Web Database Technology is the Database of the Future, as well as the Present.
It is by far the Most Useful and Versatile of Database Applications currently available.
The Method that we used on the Prescription System is By Far the Best Web Database Method.
We used FoxPro-Style Tables ('dbf', 'cdx', 'fpt') to store our data, with C / C++ as our CGI Programming Language.
We chose the FoxPro-2.6-Style for the Tables for a few reasons:
The DBase-FoxPro-Style 'dbf' Database Format is the Most Widely Used Database File Format in the World. And, they are Small, Efficient Files, easily Distributed across Multiple Devices (Hard Drives and / or Servers).
The FoxPro-Style 'cdx' Compound Index is the Fastest Indexing Scheme for these Database Formats and one of the Fastest of All of the Database Formats.
And, the FoxPro-Style 'fpt' Blob File allows for Unlimited Text 'Memo' Fields and Binary Data, such as Pictures and Sound.
Furthermore, 'dbf' style Database Files are excellent for creating Virtual Databases, both Locally (Hard Drive) and Virtually (Virtual Hard Drive or Memory Space) for Extremely Fast Access and Cleanups.
The 'dbf' style Database Format is relatively easy to create soft-coded, on-the-fly structures and arrays (tables and indices) from the Database Structure without hard-coding these tables into your program.
The Programming Language of C / C++ allows for Total Cross-Platform Development of the Web Database. (We originally wrote ours to work with WiniX Linux and Windows XX).
Further, once you have created the Libraries for C / C++, it is actually Simpler to use C and C++ for the CGI Language than to use other 'Simple' Languages, such as Perl.
The C-Family (C / C++ / Java) does NOT have to be cryptic.
I wrote a C program for Sybase Connectivity in a 'Visual Basic / PowerBuilder' style which makes it easier for a 'non-c' programmer to make changes after the program was finished, including creating some routines similar to Basic / PB. I also made the program 'look' like the Sybase Database, creating Structures similar to the Sybase Tables and Functions similar to Sybase Routines and Stored Procedures.
Plus, the C-Family allows Total Versatility for Growth, allows for Interaction with Other Applications and has the Fastest Performance of the High Level Languages.
And, the Source Code for FoxPro Database Access and for Informix ISQL(SE), E/ISQL and 4GL can be purchased in C / C++.
You can even add C-ISAM Routines to make the Web Program even Faster, or CORBA Libraries (orb's) to make the Queries even easier.
(Through my Experience, there is no second choice to the C-Family.)
It is absolutely amazing how fast this combination of the FoxPro Tables and the C / C++ Web Programming really works!
(We've gotten so used to waiting on the computer that it is a very noticeable and refreshing difference.)
You can make your Web Database utilize any of these Databases or any Language.
The speed that you achieve with your language and database choice may not be as quick as the C-Family with FoxPro-Style Compound Indices, but whether a return is made in one second or in a fraction of a second doesn't really make any difference at this time.
Unless you are connecting machinery, human clients can wait for an extra second or two.
It will still be at least as fast (usually much faster) as any other alternative for each of these databases.
Of course, the Final Choice you make could depend on the current Database that you are now utilizing.
A Web Database is actually a Client / Server System, 'Built In'.
The Web Server Program automatically acts as the Server to the Client Browsers.
As a result, the Web Database can act as both an Internet and as an Intranet Server to the Client Browser Applications.
As an added bonus, the C / C++ Library can allow for a True Server Daemon (the Traditional Client / Server Database Relationship), to run on the Web Server(s) where the True Server Daemon acts both as the Server to the Client Browsers and as a Client to the Database Server, processing all requests from each of the 'Client' Web Server Program Connections, setting up the best of all worlds, a Multi-Tier, Distributed and Extendable Client / Server Database System.
Lastly, a Web Database Significantly Reduces Maintenance Costs for maintaining your database and client access to your data.
Virtually all of the programming work is done on the Server with no Client Installations and is accessible identically from both the Local Network as well as from Remote Access Locations.
There is only one negative to using a Web Database.
This is in the HTML Browser, itself.
Current HTML Browsers do not support Tags, such as 'Format' or 'Lookup', which most Database Forms or Screens currently include.
HTML Browser Text Boxes allow any type of text to be entered in the Text Field.
HTML Browsers require a Push Button (Post or Get Method) to create action, rather than a 'when/gotfocus' or 'valid/lostfocus' style of action.
And, HTML Browsers should be capable of utilizing small, local, temporary 'dbf' files rather than Cookies.
In the meantime, SGML Browsers can support such 'Live' objectives, now.
(SGML is the 'Mother' of HTML, DHTML, VRML, XML, etc.)
With some Creative JavaScript, you can get around some of these HTML Browser limitations, too.
You can also get around some of these limitations by creating 'Environmental Temporary Tables' (Either Static Variable or (prefer) Temporary Tables, Server-Side, C / C++ code) to keep track of each Client HTML Browser User based on the User (Logon) ID.
This is actually good practice with any database application, whether it is Web based or not.
However, these features will eventually be built in to future HTML Browsers.
The Bottom Line is that Every Business should be converting to Web Databases now.
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