Need Access, iiS & Intranet Book Recommendation

[ViolatedJR]

For days I have searched for a book that will help me with creating a web
site that connects to an Access database. I am not a developer of any sort
but know some html and how to build functional flat and relational databases.
I'm limited to what I can use by what I have available at work. I have
Access 2003 (soon to be Access 2007) and web space on an iis server (this is
what they said I needed for a database). I have dabbled in Javascript, ASP
(not .NET) and VB and have been somewhat successful but wouldn't be able to
do much without rereading a book.
I read about Data Access Pages and got excited but the more I read, the more
I didn't think that was the answer. I read about PHP and got excited but I'm
not allowed to use PHP at work. I read about ASP.NET but didn't see anything
that helped me with using that with MS Access (as a beginner). I've read
posts in this group that lead me to great Access resources (thanks John V. &
Arvin M.), but didn't see anything that seemed to fit my needs.
Does such a newbie book exist? Thanks.
Jay R
(I should probably change my Display Name. I don't recall how/when I was
violated.)

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

For days I have searched for a book that will help me with creating a web
site that connects to an Access database.

You can place an access file on a web server. However, you DO NOT actually
install access on that web server. So, frankly at the end of the day you're
not really using MS access it all.

If you're going to do some coding in asp, then connecting to SQL server,
mySQL, or an access mdb file sitting on the web server all are going to
function and look identical in terms of what your code will look like.

In other words you not really using access on the web server. You only can
use the table data from the mdb file. So, none of the coding or forms or
reports etc is of ANY use here. So, in fact you get to use ZERO features of
ms-access in this case.

So when you use access on a web server, you're only using is the data store
(tables). You get zero benefits and cannot use ANY features of MS access.
Since you get zero benefits from access, then just about any system that
allows you to store data in tables such as SQL server or whatever is also an
alternative here and is the same amount of work.

There is a ASP to jet connection string example here:

http://www.webcheatsheet.com/asp/database_connection.php

<%
'declare the variable that will hold new connection object
Dim Connection
'create an ADO connection object
Set Connection=Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")

'declare the variable that will hold the connection string
Dim ConnectionString
'define connection string, specify database driver and location of the
database
ConnectionString="PROVIDER=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
"Data Source= c:\inetpub\wwwroot\db\examples.mdb"

'open the connection to the database
Connection.Open ConnectionString
%>

Realistically, I can not really think of any particular advantage you get
from trying to read data from a mdb file as opposed to using sql server.
The advantage of using SQL server is that you can remotely connect to the
table designer tools and other tools that work with SQL server. In the case
of MS access, you can not remotely connect to the mdb file sitting on the
web server. without the ability to have a remote connection to access, then
this makes the maintains of the acces tables inside that mdb file very
difficult. To modify table structures or change parts of table designs,
you'll either have to execute SQL commands from ASP to modify those tables.
You can also take a copy of that file off the web server and place it on a
machine where you have a copy to access installed, then make your table
modifications, and then put the file back on the web server. Note that if
the web server is running, you'll usually have to stop the web server
running BEFORE you make a copy of the mdb file since when the web server is
running you'll have the mdb file open.

 

[Mr. B]

Hi, ViolatedJR.

First, I totally agree with Albert's assessment of the use of a database
engine. However, there is one thing that I would like to mention. I recently
developed a 2003 Access Applicaiton that my clients uses to enter data. Part
of the data entry process requires the linking to MSDS sheets for specific
chemicals. This application also creates a new Access file with a small
version of the data extracted for one specific entity that is one of my
client's clients. (Hope that made since.)

I also built an ASP.net website that uses an Access data file as its data
source. (The web site also uses and SQL database file as the security (login)
database file.) This web site is updated when my client update their data in
their Access Application and then that applicaiton uploads all of the
required MSDS sheets along with the latest data in a new Access data file.

This is one instance where using an Access data file as the data source for
a website is a better choice that one of the other database engines, just
because of the simple way that the data can be updated by the owner of the
website by simply using their Access Application.

If you want to develop websites in ASP.net, I would suggest that you down
load Micorsoft's Visual Web Developer 2008. It is free and does a great job.
This is the application that I used to build the website described above.
You can download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/exPress/download/

There is some learning curve but not something that cannot be overcome. If
I can do it, anyone can.

If you would like to see a demo of the site described above, visit:
http://www.pars-rtk.com/login.asp/
UserName is: Jim Smith
Password is: password
This username and password is temporary and is subject to change without
notice.

This newsgroup is all about Access and not VWD 2008, however, due to the
content of your question and your interest in using an Access data file I
felt that it should be OK with everyone here to at least offer some
explanations to you.

I hope this helps you a little.

Good luck with your project.

 

[ViolatedJR]

This book was published in 1997. Thanks for trying, though.

 

[ViolatedJR]

Thanks for the info but I have 'file type' restrictions placed on me by our
IT dept. The data I have (and need access to) is currently in an Access
database so I want to avoid creating or maintaining a new db. If I did create
a db with an extension other than .mdb, the server police would eventually
find it and have me remove it.
The current db exists in my local web directory and is synched daily with
the development server and then manually put into production.
I found a book that WROX put out with the title "Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 and
Databases". I guess I can go on the ASP.NET forums and ask if the book and
version are still relevant.
Thanks for your help.
Jay

 

[ViolatedJR]

Thanks. Checked out the site. Downloaded VWD 2008. Time to play.
I will probably still need to get a book but with the input received here,
I've got a place to start.
Jay

 

[David W. Fenton]

In other words you not really using access on the web server. You
only can use the table data from the mdb file.

Actually, it's possible (though not advisable) to use COM automation
from ASP or PHP to do things like run a report that you might direct
to a PDF. I can imagine that certain kinds of complex reports that
are fairly straightforward in Access would be almost impossible in a
plain old server-side scripting language (think of the logic
necessary to do multiple levels of grouping and summarizing,
including repeating headers at the top of each page, etc.), and that
might make automating Access look attractive. But in that case, I
think I'd likely look for technologies specifically designed to be
run server-side for reporting purposes. I don't know what any of
those are, but it's such a pressing issue that I'm sure there are
many alternatives (though I expect it's unlikely that any one of
those is as versatile and easy to use as Access's report writer).