Using Microsoft Access/Jet database with FP-designed Web site

  • Thread starter Thread starter Serious_Practitioner
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Serious_Practitioner

I have a need to get parts of an existing database onto the Web so that
customers can search for items of interest. The database is in Access 2000,
and we would probably use FrontPage as the design tool, because we already
have it and some experience using it.

At the outset, I do not expect a large number of "hits" on the site or the
individual pages. I can't believe that, even with some marketing, there
would be more than 200 "hits" a day for quite a while.

We can convert to SQL Server, or a similar product, later on if the traffic
and size of the database warrant.

I understand that Access is not the ideal product for use on Web sites, but
we need to proceed now. Folks in one of the Access newsgroups have commented
on speed, the fact that Access is not strictly client-server, and there have
been other comments as well. Even knowing that, going in, does anyone have
suggestions or comments on the best ways to make Access interface properly,
or at all, with Microsoft FrontPage? I have, and can use, Access 2000 or
2002 with FrontPage of either vintage. I have to figure that 2002 would be
better, as it's more recent, but I really welcome your comments. Names of
and links to any informative Web sites or books would be appreciated as
well.

Thank you all in advance.


Steve E.
 
You've asked a very broad question but basically, you can
add an Access database to a Web site simply by dragging
it into the Folder list or Folders view. FrontPage will
ask you whether to create a "Database Connection", and
you should click Yes.

At that point, you can display the database contents in a
Web page by opening hte page, chooseing Database from the
Insert menu, and then choosing Results. This will start a
so-called Database Results Wizard (DRW) that prompts you
for the name of the database connection, the table you
want to display, the fields you want to display, and so
forth.

Of course, the DRW supports only a tiny fraction of what
you can do with databases on the Web. To go beyond the
DRW, you would typically write your own ASP or ASP.NET
code. Two books to consider are:

Web Database Development Step by Step
Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
Access can handle 6000+/- hit per hour, depending on how you code your ASP.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
Jim -

Thank you for your reply. I know it's a broad question. I know very little
about FP and the integration process, and rather than make a fool of myself,
I try to ask questions that bring replies which vary according to the view
of whoever writes them. I go from there. Maybe it's cheating, but I've
frequently been able to narrow my questions and begin research quickly this
way.

I have your book "Step-by-Step Web Database Development". The copyright date
is 2000. That means that some of the information maybe four years and three
FP versions old. Would that still be a suitable reference work, or do I need
a more recent or different book? I looked at the information on the MS Press
site about your book "FP Version 2002 Inside-Out". That also looks like a
good book...should I use that also or instead of the "Step-by-Step" book?

Thank you so much for your help.


Steve E.
 
Serious_Practitioner said:
Jim -

Thank you for your reply. I know it's a broad question. I know very little
about FP and the integration process, and rather than make a fool of myself,
I try to ask questions that bring replies which vary according to the view
of whoever writes them. I go from there. Maybe it's cheating, but I've
frequently been able to narrow my questions and begin research quickly this
way.
Click to expand...

There's no problem with asking questions; that's what the newsgroup is
for.

Howeever, if you ask a broad, general qustion, like, "How do I create
a Web site?" you're going to get a broad, general answer. If you want
a more detailed response, you have to ask a more detailed question.
I have your book "Step-by-Step Web Database Development". The copyright date
is 2000. That means that some of the information maybe four years and three
FP versions old. Would that still be a suitable reference work, or do I need
a more recent or different book? I looked at the information on the MS Press
site about your book "FP Version 2002 Inside-Out". That also looks like a
good book...should I use that also or instead of the "Step-by-Step" book?
Click to expand...

Web Database Development Step-by-Step is a good place to start if you
want to write ASP code. ASP technology hasn't changed much since the
year 2000, and Microsoft has announced that ASP will *never* change in
the future.

The reason ASP will never change is that Microsoft microsoft considers
it obsolete. They're concentrating 100% on ASP.NET. However, because
existing ASP code won't run under ASP.NET, Microsoft has promised to
keep ASP working, unchanged, with no enhancements, for quite a while.

ASP.NET is much more of a professional programming tool than ASP, and
people who develop ASP.NET applications buy some version of Microsoft
Visual Studio. Visual Basic .NET Standard, for example, is a
substantial subset of the full Visual Studio product, it costs about
$100, and it's sufficient for most Web development.

Unfortunately, Visual Studio neither tries nor succeeds as a top-shelf
Web design tool. So, for working on the visual aspect of a site, most
developers switch back to FrontPage or Dreamweaver. And the need to
flip-flop between Visual Studio and another program adds to the
complexity.

So, it tried-and-true, easy, but doomed ASP vs. more capable, more
complex, harder-to-learn, envuironmentof the future ASP.NET. Pick your
poison.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*----------------------------------------------------
|\---------------------------------------------------
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||---------------------------------------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/---------------------------------------------------
*----------------------------------------------------
 
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