Re: HTML & Dynamic Data ?

Joel Crisp (Joel.Crisp@bristol.ac.uk)
Tue, 29 Nov 1994 10:20:32 +0100

> From www-talk@www0.cern.ch Tue Nov 29 07:49 GMT 1994
> Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 08:32:15 +0100
> Originator: www-talk@info.cern.ch
> From: Garry Hipsher <trantech@CERF.NET>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <www-talk@www0.cern.ch>
> Subject: HTML & Dynamic Data ?
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> WWW-TALK
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> WWW Problem: On-line data access and display of database records in HTML.
> Does any one have any sample code, experience, or reference info?
>
> Some sources say that the only way to accomplish this is to read the
> data and to programatically generate the HTML file 'on the fly'... Any ideas?
>
> Thanks.
> -------------------------------------
> Garry Hipsher
> Transparent Technology
> 5757 West Century Blvd. Suite 490
> Los Angeles CA 90045
> Tel (310) 215-8041
> Fax (310) 568-3318
> E-mail: garry@trantech.com (Garry Hipsher)
> Date: 11/29/94
> Time: 01:24:56
> -------------------------------------
>
>
The solution to this problem depends on the size of the database.
Whilst for small database, generating a fixed set of html pages may be
feasable, it rapidly becomes too complex to maintain. Your sources
are right in thinking that the easiest way is to generate HTML on the fly.
If you are working on a UNIX machine, and your database is smaller than, say,
20,000 records, you don't need any database software - the UNIX standard
utilites cover this ( two nice little programs called grep and awk ). For
slightly larger databases - 20,000 - 60,000 records, the public domain
programming language PERL is quite good. Above this size you tend to need
a more comprehensive and professional package.

Any professional database which supports generic report designs is capable
of generating HTML on the fly. ( For Example, Oracle, Ingress, Postgress etc )

Our programs are written using UNIX shell, and call ispell in addition to
various standard UNIX utilities. They search a 20,000 record database of
information relating to images stored in separate files. This is perfectly
adequate for our needs, and does not require any complex software. In addition
it is much easier to maintain and modify, than something like 'C'.