Starting from scratch

Install Linux, Apache, MySQL or PostGreSQL, PHP, and Perl. Voila, great devel system + much cheaper probably.

JP,

There's a few ways you can go on this one. I'm not an expert on the Linux/mySQL stuff so I won't comment on that but that is one possible way you could go.

Access database:

Using an Access database you would do the following. Create your database in Access and save it to your hard drive. Go to your Control Panel and then to ODBC data sources (it might be called something different in W2000, I have it at home but not here at work), go to the System DSN tab and install a new DSN that points to the Access database on your hard drive. You're now ready to access this DB from your ASP pages, install PWS and make sure it's running. Go to your favorite HTML editor (Interdev is great for this stuff) and start a new project on your PWS which will be the host name of your computer. Make an ASP page that connects to the DSN you just made, in the ASP page do a simple SQL statement like SELECT * FROM MYTABLE and see what happens. In your browser the address you would type is the same as your computer host name, so http://mycomputer/mypage.asp . Using Access as a staging point is a viable option since it's pretty easy to import the database into SQL 7.0. If you're going to use Access, try to get Access 2000 it is MUCH better than '98.

SQL 7.0

I use this on a daily basis so I guess I might be a little biased on this. While it's not free I believe you can get an evaluation copy that lasts for 30 days from Microsoft. I scored a free copy on one of my courses at Microsoft's head office in Mississauga (Toronto) Being a much more powerful tool than Access it's more work to install but I'll try to explain everything here. You will first have to install SQL 7.0 (Server & Client) to your PC. The installation is fairly automated and I can't remember all the steps but the SQL server should automatically take the same name as your computer. Note: Running SQL Server will slow down your PC, it's a hog. After SQL Server is installed and running you're ready to import/add your database. You connect to your SQL Server by using the Enterprise Manager. The first time you run Enterprise Manager there won't be any servers registered so you'll have to register your server. Simply go to Action and select "New SQL Server Registration" and enter in the name of your SQL Server, which should be the same name as your computer. It will search to see if it can connect to it (make sure SQL server is running) and if it does it will add it to it's list of servers. To add a database simply click on your server until you see a tree view with a database folder, do a right click on there to add or import a database. After you've created the database you will still have to create a DSN like in the above step, except this time it's SQL instead of Access. Then test it the same way as above using PWS and an ASP page to try a SQL statement.

It's a little hard to explain this process step by step since it involves a lot of stuff. If you're going to be doing a lot of database testing I would definately recommend getting and using Interdev, it really helps, plus you can add a data connection right inside of Interdev so you can access and modify your database without using the Enterprise Manager.

So in closing you'll need the following: Windows NT or 2000, Access for Access db, SQL Server 7.0 for SQL db, PWS, and an HTML editor that can connect to your PWS.

You will need to know the following: How to install SQL Server 7.0, how to create/import a database into SQL Server 7.0, how to setup a system DSN using ODBC, how to install PWS, how to create an ASP page and connect to your database using server side vbscript/javascript and execute a SQL statement.

I know this might sound like pretty complicated stuff but it isn't. If you're willing to learn and you already have a general knowledge of scripting and SQL you'll be fine. I'm currently helping out another member of this forum (Ravi) on his Lyrics site which uses ASP and SQL 7.0 and he had almost no former knowledge of ASP and SQL and he's getting the hang of it (Right Ravi?) so I think you should be fine.

Holy long post Batman!!

Regards,
Peter J. Boettcher

I'd recommend going with a home set-up that mirrors your likely remote set-up as closely as possible. If you're going to be developing for an NT server, then find and install comparable components like SQL7 or Access, PWS, etc. No idea on what that might cost though. If you're going to be developing for a Unix based server, then grab Apache, ActivePerl, PHP and MySQL. All of those are free.

getting the hang of it? or pulling my hair out from frustration?

call it whacha like!

Ravi

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Lyricsh.com
Finding The Lyrics to Your Favorite Songs.

Hi Ravi

Checked out your site. Looks good. Now back to basics, I am new to web design but want to get a site up and running.

How are you configured and what hardware and software do you use for development.

Barry

quote:Originally posted by RaviJP:
getting the hang of it? or pulling my hair out from frustration?

call it whacha like!

Ravi

Coddy,

You're right, Access can handle around 20 users processing at the same time. Don't hold me to this number though, real world numbers will vary + or - around 5 users.

So processing involves opening your connection, perform the query, then close your connection. After this point this user is not using an Access connection.

Regards,
Peter J. Boettcher

BarryP,

If you're looking for Ravi you can contact him at this email:

[email protected]

Regards,
Peter J. Boettcher

Great guide Peter!!!
I was really curious about the SQL 7.
Anyway...Someone here (maybe it's u , i don't recall) said that access can handle around 20 users at the same time. I just want to clarify 'the same time' .....
Imagine a user who visits my website access a page that involves opening a DSN, conducting the SQL, get the recordset and the present it.
Now...Access will have a problem when 20 users access the page simutaneously? That is...at the exact second? I suppose that from the moment the user is presented with the HTML (generated from ASP), HE IS NOT AN Active user from the access point of view.

Is that correct?

Thanx!

Coddy