Website Application

TelePaul

Hello all, wondering if you could help me.

I am in the middle of a project in college that requires the hypothetical set-up of an online business. I was wondering which software would allow me create a website with personal log in information for each user? Basically the customer logs in and can read updates about the product or service they ahve selected. I was thinking Dreamweaver and Macromedia Coldfusion? Or am I way off?

pduffy50

TelePaul wrote:

Hello all, wondering if you could help me.

I am in the middle of a project in college that requires the hypothetical set-up of an online business. I was wondering which software would allow me create a website with personal log in information for each user? Basically the customer logs in and can read updates about the product or service they ahve selected. I was thinking Dreamweaver and Macromedia Coldfusion? Or am I way off?

I personally use Dreamweaver for all my websites, what type of code are using, asp, asp.net, php, html, java etc

heggie

you'll need some sort of database backend for that site, dreamweaver is just an editor

Adam

heggie wrote:

you'll need some sort of database backend for that site, dreamweaver is just an editor

What he said...

What course are you studying? It's a fairly large undertaking if it's not a computer related course, you will have to design the site, which DW is fine for if that's your thing, but you will also need to learn a server side language such as php/asp etc. to interact with a necessary database to hold the information for each client(user).

Plenty of reading to be done if this is new to you! PM me if you want any more info.

Adam

pduffy50

Mirror wrote:

What he said...

What course are you studying? It's a fairly large undertaking if it's not a computer related course, you will have to design the site, which DW is fine for if that's your thing, but you will also need to learn a server side language such as php/asp etc. to interact with a necessary database to hold the information for each client(user).

Plenty of reading to be done if this is new to you! PM me if you want any more info.

Adam

This is pretty large project, i did the same type of project in college and it was a project that covered the whole year, its not something that can be done over night, mirror is right you will need to know a server side language i personally used asp.

TelePaul

Hey guys! I don't actually have to design the site (thank god!). I just have to know that what I want - a log in that accesses a page with personalised information - is possible.

pduffy50

TelePaul wrote:

Hey guys! I don't actually have to design the site (thank god!). I just have to know that what I want - a log in that accesses a page with personalised information - is possible.

Do you actually have to write the code for this or just theoretically explain on paper how its done??

Adam

TelePaul wrote:

Hey guys! I don't actually have to design the site (thank god!). I just have to know that what I want - a log in that accesses a page with personalised information - is possible.

Of course it's possible. What do you think happens when you log in to boards...??

TelePaul

pduffy50 wrote:

Do you actually have to write the code for this or just theoretically explain on paper how its done??

I don't have to write the code and my explanation doesn't have to be very theoretical. I just need to know if Dreamweaver and Coldfusion would allow me to do it.

pduffy50

TelePaul wrote:

I don't have to write the code and my explanation doesn't have to be very theoretical. I just need to know if Dreamweaver and Coldfusion would allow me to do it.

You can write the code in dreamweaver but it doesn't have button that will do it for you, i have never used coldfusion so not sure about that, but you need to have an understanding of serverside code to do this. Hope that helps

seamus

Yes you could.

Dreamweaver is just an editor. So all by itself, Dreamweaver doesn't *do* anything. You could use notepad in place of Dreamweaver.

In order to do something like this, you would need a server-side scripting language and a database backend.

Coldfusion is a server-side language. Using notepad, you could write Coldfusion scripts which process data input by the user and use that to retrieve data from a database at the back end.

I assume you're just looking for some terms which you can insert into some big essay for a project.

Just post up exactly what you're trying to do and we may be able to offer more help.

TelePaul

seamus wrote:

Yes you could.

Dreamweaver is just an editor. So all by itself, Dreamweaver doesn't *do* anything. You could use notepad in place of Dreamweaver.

In order to do something like this, you would need a server-side scripting language and a database backend.

Coldfusion is a server-side language. Using notepad, you could write Coldfusion scripts which process data input by the user and use that to retrieve data from a database at the back end.

I assume you're just looking for some terms which you can insert into some big essay for a project.

Just post up exactly what you're trying to do and we may be able to offer more help.

I'm not exactly looking for 'big words'. I know ColdFusion can interface with databases and email servers, which would prove useful for what i'm trying to get across:

I have a class called 'managing information systems'...basically it's how IT works, how computers and management can give a company an advantage. I have a project about how I would launch an online business. I need something akin to Amazon or e-bay, where a log-in allows you access to a personalised screen which gives you information and updates about orders.

I know that Dreamweaver is just a design wizard like FrontPage, but it seems more plausible than scripting the whole HTML code for a website by myself, if you get me.

pwd

Microsoft Visual Web Developer would be the best choice imo. You can download this for free from the microsoft website. You also need a database. SQL Server Express is free, as is MySQL.

Adam

What exactly do you mean when you say you "...need something akin to Amazon or e-bay..."??

I mean you started off asking about programs, and were informed that you would need a server side scripting language. And for the most part, taking php,asp etc., these are scripted by hand, not by a program. People sit down and write the code. So if you don't actually want to build the site, but want to know what programs to use, the answer is as simple as one: Notepad. Or the many other text editors out there, and many text editors designed specifically for code monkeys, but none of these are any more elaborate that notepad in what they actually do really, the code still has to be written.

For example, a login script in php:
[php]
<?php

if(isset($_POST)) {

include('db_connect.php');

if (!$_POST | !$_POST){
echo "<br><br>The following fields were not filled out correctly:<br><br><br><br><font color=red>";
if(!$_POST){
echo "Username<br><br>";
}
if(!$_POST){
echo "Password<br><br>";
}
echo '</font><p><FORM><INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Back" onClick="history.go(-1);return true;"></FORM></p></div></div>';
die();

}

$sql="SELECT * FROM tbl_users WHERE user_name = \"{$_POST}\" AND user_password = \"{$_POST}\"";
$result=mysql_query($sql) or die(mysql_error());
$row=mysql_fetch_array($result);


$_SESSION = $row;
$_SESSION = $row;

header("Location: index.php");

die();

}

include('header.php');

?>

<div id="maintext style1">

<form name="frm1" action="" method="post">
<table width="444" border="0" align="left">
<caption>
<span class="style25"><br>
<br>
</span><span class="maintext2 style30">Login</span>
</caption>
<tr>
<td>Username:</td>
<td><input name="uname" value=""></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Password:</td>
<td><input type="password" name="pass" value=""></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="right"><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Login"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>

</div>

<?

include('footer.php');

?>
[/php]

Now if you were to copy and paste that into DW and view it you would see the login form, but it wouldn't do a thing. And not just because it's part of a site you don't have, or that you don't have a database, but because DW doesn't do php(or any server side i believe) and so it would just not parse the php. So you could have done the form in DW, but the functionality must be done in php etc. and by hand, not some fancy program that does it all for you.

Hope that's somewhat more informative.

pwd

A lot of the functionality doesn't need to be done by hand if you use Visual Web Developer as it has pre-made customisable controls, a wizard for creating users, setting access rights etc and so on. If you use SQL Server as the database it will even provide a set of database tables for user information including personalization and profile tables.

Adam

What language does VWD use?

Rollo Tamasi

Dreamweaver has a PHP and Coldfusion Library. It's not fantastic but it is there. You can setup PHP scripts which can connect to a database via DW without knowing much of PHP code.

I have a project about how I would launch an online business.

If that is the case then why do you need to know about the scripts in use? Surely you should be looking at Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation?

I'm not sure you know what you should be looking for. Do you have a brief from your lecturer about the requirements? If you do then post them up here and hopefully some light can be shed on the issue.

pwd

It uses asp.net 2.0 - so generally you would use either c# or VB.NET.

TelePaul

Okay guys, I know you're putting alot of effort into this, but the thing is....I don't need to know half of what you're telling me. Maybe I wasn't clear at the start, but I don't have to script anything whatsoever. I don't have to rent bandwidth or register a domain name or insure against system failure.

I have to explain how I would go about launching an online business, from idea generation, to the forming of a company, to what product I am going to sell, to financing structure and revenue generation. I also have to suggets what technology is required, but I can guarantee you that my lecturer can't script HTML or server side protocols or anything else like that. I'm a business student, I learn about business. The rudimentary knowledge of computers that I require is nothing more than that; rudimentary.

So to re-iterate: I need to implement a log-in aspect to my website. If you use Amazon, you will know that by providing an e mail address and a password, you can buy items and track orders. If you supply the same to e bay you can access your account and place bids. As someone else mentioned, on boards you enter a name and password and access he user CP (though I understand this is a feature of V Bulletin).

So what software do I need to do this?

Rollo Tamasi

I have a project about how I would launch an online business. + So to re-iterate: I need to implement a log-in aspect to my website.

OMG!

You really don't have a clue what you're talking about do you? My advise is go away and do your own work because you simply don't know what you are trying to say.

TelePaul

Rollo Tamasi wrote:

OMG!

You really don't have a clue what you're talking about do you? My advise is go away and do your own work because you simply don't know what you are trying to say.

You, sir...are an idiot. Obviously I don't know **** about scripting HTML or runnign Java Applets or creating Flash tiles. I really don't have a clue. That's why I'm here. Everyone else has been patient and helpful, but nobodys forcing you to reply. Nobody at all. ****.

TelePaul

Mods, you might as well clsoe this one down. Thanks for everyone that's helped so far, but I'm gonna have to go elsewhere.

warrenaldo

yes you can use dreamweaver to design all the pages on your website. the look and feel.

If you need people to be able to log in and register then you will probably need a database where usernames are stored. SQL Server is a good tool

To access this data you would need to use a programming language
JSPs and ASPs are useda lot for the very thing that you are doing.
they will interact the user with the DB.
For programming in these languages all you really need is Notepad - but a good IDE is usefull to help program.


is that the type of thing your looking for.

TelePaul

warrenaldo wrote:

yes you can use dreamweaver to design all the pages on your website. the look and feel.

If you need people to be able to log in and register then you will probably need a database where usernames are stored. SQL Server is a good tool

To access this data you would need to use a programming language
JSPs and ASPs are useda lot for the very thing that you are doing.
they will interact the user with the DB.
For programming in these languages all you really need is Notepad - but a good IDE is usefull to help program.


is that the type of thing your looking for.

Thanks so much, that's exactly what I needed. Thanks a million for your help.

heggie

there is also a ton of off the shelf ecommerce solutions, if your studying business, that should be enough ? no point re-inventing the wheel

Rollo Tamasi

TelePaul wrote:

Thanks so much, that's exactly what I needed. Thanks a million for your help.

were you not told all that in the first 10 or 12 posts though?

TelePaul

Rollo Tamasi wrote:

were you not told all that in the first 10 or 12 posts though?

I had a feeling you didn't read them. Oh and it's 'advice' not 'advice' in this context.

Rollo Tamasi

TelePaul wrote:

I had a feeling you didn't read them. Oh and it's 'advice' not 'advice' in this context.

It's not advice? It is advice?
You're making as little sense now as you did before. Best of luck with your project nonetheless.

TelePaul

Rollo Tamasi wrote:

It's not advice? It is advice?
You're making as little sense now as you did before. Best of luck with your project nonetheless.

Best of luck with....whatever website stuff you do.