What am I looking for?
Here's the exact situation I need a script for.
I have a directory of hundreds of college alumni, including info on each such as graduation year, where they are now, what they do, email address, and more. I've been maintaining this for years on a series of MS Word documents with tables that I then "save as html" and upload. Although I'll soon be moving the whole site to its own domain, you can see an example here: geocities.com/pstv2/dir90a.htm
What I'm looking into is some sort of php or perl script to maintain such a database (even though it would take a while to enter all the data). I tried a script called alumniPRO by World Wide Creations but it didn't work and wasn't customizable to the fields I wanted to include. QUESTION #1: What am I looking for that may help me? Should I be looking at doing this with a mySQL database? I've been looking at the php resource index site under "Database Manipulation: SQL Databases" (http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Database_Manipulation/SQL_Databases/). Would these be the types of scripts that can do what I want? Afterall, it is just data entry.
If I'm looing in the right direction, QUESTION #2: Does anybody have any suggestions on which scripts they like/dislike.
And finally, these items are NOT currently in my directory listings, but it would be GREAT if alumni could add/update/and delete their own database entries without my involvement. Is this possible, maybe with passwords for each new entry? What about uploading a photo? Is that considered database data?
Thanks for the help. Other than setting up one database for one of my forums, I've never worked directly with databases before.
zollet posted this at 17:24 — 24th June 2002.
He has: 1,016 posts
Joined: May 2002
All the features you've mentioned above are possible, you just need to know how to do it or pay someone to do it for you.
fifeclub posted this at 18:00 — 24th June 2002.
He has: 688 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
So it sounds like you're saying that using a mySQL database is a good way to go, and that I'm at least looking in the right direction? And it sounds to me that scripts like those I linked to should help me out with maintaining the database?
Of course, as you mentioned, since I don't know how to custom program or manually manipulate a database. I may end up having to continue making all the database changes myself, but that's what I do now so it's at least none the worse.
Still looking for script suggestions if anybody has any. Thanks.
Peter J. Boettcher posted this at 18:21 — 24th June 2002.
They have: 812 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Mike,
Its doubtful that you'll ever find the perfect script that does everything you want, unless you're doing something simple. Have you checked out hotscripts.com ?
While it might be more work upfront for you, in the end it will pay dividends to build your own solution. What you describe is a fairly easy thing to program once you know what you're doing.
If you want to go PHP/mySQL then you should start learning those. Get some sample PHP/mySQL scripts and learn from them. Was alumniPRO written in PHP? If so disect it, see how it works, and develop your own script from their model.
PJ | Are we there yet?
pjboettcher.com
fifeclub posted this at 21:34 — 24th June 2002.
He has: 688 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
No, it was perl, which is okay too.
From what I'm seeing out there, I don't think I need a script specifically tailored for my unique use (and as you said, I probably won't find one either). I think a simple database would work fine and a web GUI would make adding/editing/deleting entries easy. I haven't found any web GUI that will password protect a public entry so it looks like I'll still have to enter data myself. But a mySQL database will still allow users to seach and re-order the entires, while my old word-to-html pages couldn't do that.
At this point I'm looking at DaDaBlk and phpMyEdit to work as my web interface.
NEW QUESTION: If down the road I've entered these hundreds of database entries (with 5 or 6 fields per entry row) into a mySQL database, can I switch to a different script that could utilize the same, already completed mySQL database (so I wouldn't have to enter everything again if I find a better script one day)?
Peter J. Boettcher posted this at 21:40 — 24th June 2002.
They have: 812 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Switching to another script is no problem as long as it's configured to use your database field/table names. Once the data is in mySQL you can do whatever you want with it, it isn't dependant on the scripts you used to put it there, unless your script encrypts the data before it saves it, that is pretty unlikely though.
Have fun!
PJ | Are we there yet?
pjboettcher.com
zollet posted this at 03:47 — 25th June 2002.
He has: 1,016 posts
Joined: May 2002
Mike, have you looked at phpMyAdmin (http://www.phpmyadmin.net/)? It does let you password protect it and it is by far the best and most complete MySQL management script.
fifeclub posted this at 04:12 — 25th June 2002.
He has: 688 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
As it so happens, phpMyAdmin is pre-installed on my site by my host! I looked at it but it honostly looks way confusing to a newbie like me. Maybe it is worth learning, but my first question is how do I display the contents of my mySQL database table in my webpage??? (All those other less powerful scripts are specifically designed to output to an html file)
Also, some of those other scripts allow for password protection, but not for visitors who fill in their own data thru a web interface. I don't think phpMyAdmin does either. And now that I'm thinking of it, does phpMyAdmin have some GUI web interface that would allow visitors to enter new info to the database? (this wouldn't matter if I decide to do all the entries myself, but that's not the ideal situation)
Thanks
Suzanne posted this at 07:29 — 25th June 2002.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Manage MySQL is nice for setting up databases and users (for using the db itself) and has connection information in it. It's part of the CPanel group.
Mine gives me this:
Perl $dbh = DBI->connect("DBI:mysql:dbname:localhost","dbuser","");
PHP $dbh=mysql_connect ("localhost", "dbuser", "") or die ('I cannot connect to the database.'); mysql_select_db ("dbname");
JDBC (may not be avalible)
<?php@ page import="java.sql.*"
?>
Connection connection = null;
Class.forName("org.gjt.mm.mysql.Driver").newInstance();
connection = DriverManager.getConnection(
"jdbc:mysql://localhost/dbname?user=dbuser&password=");
But that's for connecting to the db -- as for getting information out of it, you'd do best to learn some basic commands from either the MySQL site, or pick up a book on MySQL (SAMS, Wrox, et cetera) and teach yourself.
Once you understand the basics, it's not that hard. But PHPMyAdmin isn't for making front-end scripts (to my knowledge), it's a graphical interface for controlling the contents and structure of your database. That's not what you see on your webpage at all, if you're looking for something that will allow web interface. That requires a script that talks TO your database, not a script that MANAGES your database.
Do you see the difference? I'll try to find a good analogy if you don't.
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