Web Development (1 Viewer)

Learn2010

Registered User.
Local time
Today, 14:01
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
415
I would like to move up to front-end web development. I have 25 years of experience with Access. I am not giving up on Access and will continue to use it. Maybe some of you can point me in the right direction. What should I learn to make the transition from Access to the web? The web is full of ideas about this, but I would like the opinion of Access users. I believe you guys would know better than most.

Thank you.
 

Uncle Gizmo

Nifty Access Guy
Staff member
Local time
Today, 18:01
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
Messages
16,244
Do you mean you want to develop web based databases?

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 

Learn2010

Registered User.
Local time
Today, 14:01
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
415
Yes., that is exactly what I want to do. Right now, I want to concentrate on the front-end development because the current Access DB is connected to SQL Server.
 

theDBguy

I’m here to help
Staff member
Local time
Today, 11:01
Joined
Oct 29, 2018
Messages
21,358
Hi. When you move to web development, you are basically moving away from Access. Although you can still use Access, it is not recommended. For web applications, it is better to use SQL Server or MySQL and the likes. And as for coding, you have a lot of options. You’ll need to learn a few languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and either C# or PHP. There are others too depending on your platform and needs, like Python or Ruby. Of course, you’ll also have to decide on web hosting options. Web development is a whole new world as compared to desktop development. Good luck!
 

AccessBlaster

Registered User.
Local time
Today, 11:01
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
5,825
I asked a similar question to Steve Bishop. Steve is a YouTube content provider.
The most common way is to build a WebAPI with C#/ASP.NET MVC that links to the SQL server via entity framework. Then put a front end HTML/CSS/JS in front of it either as a separate application or hosted by the WebAPI server as separate routes. I typically use the Angular framework to build my front ends with.
 

Pat Hartman

Super Moderator
Staff member
Local time
Today, 14:01
Joined
Feb 19, 2002
Messages
42,971
I've been developing since 1968. For the first 30 or so years, the consensus was that business applications should be built in a high level language such as COBOL or even a specialized report writing tool whose name escapes me at the moment. If you found you needed some intensive calculating, you called a FORTRAN subroutine. If you needed to twiddle bits for some reason you would call sub written in assembler language. That gave you the best of all worlds. That optimized development so that most of the app was built with a high level language. You would never write a compiler with COBOL although you could (and companies did just that when they ported COBOL to the PC) and you would never write an OS or a channel program with COBOL. COBOL was certainly a targeted tool but that's the point with the best tools. What they do, they do very well. They just don't do everything. That is what I like best about Access. There is no tool on the market that is faster/cheaper/easier to use as a tool to build a data-centric application but you would never use Access to build the next great version of Paint. My cell phone is a phone, a camera, a flashlight and a dozen other things but it does none of them well. My old flip phone was a much better phone than my smart phone is.

Somewhere along the way, the inmates took over the asylum and the view changed to always using the "best" language and forget how much extra work you had to do or how long it took to develop with the most detail level language available rather than a targetted language. COBOL became unfashionable and development shifted to "C" varieties. Yes you can do anything you could possibly want with this low level language but why? Anyway by that time, I had already discovered Access and thought I had died and gone to heaven. I could create batch apps or interactive apps and even connect to DB2 on the mainframe to hold my data. I never looked back. To me, web apps are not "up", they are "down" as far as functionality and difficulty of creating something usable goes. Web pages are certainly prettier than the CICS and IMS DC apps I was building in the 70's - 90's but they are very similar in concept.

If there is a non-proprietary language that is tuned to building web apps, that is what I would use if I wanted to create web apps. Spending a lot of time learning a proprietary tool could end up as a dead end if that tool goes out of favor.

You really need to decide where you want to go with this. If you want to take a new career path, do some research into want ads in the area where you work. You should probably concentrate on learning what companies are buying rather than the "cool" tools people will recommend.
 

Uncle Gizmo

Nifty Access Guy
Staff member
Local time
Today, 18:01
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
Messages
16,244
One of the best ways to get your data on the web is to put it into MySQL however if you need MSSQL Server, then this might not be the course for you, although I'm sure you could use either, you just have to work out how to change the code.

I'm sure I mentioned this course on Access World Forums before. I followed the course right through, and it's absolutely fantastic! The presenter Robert Tucker has a lovely way of speaking, I can listen to him all day!

Beginner PHP and MySQL Tutorial
Learn PHP and MySQL and start developing web apps like a pro! This course also comes with a Certificate of Completion.
4.2 (6,731 ratings)
225,309 students enrolled
Created by Infinite Skills
Last updated 1/2017
 

Lightwave

Ad astra
Local time
Today, 18:01
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,521
As per Uncle Gizmo there are two common paths -

PHP or ASP

There are low coding environments for the web

I actually use something called php runner which I find excellent which is made by a company called Xlinesoft
Xlinesoft - PHPRunner and ASP Net Runner

And this is a basic review of my preferred option PHPRunner and why I like it.
PHP Runner - a personal recommendation

There are other options
If you are strapped for cash
Nubuilder is good
Nubuilder site

I would add to this
php maker and asp.net core maker - but I never managed to get them working properly.

https://www.hkvstore.com/phpmaker/

http://www.hkvstore.com/aspnetmaker/

I would say that for web applications configuring the servers with a database and knowing how it will be linked to your web server is the trickier part!!! It is pretty much pure configuration and will be different from AWS to Azure to your own setup. To a certain extent from a beginner point of view it is an initial hurdle you just have to try push through.
 
Last edited:

Lightwave

Ad astra
Local time
Today, 18:01
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,521
Hi guys I've actually updated some details on PHPRunner which is a personal favourite web application code generator that I use.
Its basically MS Access for the web - a CRUD Web application Creation tool that connects to MySQL / Oracle / MS Access / Postgres and SQL Server. I've used it against MySQL / Postgres and SQL Server. Low code so just like MS Access you can get super complicated and detailed by writing your own code behind.

You can learn more about that
My thoughts on PHPRunner

A video channel from someone who also likes phprunner.
PHP Runner Tips and Tricks

and here is the company website which I don't think does the product justice!
Xlinesoft

p.s. I am not paid in anyway to publish these I've just found it to be very good and I would like it to have a vibrant user base.

For those without available funds , students or those already competent with php and javascript I would suggest the open source project Nubuilder - it could be really good to get you up and started with online databases php and javascript.It's also true open source and costs absolutely zero for the code. If you have an existing host provider with cpanel access for instance you can set up a design environment for zero additional cost. (you will need to know how to create a database / ftp into it and create a subdomain but see link below for that part) It only can be used with mysql/mariadb.. it has some unique features. Its truly web first with even the IDE being run through a browser. Its not responsive which is both advantageous and disadvantageous the advantage being that the design of forms can be precise in a way that you struggle with when using something like bootstrap (which is definitely an advantage for designing nice printable reports usually on A4 paper) - I think if you had the need for really complicated master detail forms online it would be one of the few solutions that might be able to cope. If you are student wanting to learn php and javascript and can afford to take your time and don't need some of the other database backends I think it would be excellent. Gets you off and running and then gives you some practical opportunities to start solving small manageable php and javascipt problems while remaining productive.
Nubuilder an Open Source Low Code Web Application Tool

I got as far as getting it up and running on a web server but I haven't had any applications using it for a couple of years now mainly because I need SQL server and postgres connection.
For anyone starting out this might be useful -
Configuration of nubuilder on CPANEL
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom