What should I use to make this app?

Zounds

Hello all,

I'm currently planning a to make an online interface to automate a game of Assassins. I'm a member of UCD's GameSoc and we run this game every year but this year it's gotten a bit too large to be easily managed manually. I've more or less worked out what I need it to do:

A photo is submitted for each player.
Each photo is associated with their name and course.
These form a database of players.
Each player is given a set of log-in details.
The photo and associated details are filled in to a template to form a contract.
Each contract is assigned to two players so that each player has two contracts to fulfill and two contracts on their head.
The contracts assigned to players can then be viewed when they log-in.
Each player also chooses a password or PIN.
When a contract is fulfilled the target gives their password to the player who "assassinated" them.
When entered on the website this shows the player their targets contracts and allows them to choose one to have assigned to them.
It also needs to be possible for the person running the game to manually re-assign contracts in case people forget their passwords.

So what I'm asking is: what is the best software/language to look into to put this together?

Thank you for any suggestions.

(Oh, just in case it becomes relevant: I have no experience with databases and a basic working knowledge of Java, Python, HTML and Javascript.)

Deserved

Zounds wrote: »

Hello all,

I'm currently planning a to make an online interface to automate a game of Assassins. I'm a member of UCD's GameSoc and we run this game every year but this year it's gotten a bit too large to be easily managed manually. I've more or less worked out what I need it to do:

A photo is submitted for each player.
Each photo is associated with their name and course.
These form a database of players.
Each player is given a set of log-in details.
The photo and associated details are filled in to a template to form a contract.
Each contract is assigned to two players so that each player has two contracts to fulfill and two contracts on their head.
The contracts assigned to players can then be viewed when they log-in.
Each player also chooses a password or PIN.
When a contract is fulfilled the target gives their password to the player who "assassinated" them.
When entered on the website this shows the player their targets contracts and allows them to choose one to have assigned to them.
It also needs to be possible for the person running the game to manually re-assign contracts in case people forget their passwords.

So what I'm asking is: what is the best software/language to look into to put this together?

Thank you for any suggestions.

(Oh, just in case it becomes relevant: I have no experience with databases and a basic working knowledge of Java, Python, HTML and Javascript.)

Ok I shall try to explain evrything step by step using my bad english.
I would choose PHP/MySQL for this task.
In database you hold all information about user (It is information about user, login information, contract information, groups information and etc.) So that means firstly you need to think about Database ( tables, realationships), when you will finish with that you should create a login form, contract form, personal information form and blah blah. Actually I can't imagine how you want to realate image to user? As it always was like that - user has unique number ID it can't be duplicated, so the only thing is that photo name == ID.

Second solution for you is FRAMEWORKS.

dob99

Given that you mentioned some experience with Python and no database knowledge, I would recommend using Django (http://www.djangoproject.com/). It's Python-based and, while it uses a database for storage, you need to know very little about SQL as it is all done for you.

Start with the tutorial (http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/intro/tutorial01/) and work your way through from there. You will see pretty quickly just how much you get for free with Django.

One caveat though: make sure that Django can be supported on whatever server you're going to host the application on before you decide on it. (Actually, this applies to any technology you're going to consider for the project.)

Zounds

Thanks to you both.

Dob99: is there a reason you'd recommend django over pylons, or am I mistaken in thinking they do the same job?

Deserved

Alternativly you can use XML+PHP instead of PHP+MySQL. Just use your imagination Actually it can be Javascript+XML, there are a lot of way to ceate your web page .

Firstt of all you should think how and there you'll store data

ChRoMe

Since you have experience with python previously that seems like the obvious choice. However for throwing together a simple web app like this id allways default to PHP+MySQL.

Evil Phil

I'm a C# boy and I'd go with PHP + MySql if I were you. There's loads of resources out there for you - in fact it wouldn't suprise me if somebody hadn't already done this. However, that is cheating and doesn't count - your version would be much better anyway