Database in HTML????

[gab1972]

I'm going to try and keep this as short and to the point as possible.
First off, I'm a total n00b with HTML. I know enough to be dangerous
and that's about it. Here's my question and request for help/
direction...

I am in charge of creating a tracking system at work. I track permits
for my department and there are about 20 fields of information I need
to keep track of. My tracking system needs to be accessible to
others. So I started out storing all the data in Access and then
using Excel macros to pull/add the information. This kept users out
of my data tables, but allowed them to see the data. In Access, my
"key" was the permit number. So, I allowed users to perform a search
for the permit number to access a record in the recordset. I get this
all done and show it to my boss and he asks if there is another way to
search the data. Like, not just by permit number, but by county,
applicant, etc. I know I can do this in Excel with a few macros, but
I was starting to wonder...what if each data record was it's own html
page. My home page could provide a search. So, my vision is like my
records are html pages and my home is like google home. If you want
to find something on the web, you type in strings of data and click
"search" and then google provides you with a list of possible hits.
Then you just select the one you want. Can I use this same concept
for what I want?

I want to be able to have a home page with options to search, add,
view, and maybe edit. Having the search would allow me to search
*any* word or phrase in each record. This would be so much easier.
Not to mention that in the future if I gain popularity for this at
work, perhaps they'll look into making it something actually on the
web. For now, this should be network only...or even just html files
that don't actually connect to the web.

Does this make sense? Can anyone help me or point me in the right
direction? Thanks in advance!!

 

[richard]

I'm going to try and keep this as short and to the point as possible.
First off, I'm a total n00b with HTML. I know enough to be dangerous
and that's about it. Here's my question and request for help/
direction...

I am in charge of creating a tracking system at work. I track permits
for my department and there are about 20 fields of information I need
to keep track of. My tracking system needs to be accessible to
others. So I started out storing all the data in Access and then
using Excel macros to pull/add the information. This kept users out
of my data tables, but allowed them to see the data. In Access, my
"key" was the permit number. So, I allowed users to perform a search
for the permit number to access a record in the recordset. I get this
all done and show it to my boss and he asks if there is another way to
search the data. Like, not just by permit number, but by county,
applicant, etc. I know I can do this in Excel with a few macros, but
I was starting to wonder...what if each data record was it's own html
page. My home page could provide a search. So, my vision is like my
records are html pages and my home is like google home. If you want
to find something on the web, you type in strings of data and click
"search" and then google provides you with a list of possible hits.
Then you just select the one you want. Can I use this same concept
for what I want?

I want to be able to have a home page with options to search, add,
view, and maybe edit. Having the search would allow me to search
*any* word or phrase in each record. This would be so much easier.
Not to mention that in the future if I gain popularity for this at
work, perhaps they'll look into making it something actually on the
web. For now, this should be network only...or even just html files
that don't actually connect to the web.

Does this make sense? Can anyone help me or point me in the right
direction? Thanks in advance!!

www.runbasic.com

This puppy is based on the "BASIC" language with it's output in xhtml.
There are various ways to access a database such as sqlite.
As well as other types of databases you create yourself.

I'm working on a project that will do just that.
In most cases, when you click on a button or link, you get taken to
another page or the page is reloaded and you have to wait.
Not so with runbasic.

Get the free edition and play around with it.

 

[Andy Dingley]

Does this make sense?  Can anyone help me or point me in the right
direction?  Thanks in advance!!

Linux / Apache / MySQL / PHP

or

Linux / Apache / MySQL / Ruby on Rails

are your easiest options for building something and getting it hosted,
assuming basic intelligence and no previous experience. _MAINSTREAM_
is best, because there's so much existing knowledge / "start here"
books / downloadable code to build upon. Both of these are also easy
to host with simple low-cost ISPs, especially the PHP route.

If you host "in-house", then your options widen. I wouldn't do this on
a publically-accessible machine over broadband though, because that
needs some security knowledge to admin competently. If it's purely an
intranet then DIY, otherwise use a hosting ISP.

Microsoft tools are unpleasant at this level. Excel / Access are too
ghastly as a back-end and SQL Server costs money. ASP / MySQL would
work, but it has no advantage to offer over PHP and hosting is
slightly harder to find.

Weird tools you've never heard of are wrong, because you've got too
much to learn to be out on your own. Even if they're otherwise
excellent tools, such as Python.

I know of no good reason to host on any web server other than Apache,
or on any OS other than Linux. You _can_ use alternatives, but these
beat them, for your situation. Windows / Apache if you really hate
Unix, but it's easy enough to shove an Ubuntu server CD into an
outdated PC and bring that up, even from zero knowledge.