webspace and database

[Daybreak_0]

One of the guys who supply results and draws for the soccer club site I have been working on would like to enter the results in a database and have them display, instead of just supplying an Excel spreadsheet (link).
It would be nice if he could do that directly.


Very much outside what I know, but am willing to give it a go. The main problem I have is understanding exactly what is required.

So far my research has revealed-

a) The website is located in webspace of approximately 15mb, but does support running of CGI scripts. It also looks like an appache server.

b) Found out a lot about Wikki's - the ability to let others update the html file. One of which uses flat files as a database, making it highly suitable for webspace. Very nice but is not what I am really looking for.

c) Someone advised me that they have an access database in their webspace and they use asp pages to display and edit the information. They said you could use Excel spreadsheets as a database if I wanted to. Well that is probably what I am looking for.


So if anybody can give me a bit of a rundown -
1) I had thought to use MySql but think that that would need to be installed on a server, and as it is only webspace. Is that true?

2) If I do use Access as a database, do you agree the DB only has to sit within the webspace? or do I need more (like does the server have to support something else and not just CGI?

3) is there a better solution?


Thanks

[Daybreak_0]

Is anybody able to help with this

or point me in the direction of some good sites.

The problem I find is all sites assume you know the real basics like assuming you own the server. Although I have guessed some things, I really want a site that starts at the beginning.

Thanks

[vree]

You can use a variety of ways to move info from a DB to a webpage. If on a Unix server, PHP may be used, some Unix servers will support ASP, you must also know what type of DB your server supports, Postgre, MySQL, SQLServer?

Then you must be able to program accordingly.
Any other help feel free to ask.
victoriawww.groundworkssoftware.com (http://www.groundworkssoftware.com)

[Daybreak_0]

Thanks Victoria

I probably did not structure my question very well.

I also may now have the answers

My problem was

a) Am working within a webspace so do not have access to the server.

b) I doubt they want to go to expense and arrange to get DB access

c) OS was not Windows.

Therefore

1) Access (MS) as a stand alone database file uploaded to the webspace would have allowed me to use ASP pages to read/write/filter data. But OS is not windows.

2) CGI/PHP/Perl all supported, and I can use a flat file DB (uploaded to web space) Although will need to see some samples to figure it out, and does not seem to be much out there. Most scripts assume a server side DB.

3) Very much in line with 2 above, and investigating using text files to store information.

4) I can't or don't know of any other solution.


Regards

[vree]

You will have to know what your ISP supports. Usually, until you get to the big db's where the db sits on it's own server and the website sits on another server, most websites, host the db in nothing but another folder.
The OS does not have to be Windows to use ASP, if the Unix host supports ASP.
Yes you can use an Excel spreadsheet, in the same folder or another to hold your statistics, you will simply have to have enough programming experience to:
1. Write the connection string.
2. Write the PHP to display the info on the html page.
You could check here for connection string examples:

Connection strings (http://www.codeproject.com/database/connectionstrings.asp)

To handle the display on the page will take programming. Hope that helps.
victoria

[Daybreak_0]

Thanks Victoria

I'm sitting in the learning curve. Can see the hill ahead :)

Thanks for that link - I am much better at dissembling code and changing it to do what I want, than I am at learning a new language.

Regards

[witzulu]

If it is a non microsoft server propably somthing like mysql

if it is a mycrosoft server propably access or SQL.

Try and find out more info about the server

[Daybreak_0]

I think that the real problem is the hosting service is very poor.

Am looking into new ones, where you get a control panel, at least, and easier access to DB's.

Thanks
Day

[DCElliott]

One possibility is to use a programmable text editor, namely NoteTab (http://www.notetab.com) to read CSV files and format them into HTML tables. That gets rid of all the need for server-side solutions.

I have created a complete site with Notetab that allows editing of/or adding to CSV flatfiles which are then used as the basis of the site. The NoteTab scripts can bring in information from other files just like ASP or php. The difference is that this creates static files which you then upload. NoteTab even generates a FTP script and runs an FTP program to upload the files to the server!

However, this type of programming has a steep learning curve, and isn't for everyone.

You can use files you create in Excel as merge data in Word to create tables and the whole lot can be exported as HTML. (shudder at the thought of the HTML it generates, though)

So there are a number of solutions available that keeps you out of the muck of hand-editing tabular data. I/we would be happy to scope this out further after you have thought about the requirements a bit more.

DE

[Daybreak_0]

Thanks DE

yuck, already have looked at the html code the Excel and Word produce. I am also shuddering!!

Am currently looking at static files produced by Access reports - the html is reasonable.

Have not quite decided which way to jump as all have a learning curve for me, and want to make sure that it helps me as well.

Day