Member Avatar for autocrat

Hi folks......

I'm a bit new to this... played with DB's on an off for years...... now getting back to programming and web design, learning to play with all the big boy's toys etc.
LOL

Yet I must admit that I have fallen for the simplicity of access's ability to generate the user front end so easily.... is there not a similar way to do the same using php or even html?

Now I've got software to connect to mysql and generate the DB's backend much like access, and think this is a god send, as I find it easier to construct with a visual aid rather than the old ascii appearance....

I've seen software that claims to be able to take asp and turn it to php... so I am assuming that it should be able to take a database front end f asp and turn it into a database front end of php?
(jaguar asp to php)

So, I'm not sure 100%, and thought I'd ask....
Is there not software that can link up to a mysql DB and visually build user frontends as in access?

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Member Avatar for Gary King

phpMyAdmin is the best bet.

Member Avatar for autocrat

will that have a forms like interface that access does to creat front ends?
I mean, a visula builder...wysiwyg sort of thing, or is it merely a visual DB builder?

Member Avatar for Gary King

I suppose it's not completely like Access. It's just a visual DB builder; you still need to have some sort of knowledge w/MySQL in order to move around in it.

Member Avatar for autocrat

hmmm...well I learned access in 1 month (the basics), and I'm pretty good with DB design in general... so it shouldn't take to longh to get the basics... it's all teh advanced stuff that concerns me...still, I'll get there (Just asfter I finsih bodging through CSS!)

Member Avatar for Gary King

MySQL = easy. What do you know about Access? How to use it? Or do you know the actual querying language?

Member Avatar for autocrat

I know how to use access... pretty good... not to hot on the sql language, yet can get it to do the simple stuff (which you can do with access any way, so no great advantage there ! LOL).

Still... design a DB layout, create the DB, run it to ensure basic function, then start adding all the little extra bits.... that I can do... the principal should be the same with MySQL... epc. as I have software that works like access for mysql DB creation!

Member Avatar for belsam69

You could use an Access front end to a MySQL back end, to help you with the cross over.

However, unless you need reporting that php can't give you, I would suggest dumping Access and using something like NaviCat or phpMyAdmin. Both will give you the sql statements so that you understand what is actually going on with your db. However, Access uses a different flavour of sql than MySQL, so your statements will be inconsistent when you go to ask for help on forums, etc.

Member Avatar for william_stam

MySQL Query Browser from MySQL website helps ALOT to get mysql specific SQL (access and MySQL not quite the same) at the same time you can test a sql statement. i started by creating my tables and stuff in access and the export it to MySQL - it worked ok but far easier to use phpmyadmin from the beginning

Member Avatar for autocrat

All of thats fine.... it's just tha thaving to parse it all through a web server to test etc... where as access lets me run from my desktop!

No reason I can't do both.... get the basic running in access, then build it in mysql etc.... run them paralell.

Yet my real want is for something that will generate the php/html etc for the db... like the forms part of access....a wysiwyg approach to the page layout and fields, relations etc. ????

Member Avatar for william_stam

PHPmyAdmin has such a feature unfortunately (as said) you need to run it on a websever.

Member Avatar for mediaphyte

You could use an Access front end to a MySQL back end, to help you with the cross over.

...I'm not positive if what I'm about to say is really what belsam69 was saying here, or if you (autocrat) understood this, but
You can use ACCESS with MySQL... just just building with Access then moving to MySQL, but actually use Access. MySQL is ODBC compliant with a driver for Access. I haven't done it in several yrs (since I use exclusively linux now), but I recall it working fairly well.
Just google for MySQL MS access driver... or something like that. I don't remember if the dolphin had this driver or if it was 3rd party, but I used this on Win98,Win200 with Access97-98(something like that)... just assuming XP & current Access works the same/similar. Then point to the server, use the driver, and there you go.

However... if you plan on using your DB knowledge with web programming, I don't know how you'll avoid learning SQL? Scripts call queries. that's programming

Member Avatar for senexom

Ther are a couple of desktop appps that I've used over the years...

My favorite is MySQL Front the lite version is Free (Trail is a full featured app for 30 days I think) It's not expensive if you like it, only like $35.

Also a combination ofMySQL Query Browser and a MySQL Administrator is a good set, both are Free.

One thing to keep in mind some shared servers do not allow outside connection to their db so you won't be able to use these tools. If you host this on your own server, then you should be able to make appropeate connection setting, and I know the latest cpanel hosting (I can provide) alows you to set "allowed" hosts for outside connection.

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