A database other than MySQL? huh?

[chrislead]

Ok, I currently have a client who wishes to have a searchable website of their organisation. I.e. search and browse stock.
They DO have their stock on a database, but they are not sure where it is, how to access it, or which database it is stored on and I am pretty sure it is not MySQL!

So, I am now trying to find out what it is stored on initially, but if it is a different database app, is the PHP code kind of the same as with SQL, I.e. mysql_connect? or is it even possible to connect to another database!? How about MS access? (Yes I am a noob)
- If it helps, I know they run an app called 'total control' to view their stock. Can PHP access that?

And also what would be the first stage in setting up this website? E.g. The browse section, the searching or either?(I currently have the homepage sorted [graphically])

Cheers all.

[TheDefender]

Turn and walk away...
There is nothing worse than a client who is that in the dark. It starts out as a group that wants to do something small, and it turns into an unhappy client who complains about every little thing, never once feeling gratuitous that you even figured out how to extract data from a database they don't even know the whereabouts of or what kind of database it is...

PHP has connectibility to various types of databases, from mysql, to mssql, to postgres, to MS Access via ODBC, to flatfile systems.

You need to figure out who the author of their current app is and contact them to figure out how the data is stored. There is very little assistance we can give, or direction we can point with such little info.

As far as the first step you need to take for development is... Find out what their DB is.

[chrislead]

Ok, thanx for your advice. I'll arrange to meet with the db admin.

Appreciate your help with that man!