Talking Dynamic Web content (Specifically ASP & MS-SQL) (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Hey guys, I'm not sure even specifically the questions I'm looking to ask here- but thought I might start a discussion to see who here had some experience in this field and might supply some tips. Maybe looking to establish who has knowledge of this stuff here, and is willing to share...

I currently have a database driven site, and the current version is several years old. I migrated from static maintained HTML to a basic db backend, and now I'm looking to up my level of automation and administration at the application level (writing editor "applications" rather than doing database work in MS Access).

My current site is uber simple, really just pulling info from the db and displaying on screen. There is not any real database changing done as a result of scripting-- and it's really just a read and output system. The new stuff will include user submission and administrator moderation tools, more application design with less emphasis on a db editor (like access) to update and change the database.

My level of ASP experience is rather simple, but the basics of programming, logic and related pursuits are not lost on me. I have no doubt with a little syntax research i could make ASP do whatever I need it to do. I have already planned out most of the data structure of the new site and how it will all work...

As I'm planning to migrate to this new, more DB heavy system... the guy who owns the hosting company I work with (and for these guys the hosting is more of a side thing, as they do real heavy web development, design and even sell commercial ASP applications)--- he suggested I make the jump from using Access as my backend to MS SQL. Herein lies the problem.

I'm not sure what the real difference is--- I mean, i have read SQL is a bit better for high volume traffic- but I'm not sure if using SQL means a new set/kind of database file types, or just a new way of talking to the existing .mdb files.

He promised to send me the interfacing tools for SQL (I assume you leave the DB on the server and use an application that interfaces for design/changes?)-- but this was 3 months ago and he's never come through... I figure I need to strike out on my own to better understand this stuff.

So I wondered if anyone had some thoughts on places to go to get basics on this type of endeavor. I'm kinda locked into ASP, as it is what I bothered to learn (and no matter how much cooler it might be, have no interest in PHP). I'm sure there will be some call for going to MySQL instead of Microsoft- but again, I'm not really sure the difference- and the company I work with used Ms SQL, so it seems in my interest in terms of getting help to go with what they do.

I'm still trying to understand what SQL does, how to really use it, and what will change from how I was operating before (using access). I also wonder about the new element of Asp.NET- and what exactly the difference is with the .net addition.

Really, just hoping to start a dialog with other people who develop web database stuff in hopes of getting better hold on the big picture-- and in hopes of finding a reliable support base as I move forward making the big jumps into a higher level database driven site.

Thanks

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

ooooooooooook, anyone?

 

[Jason_H]

Well, I'll try to shed a little light for you. MS SQL should definitely be a bit faster. You will also gain a better interface to administer the DB, and new abilities (like stored procedures) but I don't know if you use them much.

Your code won't change much at ALL, especially if you are just using ODBC connections which I assume you are. You will just have to make new DSNs to connect to the SQL DB using the standard SQL drivers.

MySQL is uber-fast, cheap (as in free in most cases), and has a fairly good administration application via a browser. It can be a little harder to maintain, and you won't get a lot of the more advanced features in MS SQL (again, don't know if you would use them anyway). You would use a set of drivers called MyODBC from the same folks who make MySQL if you decided to go this route.

No matter which way you go, you will have to migrate your data from Access into the new DB.

I'm no expert on .NET, but from what I've gathered it runs quite a bit faster than standard ASP, and is much, much easier to maintain and develop in. This may require a partial re-write of your current app though, I'm not sure.

 

[Chris Smith]

ASP.NET is pretty neat as it allows VB-Like development of web pages. You drag and drop controls onto a webpage and it develops the HTML for you (at least in theory.) We haven't had a client that needed it yet, so I haven't really spent time to learn it.

I've been working with ASP and MSSQL for quite a while now so I know my way around pretty good. MSSQL will be much faster than Access, but it is harder to maintain if you don't know what you are doing, and harder to edit the data (again, if you don't really know what you're doing.) If I were you, I would start by developing your web app to use Access and use standard ODBC connectors (like Jason mentioned.) Then when you have your pages the way you want, you can always move over to SQL and learn it then.

And there is nothing wrong with ASP. I've developed extensivly in ASP and have done some small things in PHP. There is nothing that I've done in PHP OR ASP that I couldn't have done in the other.