Do all ASP-capable servers have database functionality?

[Guest_imported]

I'm building an ASP app that will need to save and load to file. I want the app to be accessable to everyone with limited knowledge of setting up the script on their website. I was wondering - what percentage of ASP-capable servers out there have database functionality?

Many thanks,
Simon

 

[dilettante]

I'd guess they're ALL "capable." Are you talking about stuff like the ChiliSoft add-in for Apache vs. IIS, or are you asking "how many IIS users have a database installed that their web server can connect to?"

The biggest problem you're going to have is WHICH database they have. I your application is simple enough you MIGHT come up with generic enough ADO and SQL syntax to make it somewhat database-portable, assuming you rely on System DSNs or the user configuring connection strings (bleh!).

If this is to be an MS-only solution you could package MSDE as part of your install package - assuming you have VS 6 (and thus redistribution rights). Of course MSDE may not handle the volume users might have, but they could then substitute SQL Server with little or no change to script code.

 

[Crundy]

You could use an external file to set up the database connection, e.g. file called db_connect.asp:

<%Set Conn = Server.CreateObject (&quot;ADODB.Connection&quot
Conn.Open &quot;DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER=localhost;UID=username;PWD=password&quot;%>

and do an include on all the pages which need to use it:

<!--#INCLUDE FILE=&quot;db_connect.asp&quot;-->

so if someone else uses a different database, they only need to change the connection string in db_connect.asp.

You could even provide db_connect.asp's for all the major databases. C:\DOS:>
C:\DOS:>RUN
RUN DOS RUN!!

 

[dilettante]

That presumes you can use all the same SQL statements and ADO methods for any given database.

 

[jbaywatch]

I believe even NT4 comes with MDAC 1.5 out of the box.

ADO is a part of MDAC, and is what s commenly used to &quot;connect&quot; a Database in ASP.

- J