Web host doesn't support access 2

[cammy]

Hi

I have spent ages plodding along creating a new website using asp/vbscript/access but have just discovered that our website host doesn't support access.

They support mySQL but I don't know anything about this or where to get it. I built the site using dreamweaver mx and access 2000

Does this mean I will have to redo all of the database stuff for the site using mySQL?

What is mySQL? Is it a program like access that I can build a database in?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

Cam

 

[johnwm]

Did you try Google? It points you straight to

http://www.mysql.com/

If all your data access is written in ADO you will need to check if your website hosts that before proceeding - some mySQL hosts support PHP or CF rather than ADO. If that's the case it may be easier to find another website host

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[cammy]

Hi

Thanks for your reply john. I did have a look at mysql.com but was not any further forward. It's full of the usual meaningless jargon to me. I am not an expert on this by any means!

I still don't get what mySQL is really. Is it like access - ie. can I use it to build a database? I d/l and installed it but it looks like a server technology and not something I can use to create a database.

Also, what is ADO - I've never heard of that either.

Cheers

Cam

 

[ChrisHirst]

MySQL is a database server

And I would take an educated guess that your host doesn't support ASP either.

Chris.

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[cammy]

The host does support ASP.

Is MS Access a thing of the past in websites?

Would I be able to use MS SQL server to create a database to use with a mySQL server?

 

[ChrisHirst]

You should be aware then that it may well be Sun ASP (formerly ChilliSoft ASP) on a Linux box and it does have some differences to MS ASP.

MS SQL is a database server
MySQL is a database server
ADO = ActiveX Data Objects W3 Schools

Access is a desktop database and has never been a serious option for websites beyond very light duty ones.

For MySQL you will probably need the hosting co to create a database which you then populate with tables using either any admin tools they provide, A MySql client or ASP.



Chris.

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[ethorn10]

Chris -- something tells me she's not dealing with Sun ASP on a Linux box considering she was previously running Access on the same host. Doesn't seem like a possibility to me...she just needs to learn how to use MySQL now. Well...and how to connect to MySQL using ASP.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Maybe, but it looks more likely the the website has been developed on a windows workstation or server in house then discovered that the hosting isn't on windows.

Converting from Access to MySQL isn't a major task provided that ANSII SQL has been used rather than any proprietary T-Sql commands.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[ethorn10]

Having re-read the original post, you might be right about the development first, uh oh later.

 

[cammy]

Hi

Thanks for your replies (she is a he btw, cammy is a boys name short for cameron here and not cameron diaz!).

I have built a website on my home PC using dreamweaver mx and have connected through this to an access database using a system DSN.

This is a simple access database set up with one table and is used for keeping records of job vacancies, location, salary etc.

The web host we current use is

http://www.lumison.net

and they run win 2003 servers (mySQL) and linux servers (postgreSQL). They support amongst other things ASP, ASP.net, Perl, PHP and Frontpage extensions support for Windows.

I am just worried about all the stuff I have already set up and how I go about changing it.

Thanks

Cam

 

[ethorn10]

Sorry for the mess up on the name...

There really won't be THAT much involved in changing it to work with MySQL. The main issue is the connection to the database, but hopefully you've isolated the connection to an include file or something of that nature, and then whether or not you kept it to ANSII SQL as Chris mentioned.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Access support is an integral part of Windows ODBC drivers and I don't believe can be removed, IIS requires access ODBC for some of it's logging functions.

So simply by having Windows hosting should give Access support.



Chris.

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Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[BabyJeffy]

You can use Access databases (in a read-only capacity) by just uploading the .mdb files to your site. I'm sure you know about this... but as ChrisHirst mentions... your host (running IIS) will most likely support Access - but they proabably aren't aware of it

You may need to put your .mdb files (Access database files) in a specific directory (and also with the correct permissions if you want to write to it etc). And getting the right string to set up the Access connection might be tricky in the first instance.

What scripting language are you running your code against? PHP or ASP - maybe you could build a tiny test-harness that attempts to read from an Access database... just to test everything?

Jeff

 

[cammy]

Hi Jeff

Thanks for your reply.

I phoned our host again to day to try and talk them into taking the access database but they reiterated that they no longer support it due to security issues (and that microsoft no longer support it).

I am resigned to having to redo the site as the way I have it set up at the mo, I would need them to create a DSN on the server.

The thing is that the database is only read only as well...

Cheers

Cam

 

[ChrisHirst]

I've come to the conclusion that many hosts either have no idea or will simply lie to clients (apologies to the few good ones who may be reading this)

MS have never really supported the use of Access for websites simply because of the possibility of the .mdb being downloaded unless it is in a folder outside the website. And of course they would prefer you to buy licences for MS SQL server.

It will also be read/write if the username that the website is running under has read/write rights to the folders in the NTFS ACL.

You do not need a DSN. just create a connection string to the database. you can do exactly the same for any database provided the drivers are installed on the server.



Chris.

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Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[cammy]

I have converted my access to mySQL using the guide here

http://www.scriptsearch.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=370

and have updated all the recordsets etc in my site to reflect this. I am now in a different area getting error when trying to test the site:

ADODB.Recordset (0x800A0BB9)
Arguments are of the wrong type, are out of acceptable range, or are in conflict with one another.
/msa new/searchresults.asp, line 117

The code relating to this is:

Set rsresults = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
rsresults.ActiveConnection = MM_mySQL_STRING
rsresults.Source = "SELECT * FROM mysql.tbl_vacancies
WHERE Sector LIKE '" + Replace(rsresults__varSector, "'", "''") + "'
AND Location LIKE '" + Replace(rsresults__varLocation, "'", "''") + "'"
rsresults.CursorType = 0
rsresults.CursorLocation = 2
rsresults.LockType = 1
rsresults.Open()

and the line giving the error is the second one down. I guess this is now an ASP forum issue...

Cheers

Cam

 

[ChrisHirst]

yep but it probably always was,

make sure you write out the value of MM_mySQL_STRING

the error may become obvious.

another point is that there is a table called mysql that is the MySQL user database so you can't be using that as one of your tables, because your username will not have permissions to it.



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[cammy]

Initially when I designed this site I was intending on someone at work administering the access database and uploading it to the web. I was pretty confident in their ability to update the simple visual database which access provides.

How would I now go about this using a mySQL database - ie a visual way for them to update the database.

Eventually, I intend to build a web interface for doing this but at the moment I am limited in what I can do and the time I have to do it.

 

[ChrisHirst]

download one of the MySQL GUIs and use that, such as WebYog



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
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So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[Foamcow]

MySQL Query Browser is pretty easy to use

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