Creating a car rental system using php and mysql.

[psd99]

Hi everybody,


For the final part of my degree I am going to design a website. It is a website for a car rental company, it will be a web based car rental system. The booking system will enable the end user to search and retrieve records and perform cost calculations.

I am going to use MySQL to store data in a relational database on a unix server and php to retrieve the required data and transmit it to a web browser.

I am not so great in programming and that includes PHP. I got a good understanding of HTML files but not so great in PHP.

I have been working on designing some mysql databases.
In the end of this I hope to understand php to a better level.

.

not so sure what to upload to the server. ( I will be using my university serve) but I do wish to at some point to get this running on a machine somehow?

I got loads of php files here, but am getting a little bit confused about how to link up mysql with php and even to test this work.

You think you could explain a bit about this please?
If I were to send you out the files and the tables do you think you could have a quick look at it for me please and see what you think?

I am using dreamweaver mx to design the website. I have been playing around with this and feel comfortable for a basic design.

I hope to use this thread for help from anyone who is willing to aid me.
Please could you make this a sticky.

I will update more with some files soon.


Thanks for your time,


psd99.

 

[Ian]

The first think you'll need is XAMPP to get this running on your machine:

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html

This installs PHP and MySQL (there's loads of instructions on that site on the install, but it's pretty straight forward).

Once you've done that, use phpmyadmin (which you'll see in the main \\localhost url in your browser once it's up and running) to upload your SQL dump files into a database. Then copy your php files into the httpdocs directory so that you can run them. This is all explained on their site much better than this though.

Once you've done that, you just need to view your webpage in IE/FF using \\localhost\psd99 or whereever you put it.

The FAQ is here : http://www.apachefriends.org/en/faq-xampp-windows.html

I'm no php expert, but I can do the basics so I'll keen an eye on this thread.

 

[psd99]

hi admin when you mean upload the sql dump files into the database
do you mean the mysql tables?


such as

CREATE TABLE make (
makeID int(2) PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL auto_increment,
make_name varchar(20) default NULL,
)


can you see where I am going wrong?

I tried to enter this table into mysql yesterday and I kept getting a syntax error
I sat there for ages trying to work it out
it was telling me there was an error in line 4 (

i was putting in the ; at the end of this aswell

 

[psd99]

just installed the program

to use mysql before I was using telnet to access the university server
and then using this ftp program to transfer the files

this program i just installed is a bit confusing
any ideas how to access it?

im looking into it right now so that I can get that black window to type in mysql tables....

 

[Ian]

Can you run the XAMPP software ok and get it to display the \\localhost xampp page? If so, click on phpmyadmin in the left hand column and it should be quite straight forward to type mysql tables in. I don't know much about mysql, I only import tables from dump files - but you can type them in manually there too.

Does the university not have some sort of supervisor in a computer cluster that can help with php/mysql questions related to coursework?

 

[psd99]

hi admi

i got into file:///C:/xampp/mysql

which shows some folders and what appears to be some documents

to enter my current mysql tables
i have been using telnet.
then prompted to enter my uni id and password
where i got an option i select u (linux)
then asks me for my database password
and then i enter my tables here

it is a black screen

what i am wondering is
where is this black screen for this software?

sorry this seems a silly question
but im wondering what i need to click on in order to enter those tables into the database

thanks

psd99

 

[psd99]

Index of file:///C:/xampp/phpMyAdmin

i got to this page

 

[Ian]

I'm really not sure psd as I've not done it before, at a guess it will be something like:

telnet localhost : portnumber (I don't know the mysql port)

with username : root, and a blank password

 

[psd99]

Hi i almost got it running

i am currently using unix server to insert the mysql tables
and using the university server to upload all the files including php files.

have you ever created index tables?
where one table is linked to another using an index.

also when i get to the main page to enter my admin user and password
from where can i change this
what php file am i looking at

I am under the impression i would need to enter some records into the relevant mysql tables
but then would i need to change these values in some of the php files ive got?

hope that makes sense.

 

[Ian]

I'm afraid that sort of stuff is beyond me PSD, plus I don't know the inner workings of the script - I think your best bet may be to ask someone else at uni in the same situation. Sorry I can't be of more help

 

[psd99]

no worries

ill try my luck on here with posting some of the php coding
perhaps there are parts you may be familar with.


surely you will know some of this because this site looks like it's based on php

 

[adrian785]

I'm planning to do the same thing too..

Hey..i was searching for some samples of a web based car rental services for my degree final year project too and i came accross your thread. Would you like to work together for this and help each other out?

 

[psd99]

hi do u have a good understanding of php and mysql?

I have got a basic understanding of both

what programs are u thinking of using?

 

[adrian785]

I'm not really familiar with PhP

Hey..Im sorry to tell you that i'm not very good at php..I was thinking of using ASP.Net (VB script) to do it. For databases I would consider using mysql or maybe Sql Server 2005 since i'm quite familiar with both of them. Don't you think using ASP.Net would be a easier then using php since there are more support and resources for it?

 

[psd99]

umm im using dreamweaver mx and mysql on a unix server for the databases.


ive not read much into using asp.net
but wonder if i could write that down in my studies to suggest that it could have been an alternative.

do you have help on hand there with this?

 

[psd99]

, I only import tables from dump files - but you can type them in manually there too.

?

Hi admin


I got it all working
mysql php and apache

when you said you import your tables from dump files
what format are these dump files in?

I am still having problems making all the files work on the university server
and have decided to make them work locally

 

[Ian]

I'm pleased you got it working! The dump files are just in ".sql" format, I import them using a program called http://www.phpmyadmin.net/

It comes as standard with the XAMPP installation

 

[psd99]

I'm pleased you got it working! The dump files are just in ".sql" format, I import them using a program called http://www.phpmyadmin.net/

It comes as standard with the XAMPP installation

yes

it is working admin.

I tried to get php, mysql and apache all to work with each other on my desktop but kept on getting errors and was pulling my hair out.

now i got to workout how I am going to input my tables
then use the current php files

i will see if i can somehow create a dump of all of my tables
it may save some time

 

[psd99]

Hi Admin

I have sucessfully created all the tables

Also created most of the php pages including the config.php file

$connect=mysql_connect('localhost','root','spacer');

that above code is what I got in the config.php file

does that mean my username is root and my pasword space
i know you will know about this, but obviously this is not working

~i think I know why is it because I got to insert this usrname and pasword into my tables?

also another point is that I am running this rental system locally on my laptop
i wish to make it work so that I can use my laptop as a server to access this system from a remote location
ie from a library or from a university computer

do you know how I can do this?

 

[Ian]

Yep, that means your user is "root" and pass is "spacer" - on the default XAMPP installation the pass is probably blank at the moment.

I'm not sure on how to do the 2nd point though, although it will be possible