macromedia dreamweaver+databases?

[andyman32]

hi,wonder if you can help me.....
i would like my homepage to display my friends photo when they log into my site,say in a little inset window,and to say that there icq is online,i would like to build some kind of database for my friends for this to happen,please could you tell me a few starters as i've no idea how to go about this?
thankyou for your help,Andy.

 

[jimoblak]

You have three main scripting languages to handle databases: ASP (M$), PHP (easy & free), or Perl/CGI (old school)

First check to see what your web server supports.

Then go to webmonkey.com and devshed.com for tutorials.

 

[CTekMedia]

If you upgrade to DW MX you can accomplish this very easily - most likely without delving into any code. If building pages is just a hobby you might prefer to spend the money vs. the time. Peace

http://www.bluetone.biz

BT

 

[andyman32]

i have a php enabled apache server running but now i'm stuck ,how do i go about building this type of webpage i need?

 

[DaRNCaT]

You need a database as well- if you want a database driven site. MySQL is free and was developed for use with PHP- so it's a good one to use. (you can always upgrade your scripts to a SQL later as the changes are not too large)

You'd need to design the database- sounds like you would need a login function- which then grabbed the information for that username and displayed it to the page.
You could use long lasting cookies- so when they returned they were still logged in- but this only works if they don't have the cookie function disabled on their computer.

I'm guessing the database info would be-
username, password, email (for password retreival) picture location, and icq indicator location. (probably more things, but you can figure them out)

ICQ does a nifty little script with a graphic which shows peoples online status- so you could grab that and use it.

Beyond that- try the PHP forum on this site, and places like

http://www.zend.com

Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..

 

[grumpyman]

The best (in fact only) book out there on starting to use php with dreamweaver is glasshaus "dreamweaver mx: php web development" on

http://www.glasshaus.com/dreamweaverpro

and is a great place to start. Good thing with using dreamweaver is all the server behaviors that mean you can avoid getting your hands *too* dirty with php..

hope this helps

 

[user2]

I have a site in Frontapage with login and "submit your links" forms etc. They used cgi?perl for that, Can I migrat that site into Dreamweaver, How do I handle CGI?perl ? Will that be converted automatically? Do I have to use PHP?

 

[CTekMedia]

Forget CGI/PERL for now - as jimoblak states - it is a dated technology. Buy a book on php, asp or ColdFusion. PHP is free, asp is cheap and Coldfusion is not - up front. For a large project CF is cheap, php is somewhat more expensive, and asp ends up costing the most - especially if the site will be fully searchable. TCO

For personal/hobby use - I would recommend php. Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem.
John Galsworthy

http://www.bluetone.biz

BT

 

[TonyU]

[tt]user2,
If I may suggest. Throw away FP and stick to MX [sup]

T ® Ñ ¥
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep puting oil in it.

​

[/sup]