php vs cgi for database

Anon

Hi,
I'm currently running a cgi for my online database management, and it almost work perfectly, however it seems it can't do some things, and I was wondering if php was capable of doing them, if I were to move that database over!
1. Can you look up a userid in a line of text?
2. Can you create select menu's from a file?
3. Could it add/delete records from a database file, and/or e-mail a new record to someone?
4. If it is possible to create select menus, can you have 1 thing shown in the menu, but another entered into the database, as my database runs on codes the users do not know! (i.e. if you select option1, op1 is entered into the database).
Regards
Ben

Anon

Hi Ben,
Not only are these things possible in php but in fact relatively painless.

One of the biggest benefit I have found with php vs cgi (perl?) is that seperation of content, logic, presentation as well as database abstraction is much easier than trying to achieve these goals in perl.

I would highly recommend the wrox php book for someone looking to pursue php.
(http://www.wrox.com/Books/Book_Details.asp?section=1&isbn=1861002963&subject=&subject_id=)

Anon

Hi,
Thanks, I'll see about ordering that book, it can be my christmas present from my boss!
Do you know of any examples of php databases? Is there an archive like for cgi's but with php? Maybe I could test some out, edit them a bit, and see how they work!
Regards
Ben

Anon

A good exercise in PHP/database fusion is to browse the source code for this forum, available from <http://phorum.org>. Since you can know what the software is supposed to do, it is easier to follow.