Need a basic database.. but how?

@biggie101Jan 03.2005

bare with me here…
i’ve only been trained in Java, CSS, and HTML so far, and i won’t be learning anything else UNTIL ’06… so don’t go all professional on me, and leave me with more questions then when i started
i’m willing to learn ASP and MySQL and PHP, but just enough to get me by…
so treat me like an total idiot if you bring any of that up… keep it simple

so here’s my issue. A teacher wants a website that will not only act as a online resume/portfolio, but contain the pictures of his daughter

now he has a LOT of pictures, and we want to give him a simple way to insert them onto his site so he doesn’t have to run them feed them through DreamWeaver everytime he has something new to include.

He currently has the pictures password protected, and wants to keep them that way, so my current plan is to split the site up between personal and professional content.

All i really need to know is… what’s the best way to
1.) make a SIMPLE database
and
2.) How to make it

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Full-stack Developer

11 Comments(s) _↴

@PeOfEoJan 03.2005 — #I am assuming the db will be for the pictures? Well do you want thumbnails or just a list of pictures? You might be better of without a data base if this is just a list of pictures because any server side language (asp would be an example of this) can just read the contents out of a directory. I actually made a flash gallery that does this http://quasi-ke.servebeer.com/flashgallery.aspx (warning not all of the content is pg13, there is some harsh language and a few adult situations, I am just linking this as an example). This uses no data base.

Also, if you know java you do not have to learn much. JSP is a server side language that is done with Java. It is one of the more powerful langs out there infact. All you would have to learn to be good with jsp are a few sql statements here and there, but if you know java you are in good shape. I have not used jsp myself, but I do know java, and I suspect it would be a lot like using java in a prompt but you would just be grabbing input variables from the form instead of using a java.io class.

Also how do you intent to keep the private files private? There is probably an easy method of loggin a user in, but the login methods will vary from a win server (assuming you are on iis with the .net framework) to a linux/unix server (assuming you are on apache or tomcat).

@Stephen_PhilbinJan 03.2005 — #The first "simple" database that comes to mind is MySQL which uses ISAM tables by default (ISAM is your "simple" thing you were looking for. ? ) By the sounds of it, what you're describing is a content management system to give to your friend. I'm building one at the mo', but it'll never be ready in time to be of any use to you. There's plenty of other people here that have built one though. Maybe they'd be so kind as to donate one to you. If not, then PHP is easy to pick up anyway. The full manual is at http://www.zend.com/manual and somewhere on www.php.net too. There's also a complete manual that comes with mysql too. So I think you'll find making it for your friend a lot easier than you think. ?

@PeOfEoJan 03.2005 — #I am also working on a content management system. But I have been dragging my feat on it so much it is not even funny. I hope to have it done with... oh the next year or so ?

@biggie101authorJan 03.2005 — #this is great

his site will be a free membership from the local cable company (Shaw... if you've heard of them.. don't know how well known they are outside of the province). I'm not sure about PHP, but I do believe that it will allow ASP.

sounds like PHP is my best option... i'll have to look into that

the personal information (yes, mainly just an image gallary) IS password protected with some weird JavaScript that i plan to get rid of eventually because any smartass can currently come along a figure it out

Due to the Amount of pictures, i believe they should stay as thumbnails

JSP is a server side language that is done with Java[/QUOTE]
I've never heard of JSP before actually... but i'm going back to class right away so I'll look into that as well..

The first "simple" database that comes to mind is MySQL[/QUOTE]
I was told MySQL would be a good choice for a database

By the sounds of it, what you're describing is a content management system to give to your friend.[/QUOTE]
yes... i'm super glad that my needs are clear. That's all i want... just a simple content management system that even the most inexperienced person can use. This way, he can easily add whatever photos he wants, when he wants.

@Stephen_PhilbinJan 03.2005 — #Yup. That's exactly it. A content management system (or CMS for short). From what you're asking of it though, it sounds like you'll want a built in FTP handler. The one I'm building will have that feature, but I'm not sure how many others do. I've seen a few, but don't recall any of them having it. They're pretty easy to build with php though and I should imagine the same is true with asp.NET. Don't worry about only being able to use asp.NET and not PHP (or vice versa) though, both are more than capable of making good on your demands. ?

If you can use JSP though, well you're laughing really. ?

Well good luck for now and don't hesitate to come back for any more tips or help. ?

@biggie101authorJan 03.2005 — #well, i wasn't sure about it before, but now... due to time issues

if anyone has something, or knows where i can aquire a CMS easily, you'd be my new hero.

please note that i'm not asking anyone to BUILD me one... just...if you have something that can help me out... it would be greatly appreciated

@ray326Jan 03.2005 — #If you can't find one [URL=http://www.opensourcecms.com/index.php]here[/URL] then you just can't find one. ?

@PeOfEoJan 03.2005 — #ray... is your new avatar Tony Soprano? Oh wait no... its Curly. For some reason he looked like Tony Soprano to me, lol.

@ray326Jan 04.2005 — #Oh, Tony'll get ya for that one. ;-)

@PeOfEoJan 04.2005 — #[i]Originally posted by ray326 [/i]

[B]Oh, Tony'll get ya for that one. ;-) [/B][/QUOTE] yeah, I just was thinking about the sopranos I guess when I was posting lol. But moving right back to the topic ?

@biggie101authorJan 11.2005 — #honestly, i wasn't planning on posting here again, but it seemed like a better idea than making a new topic... so here we go...again..

alright... i've got WAMP5 connected to Apache and MySQL servers, and when i try to register them in Aqua Data Studio, it refuses me every time..

it keeps giving me this window saying that there's a problem..and that the server is refusing my username, saying that my access is denied for no reason...

i don't know what's causing this... therefore i don't know how to correct it..