Forms and Back Ends

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BobH
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Forms and Back Ends

Post by BobH »

Joe's recent post triggered me to post a question I've put off for awhile. So as not to hijack Joe's thread, I started a new one.

Some few years ago I created a web site for my high school class. It had some features that were neat - including a jukebox, a forum, and a photo album that users can upload to. But it was deficient in that registered users could not fill in forms that I could then use to create a database from which I could display data. I did not - and still do not - know how to get the data from boxes on the HTML page and route it to a database. I am completely self-taught wrt HTML, XTML, PHP, CSS et al. I have limited experience with database software but have no clue how to connect a database to web page coding. What software or HTML/PHP/CSS coding techniques are required to do this? If other software is needed (MySQL, for example); how is it invoked from HTML and how would any data that it stores then be retrieved for display on a web page?

As an example, I'd like to set up an option for a registered member to enter their current address, their spouse's name, the number of children and grandchildren (and even great-grandchildren; groan, we are THAT old now). Another example is that I'd like to allow registered users to post their recollections of deceased class members on the page devoted to that topic. One can think of many such things, but the critical question of how to scrape the screen boxes and pass it to a database server and then retrieve and display the data is one I cannot answer. I would greatly appreciate pointers to where I can study and learn what I need.

TIA
:cheers: :chocciebar: :thankyou:
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stuck
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Re: Forms and Back Ends

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BobH
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Re: Forms and Back Ends

Post by BobH »

Thanks, Ken.

I'll start there. I've been exploring my web hosts tool set today. I can use MySQL on their servers. They give me the means to set it up with multiple databases.

Again, thank you! This gives me a place to start experimenting.

:cheers:
Bob's yer Uncle
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Intel Core i5, 3570K, 3.40 GHz, 16 GB RAM, ECS Z77 H2-A3 Mobo, Windows 10 >HPE 64-bit, MS Office 2016

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BobH
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Re: Forms and Back Ends: Using PHP

Post by BobH »

While I have not yet reached the goal of using PHP and HTML on my web pages, I DID find a group of tutorials that are excellent. Because I am a bit more comfortable with HTML, I went straight to the PHP tutorials. Here is my report.

First, the initial few minutes were spent explaining that PHP is a scripting technique that runs on the server side. In other words, one must have a server to run PHP. But, not to worry, the tutorial immediately takes the student through installation of xampp, a package that includes Apache server and PHP and few other goodies. I followed the instructions and had an xampp server running on my system in just minutes.

I've been through half a dozen of the lessons in the tutorial. They are short, well organized, and teach principles very effectively.

Hope this helps someone at some time.

:cheers: :chocciebar: :thankyou:
Last edited by BobH on 05 Nov 2014, 19:29, edited 1 time in total.
Bob's yer Uncle
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stuck
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Re: Forms and Back Ends: Using PHP

Post by stuck »

BobH wrote:I followed the instructions and had an xampp server running on my system in just minutes.
I'd be very cautious about making that server visible to the outside world. As Stuart pointed out in your related thread, securing your own sever is not easy.

Ken

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BobH
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Re: Forms and Back Ends

Post by BobH »

I realized that I did not do justice to the information at the HTML.net Tutorials web site.

There are tutorials for the following tools. Each has an introduction and the number of lessons shown:
HTML: 15 Lessons
HTML5: 26 Lessons
CSS: 16 Lessons
PHP: 22 Lessons
ASP: 22 Lessons
Java Script: 21 Lessons

There are forums for discussing and seeking support on these functions there as well.

HTH
Bob's yer Uncle
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Intel Core i5, 3570K, 3.40 GHz, 16 GB RAM, ECS Z77 H2-A3 Mobo, Windows 10 >HPE 64-bit, MS Office 2016