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To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.
Platinum Edition Using HTML 4, XML, and Java 1.2
(Publisher: Macmillan Computer Publishing)
Author(s): Eric Ladd
ISBN: 078971759x
Publication Date: 11/01/98
CHAPTER 30
Web Database Tools
by Melissa Niles
- In this chapter
- Database Considerations 736
- Databases Available 737
- Database Tools 741
- Additional Resources on the Web 746
Database Considerations
It is an appealing idea to take information that is stored in your database and allow its access to those visiting your site (for either Internet or intranet purposes). Not only can it save you the time of reentering all that data to create an HTML document, but it also can enable you to use your database to create Web pages that change the moment the information in your database changes.
Integrating your existing databases with the Web enables you to create Internet and intranet applications that can be beneficial to the customers visiting your site and to those within your organization who need up-to-date information.
For customers, a database enables them to place orders and purchase goods that you have for sale. Most businesses take customer information and store that information in a database whenever an order is placed. This enables you to keep track of who ordered what, when items were shipped, how much and by what method they paid, as well as the personal information used to ship each item.
The old method of purchasing goods on the Web was to take an order through a form and then email the order to the appropriate person. This person would enter the customer and order information into the database, and at that point any online order would be processed as expected.
Integrating your database with the Web removes the “middle person.” Each order can be placed in the database and processed from that point, lessening the chances of lost paperwork or misdirected email.
You can use the information that already exists in your databases to create up-to-date Web documents. These documents can be used to provide a product listing in which visitors can select the items that they would like to purchase. The information in your databases can also be used to provide support.
For intranet purposes, you can provide your employees with information no matter where they are or what platform they are using. Many businesses have employees working in the field who need to quickly access company information. Direct access to a database of information enables your employees to be more efficient. Providing information via the Web even enables access to a database that wouldn’t normally be accessible over a network. Accessing a database also eliminates the need for specific (oftentimes custom) client software that must be installed and maintained on the PC of everyone who’s going to access the database.
All the databases and database tools described in this chapter can be used for these purposes, although some are better suited for a particular task than others.
Which database is best suited for your needs depends on how much you are willing to pay for a database and the tools needed to create dynamic Web pages. How much horsepower you are going to need to serve your customers will also have to be considered:
- • The smaller databases available, such as Access and mSQL, work well and are within the budget of most small businesses. Even so, they wouldn’t be able to handle a hundred thousand or more queries a day.
- • Database engines such as Oracle and Sybase are better suited for larger companies and those companies that receive a large number of queries each day. At the same time, Oracle or Sybase would be overkill for a business that sells only a handful of goods and that receives a few hundred queries a day.
You often have to consider what database a company is already using. Many companies have spent a lot of time training their employees to use a particular database, or they have spent a lot of money on a database that has worked well for them for years. At times, you will have to convince a company to change its database to something more Web worthy. First, you need to find out whether tools exist that can help a company use its existing database and whether the database it currently has is well within the bounds of the company’s particular needs.
Not too long ago, it was quite difficult to create Web pages based on information from a database. Now, so much support is available that trying to figure out which way to go can be an intimidating task. This chapter briefly covers the favorite databases available and the gateways used to access and place that information on the Web.
Databases Available
In this section, you take a quick look at the most commonly used databases on the Web and where you can look for further information and support.
Oracle
Oracle is the largest database developer in the World. Oracle provides databases for Windows NT and various UNIX flavors and has created its own set of tools called the Oracle Web Developer Suite. This suite integrates the Oracle8 Server, Oracle WebServer, Designer/2000, and the Developer/2000 kit, along with additional kits. With the Web Developer Suite, you can get your database information on the Web in minutes using a graphical point-and-click environment. With some additional time, you can make your Web site more interactive, storing and retrieving information with the Oracle database. A storefront, where you can sell goods or provide up-to-date product support, makes good use of the Oracle Web Developer suite.
Sybase
Sybase’s Adaptive Server is the most powerful of Sybase’s database servers. Provided with the Adaptive Server are tools that can be used to produce dynamic Web pages from the information data in your database. Sybase’s newest product to help build Web applications is called Power Studio.
Power Studio is a suite of programs that enables you to access your Sybase database and create interactive Web applications through a beautifully designed graphical interface. The heart of Sybase’s Power Studio is PowerBuilder. With PowerBuilder, you can create applications that easily integrate with the database, enabling those new to the environment to perform advanced queries. PowerSite, another kit that is provided with the Studio, is the key element to tying the information in the database to the Web.
 | ON THE WEB
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| http://www.sybase.com/ For more information on Sybase, Power Studio, web.sql, and other Sybase-related APIs, visit the Sybase home page.
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