LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-01 AT 12:49 PM (GMT)I know little about Java and nothing about Java Beans. If I were to add some database functions to my web site I would probably use MySQL and maybe some Perl for two reasons.
1. My web site is running on a Unix-based hosting service and both are available.
2. There are all kinds of Perl scripts/programs already available and many or them are free or cost little.
If I were to really get serious about it and create a “database website,” I would eventually move my web site to a hosting service with extensive SQL database support, probably a Windows NT-based service. To get the ball rolling, I would use Access for the following reasons:
1. I know how to program it and it is a fairly good development platform.
2. It integrates quite well with FrontPage, which I use to write my current web site.
3. It works well with Excel and vice versa, which I use for all sorts of things in my business.
4. One can easily do development work on a stand-alone PC.
5. It is widely supported with many canned programs.
6. It is fairly easy to migrate for use as an SQL front-end, especially if you have that in mind when developing.
7. In my opinion, Perl is worse.
8. And for you, it is a good vehicle for learning databases and SQL.
No matter what you do, the learning curve is going to be very steep and lengthy, but I wouldn’t/didn’t go to school to learn it (I did some DB III and Fox before Access). Just dig-out the book and start doing it in front of your computer.
Well, actually, my web site does have some database functions: the search engine (htdig http://www.htdig.org/), newsletter (http://www.list.org/), and this forum (http://duxcw.com/digest/Reviews/Software/forum/dcforum.htm), all canned programs. The forum is written in Perl and uses a delimitated text database. Tentative plans by the developer are to write a version of it for MyDB towards the end of the year. Larry
