Internet/Web Databases

Companies are discovering that database can provide excellent content for web pages. many examples: Retail store with current products and price lists, On-line banking banks with account balance information, Employee directories, etc. Several approaches to making database data available on-line:

Several approaches to making database data available on-line: Periodically dump a database table to an HTML file and make the HTML file available on the web (e.g., MS Access Internet Wizard). Provide a mechanism to query the database in real time and format the results in HTML. Provide the web user with a form or other means to invoke a query on the database in real time. Results are formatted in HTML and returned to the user's browser. The latter 2 are similar. The difference is in the last one, users can specify some or all of the query.

There are two main ways to carry out dynamic real-time queries from the web: 1. Using traditional HTML forms, information is passed to a CGI script that formats the query and submits it to the DBMS. Results are returned to the CGI script which then formats the output in HTML. One needs: An HTTP (web) server, some language (e.g., Perl) that supports CGI, middleware to connect to the database, the DBMS. By far this is the predominant method.

There are two main ways to carry out dynamic real-time queries from the web: .. 2. Many DBMS now have the web server built in (or closely tied) to the database. e.g., Oracle Web Applications Server. Stored procedures in the DBMS are used to accept input from HTML forms, perform the appropriate query and then format the results in HTML.

Hands on experiences

We need a DB first Case of telephone extensions at KEMU You are required to provide a web based (intranet) access to the telephone directory at KEMU

DB design