can install and run all the SQLServer enterprise tools with MSDE, essentially making it a SQLServer. I don't know if it modifies the engine at all, so I don't know if the simultaneous connections limit is affected. I'm more of an Oracle guy, but am now working in a pretty much MS-only shop now, so I'm gradually learning about their db offerings.
 
Originally posted by: tkdkid
An access database will suck if more than 5 people are going to be connected at once. Hmm....for cheap, it's gotta be mysql, I don't think there's anything that can compete with it at the price range (free). Mysql also supports ODBC, right guys? So, design your database and write the gui in visual basic.

Well that's one possibility anyway. I think that the most popular choice is php/mysql, like most here have suggested.
Click to expand...

Why more than 5? It's rated for 255 concurrent users...
 
If you want to go a free route, I would use (as previously suggested) the MSDE. Also, as stated you can use all the normal SQL Client tools (can be attained freely and legally) with the MSDE (might need to hack MSDE but it is possible, I can't remember if it can be done stock though). To display and use the database I would use ASP.NET. You can use the ASP.NET Web Matrix to develope ASP.NET pages easily and freely (available from www.asp.net). There is even a guide on there to help you get started with ASP.NET Web Matrix. www.asp.net is a great resource for ASP.NET programmers IMO.
 
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