Database driven website.

[mj2000uk]

I need to know where to start!!!

I want to create a website that enables a person to enter a code on a search page and then the details that are linked to that code are displayed as a result.

I have HTML experience and have designed a few static sites but I have never integrated any database into a site.

Advice please, I have MS Access on my PC.

[fo3nix]

you wont want to be using ms access.

i'd suggest mySQL as the database (its popular for most hosting companies); together with some language to interface with it like ASP (.net), PhP or even perl or python or something.

Which language you choose is upto you. But see what your hosting offers. Then you should be able to do a few google searches and find some ready-made script somewhere that does roughly what you want.

[stevie21]

If you're a bit more specific in what you need then we can all be more specific in what we can do for you.

if you add "dot com" to my name, I have one database driven site, as an example. If you want 9 thousand products to be searchable by a "product code" then this is really easy but requires more space than I can fit here.

p.s. if you *need* to use MS Access on your site, this is fine for a beginner.

[OBonio]

I use MS Access for a backend. This is fine for low volume sites. If you are expecting it to be very busy then MySQL may be better, or even SQL Server... I would recommend starting with MS Access though. This is traditionally used with ASP (through ADO) or ASP.NET (through ADO.NET) but can also be used with PHP through ODBC I think.

Help on ADO here :

http://www.w3schools.com/ado/default.asp

PHP and ODBC :

http://www.w3schools.com/php/php_db_odbc.asp

ADO.NET (assumes some knowledge of .NET) :

http://www.asp101.com/articles/jay/adodotnet/default.asp

[mj2000uk]

Hi Stevie and Co!!!

Thanks for the advice, I cant be too specific as I have a ground breaking idea that I hope to market based on the research I am doing now.

I need my website to do the following -

People will buy a product from a shop and register that product on my website, this information is then submitted to my database.

The particular way that my product works is that each product sold has a unique identifier code. When that code is then entered into the search side of my website, the databse is then interigatted and a result is shown based on if the identifier code has been registered onto the databse.

The bigger picture here is that I will have a site hosted on its own server, all the info will be stored there but for now as I come up with a prototype product, I need a site that will prove the system works.

Anyway, you get the idea. Its basically a "lost and found" idea that people will use the site to register their product and if anyone finds the product, they can use the site to retrieve the owners info and get the product back to the owner. So I assume that there will be a lot of traffic registering product but not a lot of traffic finding product!!!

Hope that helps!!!

[stevie21]

You mean like this "search by keyword" facility ?
http://www.stevie21.com/fluidgear

Each of the products on that site have a unique identifier code (but visitors have no need to ever see this) and I could easily make everything searchable by this number if that's what you're meaning.

In ANY database, it's always recommended that you have space for the obvious things like description, price, etc. etc. and then also one extra column which the database "autonumbers" : when something new is added then this gets a number one higher than the last one.

Need more help with the site?

p.s. if I find a lost set of keys, how do I know what its unique code is?

[mj2000uk]

Hi Steve

Thanks once again for the answer!!!

I took a look at the site and it kind of resembles what I am trying to achieve. My site would be based around a single search box that would only hit the exact match in the database and display the result. In my case, the only item that I would want to be able to search on is the unique identifier code.

I am not selling keys though Steve, but if I was, the ID code would be stamped onto it by the locksmith!!! That kind of thing....you are getting close!!!

So now you understand the requirement, I can have the keys made in bulk with a unique ID on each, you register the ID on the site and if the key is lost, it is found by entering the ID into my search box and contact details are displayed to get it back to the owner...in the case of keys though, the info would not contain the address for obvious reasons!!!

[stevie21]

OK - I think I understand. Now for the important question : what help do you need putting a demo site together?

If you remove "fluidgear" from the URL I posted you can contact me.