General Database/Web Site Development

[zephyr325]

OK, here's the scoop. I've got a quest database I want to publish, and I want to create a website to do it. This will be something that both allows people to read things, but I want them to be able to upload quests as I'm trying to make it a little more functional that the peq quest database. (I talked to Sotonin, and he's all for it...he's just pico'ing what's there right now).

I'm decent with HTML, but I've never tried to do anything as complex as connecting a database, dynamic web content, etc. I'm running my server on Windows 2003.

I've got the database already setup in both access and mysql.

What's a recommendation for easy-to-learn languange/database connection? ASP/access database? php/mysql? asp/mysql? ???

One of the other things I'm looking for is a free development environment that is pretty easy to use to write all this stuff in.

At this point I'm more interested in getting something up and running, rather than spending months trying to get something pretty up that everyone "ooh"'s and "ah"s over.

Thanks...

[m0oni9]

PHP/MySQL is my preference. If you have done any programming in the past it will help much. The most important part IMO is the design stage. Know how you want to store, access and display the information. How will you manage users? How does uploading work?

Draw it all up before you begin, and walk through the process as a normal user, administrator, etc. You will likely find many factors that you would not have otherwise considered until an inopportune time. On the surface the idea seems simple. However, especially if you have never gone through these processes before, it could be a bit daunting.

Good luck if you decide to take this on. I'm sure you will learn plenty if you stick with it.

edit: Did you say pico? *grin*

[zephyr325]

I'm thinking that's prolly gonna be the most common choice, but it's nice to see an "assuring" vote. And yup, I work in and around a development environment and manage a vendor doing programming for us. Real familiar with the process, just not in the *doing*.

And I didn't say pico...Sotonin did.