Allow user updates for non-techies

[DancingGeek]

Greetings,

I would like to set up a site that allows a user to make update to it without technical knowledge. For example, a real estate site where I do all the tables, graphics, etc., but then the real estate agent can add new listings via an html form I provide.

Does anyone know of sample code or tutorials for this type of thing? I'm not sure if it's something I should use .cgi or .asp, or what would be the best methodology. Also not sure if there will be issues with rights, that sort of thing depending on how the file types/structures are set up at the host provider.

I'm sure some of this is already in the forum, but I must not be searching the correct terms.

Any pointers in the right direction are greatly appreciated!

Cheers--
Sheri

 

[ecobb]

You will definately need to use some type of server scripting language (cgi, ASP, PHP, ColdFusion) to interact with a database. If you search the web, I'm sure you will find several programs already designed for this. I've used this one from Interactive Tools (written in .cgi) and it may be just what you're looking for. It's made for realtors and allows each agent to manage their own listings, as well as personal home pages. It used to be less than $100 but I think they've gone up on the price.

http://www.interactivetools.com/products/realtymanager/

I know of several others written in ColdFusion, and I'm sure there are plenty in ASP, although I've never checked.

If you've never done a site like this before, you're probably better off purchasing a program that does what you want. There's no sense in re-inventing the wheel, plus most of these programs have already been researched, tested, debugged, and probably have features to handle things you haven't thought of yet.

Hope This Helps!

Ecobb

"Alright Brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But lets just do this, and I can get back to killing you with beer." - Homer Simpson

 

[DancingGeek]

Ecobb,

Thanks for the tip. I think this is a great idea. I'm an experienced programmer, just haven't done a lot of web development per se. So I'm okay with writing the code if I have a pointer in the right direction (I was tending towards CGI but only because I've dinked around with it a little). I used the real estate idea as a simple example, but there are a couple of other sites I will be doing that are non-real estate related, so I don't want to be tied to a specific type of program. I don't mind shelling out a little cash though for a flexible program that would update html pages based on form input. Anybody know of an example?

Cheers!
Sheri

 

[YNOTU]

First look into "contribute" from Macromedia.


but if you have extensive an asp/php programming background it could be done easily by implementing a database (access, sql, mysql) and simply programming a few server-side pages that will do all the work for you...



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[ecobb]

The problem that you're going to run into is, there's really no "One shoe fits all" program for this. Once you get started building it, you're going to find that each site is going to have it's own requirements, so the forms/database you used for the Real Estate site are not going to work for the Hospital's site.

decojute is right, though. If you know (once you learn) a good programming language, then you should have no problem interacting with a database and you can easily build any site to do whatever you want. Another good suggestion from decojute was Macromedia's Contribute. It's an excellent product for allowing non-techies to update HTML content for web sites. The down side of this is, everyone that is going to be updating the web site would have to have this program installed on their computer.

Hope This Helps!

Ecobb

"Alright Brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But lets just do this, and I can get back to killing you with beer." - Homer Simpson

 

[DancingGeek]

Thanks everyone. I set up a prototype in PHP/MySQL (thanks DeCojute) and it is doing the trick so far. You are right, ECobb, there is no one solution, but I should be able to set up a fair amount of reusable code.

Any ideas on when PHP/MySQL might become a bad idea, i.e. space issues?

Also, another thing I'm not sure I can do using these tools is sending email reminders. Like if someone signed up to receive an email when event x happens or a certain date is reached. Can I set up triggers in MySQL like in regular old SQL to handle that? Or is there another or better way?

Thanks again for all the help!

Cheers--
Sheri

 

[DancingGeek]

Actually, now that I think about it, triggers won't work for what I want to do with the email. I've only ever set up services (running 24/7) on the server to handle that sort of thing, and I don't know how to do it with a hosting provider. This is probably another topic, but if anyone can point me in the right direction, that would be great.

Sheri

 

[ecobb]

Don't know about PHP, but in ColdFusion you can set up scheduled tasks to run at whatever time you want them. So, you could set up a task to check the database for anyone who needs a reminder, and then send the email to them. You could schedule this task to run every morning. I know you're not using CF, but maybe this example/concept will help you find what you're looking for in PHP. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Hope This Helps!

Ecobb

"Alright Brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But lets just do this, and I can get back to killing you with beer." - Homer Simpson

 

[MichiganRon]

DG,

PHP is great (if you don't mind working with a FREE product ). It will do exactly what you want. For a scheduled task, you just need to create a script to perform a function (email). You then set the script to run in "cron" (linux/unix) or "scheduled task" (Windows) at a certain time.

For ideas, check out

http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/index.html.

What you're looking for is a "Content Management System" or CMS. Hotscripts has a plethora of code & tutorials in this category.

Good luck,
-Ron

P.S. For PHP specific questions, Tek-Tips has a very active PHP forum: forum434

-We all play from the same deck of cards, it's how we play the hand we are dealt which makes us who we are.

 

[DancingGeek]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the input - this is a great idea - good to know PHP handles that kind of scripting. Do you have any experience with doing this on at a host provider? Setting up a cron job or scheduled task is something I'm thinking a host provider would frown upon, but maybe I am missing something.

Thanks--
Sheri

 

[MichiganRon]

Unfortunately I don't have any experience dealing with a host provider in setting up a scheduled task or cron. I host my own site from my home, so I have full control over the server.

However, money talks! I'm sure that there are many host providers out there who would be more than happy to take your money to perform a cron job. There's nothing that says the cron job needs to be housed on the same server as the main site. The cron server just needs to be able to access the MySQL & SMTP relay servers via IP (and it needs to be running PHP, of course).

Hope that helps.
-Ron

-We all play from the same deck of cards, it's how we play the hand we are dealt which makes us who we are.

 

[Wullie]

Sheri,

Most hosts will give you some way to run a scheduled task and if they don't, go find one who will.

Another way that you could do it is to setup a scheduled task on your local machine (Assuming you leave it on) and get that to call the URL of your script when required.

Hope this helps

Wullie

http://www.freshlookhosting.com

http://www.tutorial-world.com

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[ChrisHunt]

A sneaky way I use to run a daily task on

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

is to use a SSI (Server Side Include) to run a perl script every time the home page is visited. The script checks a log file on the server, and runs the daily batch job if it hasn't been run yet today.

-- Chris Hunt

http://www.extracon.com

http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk

http://www.napitalia.org.uk

http://www.leicesteryha.org.uk

 

[markso]

Ive used NewsPro, a cgi script which will do most of what you want. I've used it so a non techie person can update a section of his site whenever he wants, without mithering me every 5 minutes!

visit:

http://www.fenwickengtech.co.uk

(and the colour scheme is his idea, not mine ;-) )

http://www.elektrik-sheep.com/newspro/

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