PHP / MS Access help...please...?

Nate_Dubya

Alright, here's my problem.

I have a signup form in PHP that recieves data and sends it to a MySQL database. That's all well and good. However, the person I'm writing it for wants it to be written to a Microsoft Access database, and I don't really have an idea how to go about doing it, or if it's possible.

The server is Linux, running PHP 4.3.0 with PEAR installed. Can someone give me a hint, here? Pretty please? I've never had to do something like this before, so I'm more or less clueless...

bpat1434

Personally, I don't know if it can be done. But for some odd reason I get the feeling it can but would take a lot of work.

Generally, you should stick with the following:

PHP + MySQL <-- Free & More Support
ASP + MS Access <-- MS PHP Equiv

~Brett

Nate_Dubya

I would stick with MySQL (that's what it's in), but when my boss says jump...I would say that it's not possible, but I kind of get the feeling that it is, in some way. I'm just not sure how. As is obvious by my post.

Roger_Ramjet

You just use the ODBC functions instead of the mysql functions.

However, the SQL syntax used in Access varies quite considerably from that used by MySQL so you will have to re-write many of them. Also, Access is not up to handling the kind of traffic that a website can generate. It will break frequently if you have a lot of concurrent inserts and updates. Tell your boss that. Look in the microsoft knowledge base for documented bugs with Access and JET and show that to your boss, justify the use of mysql instead of access with them.

Frederick

Coding to MyAccess is not as hard as you might believe. Uses majority of the typical functions as you would using MySQL.
Example:

$DSNServer = "DSN_Name";
$DSNUser = "username";
$DSNPass = "password";
$dblink = odbc_connect($DSNServer,$DSNUser,$DSNPass) or die (odbc_errormsg());

$sql = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE field='$field' ";
$exc = odbc_exec($dblink,$sql) or die (odbc_errormsg());
while ($row = odbc_fetch_array($exc)) {
    echo $row["uname"]."<br>\n";
}

Nate_Dubya

Unfortunately, your code example doesn't work. At least, on mine.

<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);
echo("Up here works.");
$DSNServer = "testSignup.mdb";
$DSNUser = "";
$DSNPass = "";

$dblink = odbc_connect($DSNServer, $DSNUser, $DSNPass) or die (odbc_errormsg());

I have the rest of the pasted example code in my script, modified to work with my DB, but it doesn't do anything. Anything after the odbc_connect function stops working, but it doesn't show any error message or anything. Not even when I view the source code. Not even the end body or html tags are printed, even though they're outside the php tag. Help please?

cheese

I'm no expert at this stuff, but I have this working on a site for one of my clients.


    /* Connecting, selecting database */
  $link = odbc_connect("odbcname","sa","",""); 
$row = odbc_exec($link,"SELECT tablename.columnameone, tablename.columnametwo, tablename.columnamethree WHERE tablename.columnameone = whateveryouwanttofind ");

I take it that you have the ODBC set up in Windows?

Hope this helps,

Neil.

MichaelWorks

There is a way to use PHP with ADO to use Microsoft's Access database. I have successfully tested it but can't quickly find the reference.

There is also a way to use JavaScript with ADO to use Microsoft's Access database. The mdb file stays on the server, but Access must be installed on the user's machine. The path in the connect string is absolute, so there are some tricks in transfering the code to the server.

I prefer to use MySQL and am glad I now have a web server which has it available. I had gotten comfortable using Access, ADO and Visual Basic, so I wanted to know I could extend the Access and ADO capability into my Web work.

Roger_Ramjet

Just noticed one thing - how you gonna get Access to run on a Linux box??

Nate_Dubya

Alright, perhaps I didn't make myself totally clear here. I'll attempt to restate this.

ALL I have to work with is user-level access on a Linux box. What I'm wondering is, is there a way to format output from PHP so that it goes into a .mdb database. NOT a MS-SQL Server or anything like that. I was thinking along the lines of the PDF functions that PHP has. I know it's unlikely that there is a way, but I need confirmation so I can say "Boss, I can't do it with what I have here." That's all.

Roger_Ramjet

Yes, as the posts have told you already, it is possible, and easy, to use PHP and Access. What I asked was where is the Access db going to reside? Not on the Linux box, unless MS have produces a Unix version of Access that I haven't heard about. So, not having an NT server to host it on, you can't use Access - which is what you want isn't it?

MichaelWorks

In both cases, Server-side and Client-side, the Access mdb file resides on the server. As a file, its just a bunch of bits.

With server-side PHP, the toolset to correctly access the Access mdb file, either ADO or ODBC, would run on the web server. I am not aware of these being available to run under Linux.

With client-side JavaScript, the toolset to correctly access the Access mdb file, either ADO or ODBC, would run on the client machine (you or your boss's desktop machine).

In either case the Access.exe application program does not run; only the mdb file is used.

PHP/MySQL is still the best method.

Nate_Dubya

What I asked was where is the Access db going to reside?

...I could've sworn I answered that. I ONLY have the Linux box. Not a Windows one anywhere to be seen. Although I guess at some point what I was trying to convey got through, so thanks to both MichaelWorks and Roger Ramjet for giving me a definate answer. I can't do it, and that's all I wanted to know.