web databases

[Madge]

Can anyone recommend free or cheap(ish) software for including simple databases within HTML pages? Databases like booklists with (say) up to eight fields and up to (say) 300 records. Might include gif or jpeg thumbnails but could do without. (My webspace is enabled for scripts).

My friend uses ReadCSVPlus from www.ezscripting.com but this website has closed so there is no support.

I have found DB-HTML Converter Pro 3.0 through Tucows ($103), which looks great, but may be overkill for what I need. It would however enable me to create in MS Access but the visitor would not need MS Access loaded to view the database online.

Any other suggestions would be gratefully received.

[Steven.Bentley]

Hi Madge

what kind of scripting does the server have? Would it happen to be PHP? If it is and you have MySQL facility then you can do this very easily

[Madge]

No, Steven, my webhost does not support PHP but I could easily find a webhost that does. However, are you talking about my having an understanding of PHP and MySQL or about readymade idiotproof scripts which I could utilise?

I do want to learn PHP amd MySQL (I have Welling & Thomson and a couple of slimmer tomes gathering dust on my bookshelf) but it will be months before I start tackling them.

I only have a two or three hours a week for learning and experimenting and I have to master XHTML first or Degsy will be on my case.

I am still struggling to make the ReadCSVPlus Perl script work (without knowing any Perl) and I am off now to download a trial copy of the DB-HTML Converter Pro software. If even I can get it to work it must be worth the money!

[Steven.Bentley]

What are you actually trying to achieve here? Sounds like there are plenty of options open to you :)

[Madge]

Thanks for your response, Steven.

To save wasting your (and other contributors') time, do you mind if I put this one on the backburner for a week or two until I have tried a few things out and also clarified my own mind what I really need. Then I will surely be back again for help! But of course, if anything occurs to anyone in the meantime, all contributions gratefully received!

[Steven.Bentley]

that's fine, come back to us when you're ready :)