Website/Database/CGI(?)

[APMTech]

OK Everybody. I'm bringing my companie's website up to date. It isn't going to be an online business card anymore. Due to an unforseen explosion of business i've decided to make the site user interactive. To get price estimates on computers, and to Login to view their account. I sat down and wrote out a plan and came up with:

The language will be PERL.. TO access the database, and search for the username and Password. ANd to also find the prices of each component of computer.

The database will be MySql

the plan is to use CGI on the page to connect with a PERL program that access the database .. searches for the information, than brings it back to the site. Problem is I have never attempted anything of this sort. Anybody that has? is my plan the best way to go about it? would it be easier to create a file of prices, and username and passwords.. and PERL just open the file.. read.. then take the information from that?
THanks in advance!

Michael
Advanced Performance Machines

P.S. don't listen to 90's booty music at 2:30 in the morning.. just..don't. You will hate yourself once you realize what the music makes you do. My tootsie has been rolling for about 15 minutes...

[jasonlambert]

I've worked on a CGI based application which was written in C with a mysql backend. The entire project when compiled is over 200MB! - Let me give you a piece of advice... USE PHP!!!

With PHP it will be as easy as pie.

google for "php mysql tutorial", you will have load's of good reading to set you in the right direction.

Jason

[APMTech]

200MB??.. thank you so much jaguar!! damn!!


michael

[jasonlambert]

200MB??.. thank you so much jaguar!! damn!!


michael

It's a big app.

It is basically the internal user management interface for an ISP for dialup accounts, DSL account etc, and it has a lot of functionality, so 200MB is reasonable.

Jason

[flw]

J are you refering to mysql or perl w/scripts? So your recommendation would be to use what app over what app?

Thanks,

[jasonlambert]

J are you refering to mysql or perl w/scripts? So your recommendation would be to use what app over what app?

Thanks,

I was talking about the code front end, which connects to the mysql database.

Use PHP over everything for a web interface where possible.

Jason

[APMTech]

Maybe it would be wise for my company to just hire someone who know's what they are doing. But this computer here is going to end up being the server.. and i feel uncomfortable to let even my girlfriend on it.

[flw]

If you do endup going outside for help make simple documentation in a txt file part of the deal. Then you can just read what paths, permissions etc... where used for future changes.

[ventricle]

As a professional IT consultant, there are some concerns I have for you/your business.
I'm not sure of the size of your business or how feature rich you intend the site to be, however here are some initial thoughts.

You should NOT develop anything on that machine, if it is the target production environment. You migrate your completed and fully tested application to that machine when you are happy the application will not break itself, or anything else running on / dependent on that machine.
It appears (clarify if I'm wrong) that you are going to run the whole application on the machine, that is - database, any business logic and the web server. If you are going to do this, be very careful, from both a performance and security perspective.
There are a lot of tutorials on PHP/MYSQL of course, but (if you don't already know) you should learn about some basic development principles of web applications that provide any business logic.
If you really want to provide business logic, you may need to incorporate a programming language (and I suggest Java) as Jaguar illustrated with his example of C.
Will you be running SSL?
Anyhow, I have a meeting to go to. Maybe I was being over the top, but I have a philosophy - if you are going to do something, don't do it half arsed - do a good job of it.