I've been using Access as my database development tool for a few years. Now I would like to start learning how to use Access in conjuction with other tools (such as ASP, vb.Net, etc.) to develop web applications. Can anyone point me in the right direction, offer ideas on how to get started? I don't know how things work between an Access db and the Web.
Alot will depend on you web development tools. Are you going old school with staight HTML, or will you use a nice application like FrontPage (blah) or Dream Weaver?
I know that access can allow you to develop web interfaces that can fill the basic needs, but if you want something a bit more flashy and nice I suggest you develop in Dreamweaver then link back to the Access MDB. Use the right tool for each part of the project, then bring them together.
1. Set up a testing server on your computer. Start by installing IIS under remove/install windows components. (will not work with WinXP Home)
2. Make this folder: c:\inetpub\wwwroot\MyASPSite\
3. Make a subfolder called "DB" and put your Access database in it.
4. Make another subfolder called "Connections" and put a blank txt doc in it called "ASPDB.txt" (can be named anything.) Open the doc and put in a connection string, ie:
Then change the doc extension to ".asp".
5. Make a text doc in your MyASPSite folder called "Test.txt"...Put the following in it:
Code:
<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT"%>
<html>
<body>
<!--#include file="Connections/ASPDB.asp" -->
<%Dim rst
Set rst = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
rst.ActiveConnection = ASPDB_CONN
rst.Source = "SELECT * FROM [MyTable]"
rst.CursorType = 0
rst.CursorLocation = 2
rst.LockType = 1
rst.Open()
'write a field from the first record...
response.write(rst("[MyFieldName]"))
'You can use standard ADO stuff to move about (rst.MoveNext, etc...)
rst.Close
set rst = Nothing
%>
</body>
</html>
Rename it to "Test.asp".
6. In your browser, type "http://localhost/MyASPSite/Test.asp"...it probably won't work at first, but after you figure out how to configure permissions on your server, you will get it. (I did)
7. Go to ASP101 and 4 Guys from Rolla to learn all about ASP (There are a myriad of others). It took me about a week to get my footing.
I have Dreamweaver, but if you really want to know what's going on, you have to start with Notepad.
Sounds like you are confusing Access with Jet. Jet makes a poor web accessable database because it is a file server rather than a database server. You will be happier with SQLServer or even MySQL which are both database servers.
Pat, you couldn't be more right.
However, to use Access (Jet) as the tool to learn ASP, you can get started quickly and just change the connection string later when you are ready to load up the MSDE or whatever. For everything a beginner needs to do with ASP, the data provider is immaterial (so is what you call it...as long as you call it right in the connection string {in which you can use the Access or the Jet driver}).
There are people out there running websites from an Access (Jet) database...not the best choice, but it works for a start.
