College Project-ONLINE STORE

car

I have to design a cd/dvd Online store that can take credit card details, have a shopping cart, also a wish list and store member details and also the users using the site can do searches on the site this has to be connected to a database and also have an administrator part where new items can be added or deleted to the site. and I really dont know where to start I was advised that if I used asp I wouldnt get as much marks as where as if I used another language that I have never used before like PHP but I really havent a clue.

Like what operating system should I use if I used PHP and how does that work with databases, If any of ye are web designers can you even give me a hint where to start as I am just stuck at the moments, basically we have to design it first and lay it out and make sure that the software we use will work together before we do any of the programming, but I am used to just rushing in with the actual coding and then worry about the layout.

so any help would be greatful.

madramor

you can use may different techniques
i recommend

Server: Apache Tomcat
http://jakarta.apache.org/tomcat/index.html

Language: Java Servlets and Jsp and jdbc and html
http://java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/Servlets/Fundamentals/
http://java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/JSPIntro/
http://java.sun.com/developer/onlineTraining/Database/JDBC20Intro/

Database: MySql
http://www.mysql.com

talos

Server - http://httpd.apache.org/

PHP - http://www.php.net/

and MySQL database.

But if you know Java then you can go with madramor's option.

car

no I dont know Java, I have a very basic knowlege of programming so no matter what language I will be using for this project I am going to be starting from scrath, I have gone through passing my exams by searching the internet for code and changing it up to now and I never really understood the code, but this year I will have to understand what ever language I use as I will be having about 6 lectures trying to crash my code next may and asking me a 100 different about each line code to make sure that I did it myself and not just copied it from the internet.

AT the mo, we have to just research what we want in the site and what prossible technologies we are going to be using, I recon maybe mysql and asp or maybe php as it seems to be pretty the same as asp and I know a wizz kid who know PHP, so such I run into difficulties I can ask him.

I am sure that ye on this site havent heared the last of this project but thanks for your input so far its a help.

aidan_walsh

I have gone through passing my exams by searching the internet for code and changing it up to now and I never really understood the code

Well, thats a fine way to be going about your studies. The whole point is that you understand the code so that when the time comes that there will be no-one there to bail you out, you'll be able to do it yourself. I suggest that to begin with, you go back and study before you come online looking for people to do your work for you. Then follow the links given to you and RTFM.

talos

I would advise Apache & PHP & MySQL

also make sure your html code at least XHTML 1.0 compliant.

car

i am not coming on to this link for people to do my work I am well able to do that myself. I am in the middle of researching my project at the moment and I was just woundering what languages would work with what database. When u have poor lectures who dont teach you how to learn programming the only way you can teach urself is by going onto the internet or in books and seeing how the coding works, its not like I rip it straight off word for word. I didnt know that you had to be an expert in programming to post here. We all have to start somewhere we are not all born as genuis.


But thanks to the others who have posted here at least ye have pointed me in the right direction

aidan_walsh

Theres a difference between looking up code for the purposes of learning, and looking it up so as to copy and paste it into your project. It read a lot to me like that what you were saying you were doing.

ressem

To answer the original qns.

If you choose php
Operating system can be windows 2000 or better, linux or bsd, whichever you are comfortable with now. Linux distributions tend to include apache (www.apache.org) and php (www.php.net), and is useful to know, but if you haven't used it before it's a distraction from your project.

PHP will work with others like postgresql, but most examples and tutorials use MySQL.

Installing and using MySQL is easy enough.

Interacting with the database is just a matter of calling the relevent functions

PHP

//connect to the database
$DBHANDLE=mysql_pconnect($HOST, $USER, $PATH) ;

//example part of security function to secure user input. 
$sessionIndex=addslashes($sessionIndex);

// carry out the select, Check the return value
$sessionValue=mysql_query("SELECT session_num FROM sessionTable WHERE sessionIndex= '$sessionIndex'");

if (mysql_numrows($sessionValue)==1)
{
 return mysql_result($sessionValue);
}

with added error checking of the return values etc.

Apress/Wrox Professional PHP4 walks through creating a simple wap based store. There's also all the open source versions like osCommerce, but trying to understand by reading the code will probably just overcomplicate your task.

madramor

car wrote:

I know a wizz kid who know PHP, so such I run into difficulties I can ask him.

he probably cheats and actually payed attention or put a tiny bit of effort into
his studies

i hope this is not your final year project

what are you planning to do after you leave college

forget about exam results, its project work that will get you a job

Big P

talos wrote:

I would advise Apache & PHP & MySQL

If you are un-sure of how to set up a server, the easiest way to to get an all in one. I'd recommend Apache Friends, @ www.apachefriends.org/

also make sure your html code at least XHTML 1.0 compliant.

Altho I agree with you, there is no college that I know about who care about standards. I personally always enforce standards in my programming however its amazing how little this is actually seen as a benefit


Note, as stated above in some code someone used the function mysql_pconnect(), be sure to read the PHP manual (@php.net) about persistant connections as they can be a lot more trouble than they are worth.

talos

there is no college that I know about who care about standards

interesting......

car

well I have decided I am going to use windows 2000 server, asp and mysql for my project, thanks for all yer help. I was going to use php but I would be learning it from scrath and I will have to do a demo for my xmas exams and I dont think that I would have it enough learnt to do a demo of my project, and my friend who is an expert would have his head wreak with me asking him questions every 2 seconds.

thanks again, ye are a great help!

madramor

car wrote:

I was going to use php but I would be learning it from scrath

a wise decision as college is not the place to be learning stuff

leahcim

Personally I would use what ever technologies that would give me a head start to find a job in industry for when I left college. ASP is good assuming you are using the .NET framework. I wouldn't go with mysql. Its a good database but you wouldn't earn big money as a professional mysql developer. I would go for oracle. I know of a couple of Oracle DBAs who do piss easy work and earn 80K a year and they are only out of college five or six years.

GreenHell

Did something similiar in college last year. ASP.NET easy to learn and very powerful.

www.asp.net
www.4guysfromrolla.com

and the msn reference guide whatever the link is.