i'm no expert on the db terminology, but as far as i know, MS Access can be used w/ anything that is capabable of connecting via ODBC (including PHP, of course). MS created ODBC, i believe-- in fact, MS Access may have been the premiere odbc software? am i talkin' crazy talk? i'd swear i've read that.
the major limitation to access is that it is only able to handle a few simultaneous connections... like 8 or something. it's really strictly for development, and Intranet html-- which is why i presume we hear about it so much. no one really uses it, except the people who actually know how to use it, and what it's for-- yet, those are the same people who write the scripts that float around in forums, so web kids grab 'em and think access is the way to go. i dunno. i just made that up, but it probably isn't too far from the truth.
our director has already installed MS SQL server, but when i asked "would you like me to learn to use that? should i just start developing w/ that in mind now then?"-- his reply was "let's keep it simple" (apparently, MS SQL is in place for something other than storing data for use in web application scripting... i think he said something about he's using it for securing the server?... something to do w/ the server(s), but not server side scripting developing, apparently), so you see-- i am constrained by his own level of expertise.
it will probably make more sense if i at least mention that i am working for a "College of Education"-- specifically for a department which focuses on integrating science and technology into the classroom (meaning, teaching future-teachers about ways in which they might take advantage of the technology available to them). so as far as i'm concerned, at least at the moment, to use MS Access is okay because the point here isn't to develop the most efficient, streamlined apps. the point is to be able to put ideas "down on paper" (digital paper, of course!) and to foster an environment for a group of students-teachers to get a taste for developing simple apps in a dynamic web-data environent. for example: "let's show this future-science-teacher how he or she might use [insert server-side-scripting-language here] to demonstrate the process of photosynthesis to a group of 5th graders. how might he create a better learning environment for the children by creating a simple way for them to interact with each other?". if these student-teachers are presented w/ the prospect of installing and configuring, not to mention learning to program Postgres and some Server Scripting language-- and it all bears down upon them as so overwhelming, and they were to become discouraged or intimidated, then the whole point of our technology center is not only skewed but it certainly wouldn't be a very good program for teachers because they'd probably get nothing out of it. on the other hand, if a handful of teachers graduate w/ the knowledge that they can use a database to interact w/ web sites and they come up w/ ideas for curriculum, and go off on their own and learn to use mysql over the summer, or whatever the case may be-- then, it is a success. obviously, we're going for the latter. i'm "the new guy" there, so-- all this is what it appears to be so far. you know academia-- it's sometimes difficult to figure out if they're talking about apples or oranges... i think sometimes they make it up as they go along!
blah, blah... as for cfml, i have a book on loan Core ColdFusion 5 by Eben Hewitt, published by Prentice Hall. it supposedly had an accompanying web site www.corecoldfusion.com , but this book is four years old, so... it's not there as far as i can tell. wish i could find those files though! this is a really good book, i think. i also have a more contemporary CFMX book by Ben Forta, but IMHO, Hewitt is not only a better author, but the slightly dated context is what i needed-- getting it from the beginning, ya know? Forta's book seems to be directed at a veteran MM programmer audience whereas Hewitt is still talkin' HomeSite and Allaire in parts. in summary, i'm having fun w/ it. it's okay, but i think i caught on to PHP more easily. Hewitt mentions Fusebox methodology, which i might investigate some day if i'm asked to continue w/ cfml.
thanks for your input on this thread!
