Remote updating of database using web interface

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I have been asked to provide a web interface in order that field engineers are able to update a database remotely.

The data is currently being held in an Access 2007 database but a migration to MySQL will be considered.

Whilst I am conversant with RDBMS, my knowledge of web technology is somewhat sparse.

Is MySQL/PHP the best technology to implement this goal or is there a better alternative?

TIA

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There are several options, PHP / MySQL being one.
Personally I prefer ASP.NET. Without much experience, ASP.NET controls can spare you much of the tedious work that goes with implementing such a task.

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There are several options, PHP / MySQL being one.
Personally I prefer ASP.NET. Without much experience, ASP.NET controls can spare you much of the tedious work that goes with implementing such a task.

I would also use ASP.NET. One feature alone makes it worthwhile – when a webform goes out to the user, the user posts it back, and you return it with errors – ASP.NET keeps all the fields filled in for you. Whereas in PHP you need to re-fill each field on every round trip of the form.
Beyond that, there are such beautiful features as the ComboBox DropDown List, which works really well.

Visual Studio Express is free. I would use C# not VB because it’s no harder and really a much better designed language, it really is the best computer language in the world.

For a database, keep Access or consider Microsoft SQL Server, again the SQL Server Express is free.

Hosting is well priced – have a look at RackServers and StudioCoast for ASP.NET hosting if you don’t have your own Windows server on the net.

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I have the same kind of problem, except that I capture my data in Excel at the moment. I just found a nice feature in Access 2007 that allows you to gather remote data using e-mail forms. The limitation is that the sender can update only one record at a time per e-mail (or maybe not??) the data is imported into the Access database table automatically when you receive your e-mails – pretty nifty.

Consider that if you like?

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Any web form can be re-populated from the data entered. PHP doesn’t do it automatically, it’s up to you to code.

cheers, Paul

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