[AccessD] Using ASP to put a database on the web (Part 1)

Drew Wutka DWUTKA at Marlow.com
Fri Dec 7 17:39:59 CST 2007


http://www.marlow.com/ASPDataClassBuilder.zip

The above file is a VB .exe that will immensely help with putting a
database on the web using ASP.

Let's go over using it.  When you start the application, it will have 4
boxes at the bottom.  Click the command button '...' next to the
database path box.  Find and open a database of your choice.

If this is a secured database, select the workgroup and enter a
UserName/Password.

The left listbox should automatically populate once it can connect to
the database (so if it's not a secured database, once you select a
database).  By default, it populates with the tables in the database.
There's radio buttons above the list to switch between tables and
queries.  

Select a table from the list (by clicking on it), and the right listbox
populates with the fields of that table.  Select the ID field of that
table, by clicking on it.  (The ID Field: textbox will populate with the
field you selected).

In the Single Class Name, type in the name of the class you want to
create.  By default, the 'Colleciton Class' populates with the single
name, and adds an s, but you can change it to whatever you want.

So, for an example, I created a little database with tblPeople.  Fields
PersonID, FirstName, LastName.  I selected PersonID as the ID field.  I
then named the single class Person, and the Collection Class People.

Click the Create DBConnect button.  This puts the DBConnect code into
your clipboard.  Open a blank notepad session and paste the DBConnect
function there.

Do the same for the Single Class and Collection Class.

Now, there are several ways to use these classes.  The best way from an
efficiency standpoint is to save each class (and the DBConnect function)
as individual files.  Then 'include' them in your web pages.  I found a
quirk with that, though.  I use Microsoft Script Editor...which has
intellisense.  With the pages included, I don't get any prompts when
writing the code.  If the code is directly in the page, then I get
intellisense prompts while coding the rest of the page.  But from a
system sense, having your classes in their one single files, allows you
to make changes to those classes without having to change all affected
pages.

So, let's make a test page:

<!-- #include virtual = "dbconnect.asp" -->
<!-- #include virtual = "dbconnect.asp" -->
<!-- #include virtual = "dbconnect.asp" -->
<html>
<head>
<title>AccessD Test Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<%
dim i
dim pr
dim pl
set pr=New Person
set pl=New People
for i=1 to pl.PersonCount
	set pr=pl.PersonInfo(i)%>
<%=pr.LastName & ", " & pr.FirstName%><br>
<%next%>
<%
set pr=nothing
set pl=nothing
%>
</body>
</html>

Whalla, we now have a web page that displays the list of names we put
into out tblPeople table.  Pretty short page too, and since we are using
classes in ASP, the code is much more 'readable'.

Note, the .exe I put in the link above is mine, if anyone wants the VB
source to it, email me off list.  Every month or so I wipe out the
extraneous files on our website, so that file will not be there in a
month or so.

Next email will create a more complex (and more useful) web page.

Drew





More information about the AccessD mailing list