Is Access the right choice?

[Johny]

Is access the best way or should I look towards learning another application
to implement my project??
I am trying to create a database for a friends talent agency. The specs
are:

Password protected form on our web site where the talent can enter there
info and paste a picture.
Ability for talent to manage and update this info.
Ability to query this info and generate a report that will be their online
resume (including pic).
Make this report (resume) searchable by the clients.
Allow all the info to be searchable by the agency owner/staff.
And a few more things that in my naivety I suggested.

I assumed the best choice for the project was Access 2003 (plus the agency
already has a copy). What I believed should be logical and simple in
creating this project using Access has been anything but. Not having used
Access since the 97 version (and never to develop a web based application) I
new there would be a learning curve. The learning curve has become a 10
foot wall with only one way to overcome ("And were going to hide the answer
unless you can ask the exactly right question.", says Microsoft.

I'm obviously going to need to learn some different applications (like VB)
to make this work. Will I run into any, "you can't do that in Access" or
"it can be done if ... but ...". Wrote Assembly language programs 20 years
ago so syntax and structure are easy for me to grasp. Just need to focus on
learning the right syntax and structure?

My concern has a precedence. Used FrontPage 2003 to develop the web site.
Tried to use a custom theme to customize the colors of a hyperlink border
around a picture. Seems simple and logical? After a month of trying to
figure it out or get an answer from a newsgroup I finally contacted
Microsoft. There answer, "Can't be done. We never thought of doing that."

As the saying goes, "been there, done that", so any thoughts or imput would
be greatly appriciated.

Johny

Reply to newsgroup or email:
(e-mail address removed)

 

[J. Clay]

For a web app of this type, I use asp.net as the development tool with
Access as the Database, that is if the traffic isn't too heavy. If there is
going to be very heavy traffic (multiple hits per second), you will want to
step up to a SQL Server database.

There are several asp.net books available that can help you learn.

J. Clay

 

[Larry Linson]

The Data Access Pages that can be created with Access are limited to users
who have Internet Explorer 5.5 or later (no other browser) and have the
Office Web Extensions installed. Most do not find them useful for general
Internet use; all the DAP applications I have personally known about were on
company intranets where the users software was known and controlled.

J. Clay has given some good advice in regards to using "Access" (actually
Jet database engine) databases with web sites. The .asp (ActiveX Server
Pages) he mentions are a good choice, as is ASP.NET -- both give you the
capability for developing flexible web applications. Other options, the
Database Interaction Wizard of Front Page 2002 for very simple database
operations, and third-party products such as Macromedia's Cold Fusion
(formerly Allaire Cold Fusion) if you want to invest in the additional
software product(s).

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Johny]

Thank you for the input. I have already begun learning VB and asp.net to be
able to customize the aplication. Sounds like I would be well advised to
forget Access and use SQL and develop directly in asp.net.

Thank you to both the responders of my post; you have certainly saved me
several weeks (possibly months) of frustration.!

Johny

 

[Larry Linson]

"Johny" wrote

. . . Sounds like I would be well advised to
forget Access and use SQL and develop
directly in asp.net.

You can certainly use ASP.NET and ADO.NET with "Access" (Jet database
engine) databases, if you do not expect heavy traffic on your web
application. If you expect it to grow to have heavy traffic, it's probably a
good idea to begin with SQL Server (the free desktop edition, also called
MSDE is fine to start; and you can, very inexpensively, get the Developer
Edition that also includes SQL Server's very fine "Enterprise Manager" and
other administrative tools, use that for development, then deploy with MSDE
or full SQL Server, depending on the load).

Best of luck with your learning and your project.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP