Unix Apache, PHP3 & Access DB

[Trey395]

I am working on creating an online storefront for a company. Here is my situation. They currently have an account through earthlink.net which runs Apache on Unix and PHP3. The company has an internal Access Database that they have created and populated with every product they carry. I have already created the complete site on a test environment running IIS and using a system DSN. Unfortunately, earthlink has no support for databases whatsoever. So here is my question...

I tried connecting my php pages using a dsn-less connection, using the following.

<?

connect to a database

if (!$conn = new COM("ADODB.Connection"))
exit("Unable to create an ADODB connection<br>");

$strConn = "DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}; DBQ=" . realpath("..\perfdesign.mdb"); 

$conn->open($strConn); 

?>

This results in the error message...

Fatal error: COM is not a class in db_connect.php3 on line 3

Is there any way to use Access databases with PHP3 under Apache on Unix?

[barand]

From my experience of access, its impossible to connect to an access database that doesn't sit on the same machine as the web server. Other than as a testbed with personal web server or similar I wouldn't consider it, ertainly not for a production site.

You can easily transfer to mysql using myAccess addin, or import into sql server for something more robust.

[Trey395]

The access database would be on the same machine. Using MySQL or another db is not an option. Is there a way to use Access on a Unix webserver, through a file DSN possibly?

[barand]

Would it be an option to use mysql or suchlike as the web database and have the user link an access database to that database for queries, reports etc via a myODBC link, say?

To the client it then looks as though it is an access db.

As for an access db on a unix box - never tried it.

[Trey395]

Unfortunately, no. The provider they are using (earthlink.net) has zero support for databases of any kind.

[barand]

So access is a none-runner too

[Trey395]

I can store the access database on the webserver but since unix has no support for System DSN's I have to use a file DSN. When I try it however I get the error message mentioned in my original post.

I don't know if that error is from something I'm doing or if it is because of a lack of support through Apache on Unix. If it is the latter I'm hoping someone can tell me a way around it.