OK, I'm new!! A word to help me get started

[mike777]

I have a (potential) client that wants me to program an MS Access database that can be accessed from several different offices (each in a different city).
I am thinking that the best way to go here is with the web. It has been suggested I try ASP. What do you think?
Can you give me some terminology that will point me in the right direction for research; or a simple suggested setup for this job. Should I create the tables in MS Access (or whatever database, SQL Server, etc.), and then use ASP to access the data (the company already has their own website...).
Thanking you in advance for any help you can provide...
-Mike

 

[qwert231]

Where to start... lot's of places. This forum is good for specific questions, but to get into ASP, well... let's see.

Not sure what you know of programming so I will be generic and descriptive.
I prefer coding most of the Server Side script in VBScript, tho you can use JScript. The Server Side part is what makes Acrive Server Pages (ASP) what they are. It's code that is done on the server. So, for DB access your Web server needs access to the Database... but the users/clients (using the web browser) don't.

VBScript is pretty good at allowing you access to both Access and SQL databases, as well as others.

Of course, ASP is Microsoft stuff, so you should be running Microsoft's Internet Information Server 4 (5 is recommended) on you Web Server. If they already have a Web Server, you need to check this first. (Linux boxes have add-ons to allow ASP on Apache, but you would want to check with the Web Server's administrator first to see if this is working.) If possible, leave hosting/setup of the website to whoever is already doing it, however, it can be done by you if necessary. (Another place, another time for more info.)

Let's see... FAQ's, Tutorials, and Misc. Got 'em right here.

http://www.4guysfromrolla.com

http://www.asp101.com

http://www.aspfaq.com

http://www.visualbasicscript.com

(great for that VB stuff)

K, here's the finish. If I were you, I'd start looking at ASP .NET. Microsoft has Web Matrix, a great FREE (free from MS? No WAY!) program styled after Visual Studio .NET that let's you program ASP .NET pages easily. ASP itself is getting out dated, and to be modern you want the latest. I recommend WROX books. Beginning ASP 3.0 or Beginning ASP.NET 1.0 are the way to go to learn this stuff. But you better be willing to read. It's a sharp learning curve if your not used to programming.

Head hurt yet? You ain't even started...

 

[mike777]

WOW! Great stuff!! I owe you!! Thanks...

 

[rtshort]

Access databases are not good for a lot of users. I'd use SQL Server. Rob
Just my $.02.

 

[snowboardr]

Well I have heard that access can handle about 150 connections at a time.. so if you program it right you could handle alot of users...

Just put everything you get from the db into a string, then close the connection as soon as possible. If the connection to db is only a second...then you can have well over 150 users on a site in theory..

 

[codestorm]

I believe with Access it's not so much how many connections, but what each connection is doing. If 150 connections to Access all want to lock records in the same table (say, a Session/Detail table, or a PageContent table), then you're asking for trouble.

IMHO, SQL Server is far superior as it handles concurrent table access better - you CAN do it in Access, but it relies on a lot more precise SQL programming from the developer. Having said that, if the budget is tight Access probably costs around 1/20th to 1/30th? of SQL Server.

What fron-end to use depends heavily on how rich and end-user experience is expected, as well as how much control you have over end-user applications. ASP will do the job for simple apps, and can be put together a lot more easily/quicker, but if the end-user requires a richer experience I'd suggest a SQL Server backend with Access front-ends connecting to it - takes more to design stuff (at least the way I like to do it - programmatically rather than bound controls), but the end result is a much richer UI. codestorm
Fire bad. Tree pretty. - Buffy
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