[plug] Help in how to create Linux database driven Web pages

[Leon Brooks]

On Tue, 23 Jul 2002 05:59, Steege, Phil E wrote:
> The next step in my windows to Linux conversion is learning how to create
> web pages fed by a database.  I want to display inventory data held in my
> database, on a web page.  I would like to use MySQL, so I can keep it all
> in linux.

I'd recommend PostgreSQL over MySQL (it's closer to SQL standards and more 
complete, and yes it is faster than MySQL for some things), but there's 
nothing to stop you from using both.

> Initially I want to create it locally, and then learn Apache and PHP

You will need PHP or some other scripting language like PERL or Python in 
order to get at your database. If you're worried about security on a 
net-connected machine, have your services (database, webserver, whatever) 
only listen on the loopback interface (127.0.0.1) or internal interface if 
you're also going gateway for a LAN.

> I have done some
> windows stuff with Photoshop and Dreamweaver and took an HTML 4.0 course so
> I understand HTML.  I planned to use Gimp and Bluefish (or some other app
> if you have any suggestions).

GIMP will do fine for most imagey things, there are some scripts in it 
specifically to do webpage logos and stuff (but you may need to download the 
associated package called something like `GIMP data extras').

Some people use and like Screem for web stuff. I sometimes just use 
OpenOffice's oowriter in HTML mode, since it produces much nicer HTML than 
Word, has a little @ button you can click on to tinker with the source, and 
is quite agile at stuff like tables (merging cells and that kind of thing). 
When you stick scripting stuff in the HTML, kiss your WYSIWYG editing goodbye 
(it will likely trash the scripting).

If you like Object Oriented, Zope will be right up your alley, but if OO is 
alien to you it has a wall-of-China style initial learning curve. PHP is easy 
to get started with (and like PERL etc can do OO if you want it) since your 
starting point is an ordinary HTML page, which you then dig holes in for 
script where you want the HTML to vary.

Make free use of http://validator.w3.org/ and do visit http://www.browser.org/

Cheers; Leon