I run a small language school and I have a database with language students’ details: names, contact details, ages, lesson times, dob, fees, fee due dates and the like.
I set up a MySQL online database years ago, wrote php/html pages (from a book) and uploaded them to the server. I use these to input/edit student details, move leavers to another table (I realise now that isn’t necessary), get various lists (next month’s birthdays, fees, lesson registers, etc.) and show reports such as fees due each month, students graduating their normal schools next April, etc. It also archives student numbers according to their school grades at the end of each month (which is the 3rd table in my set-up).
So basically the equivalent of spreadsheets with various reports available at the click of a button.
However, the latest PHP update has me giving up trying to learn how to update all those files and I’m resigned to letting it all go once my hosting company switch off the current PHP version. So I’m looking for a simple front-end that I can use to replace this. I looked at LibreOffice Base and it just seems overkill and a time sink for what I want. I was suicidal after getting through the first chapter of the manual. I’m busy running the school and don’t have the time, intelligence nor inclination to be a programmer, too…
So does anyone have any suggestions what my best plan of action would be? Two of us use the db, not always in the same place, so I want to continue with everything online. Oh, and we use Macs.
What version of PHP were they written in and what new version are they going to? Are you talking about PHP 8?
How many pages are you talking about here? If it is not too many pages, it might just be worth hiring someone to convert your existing scripts over to the new PHP version.
Ideally to go from something like PHP 5 to 7 won’t be too terrible to do for a standard PHP programmer. Mainly the things that really changed that break a lot of things was the deprecation and removal of mysql_* based functions and using something mysqli_* or PDO. If you are going from something like PHP 4 to 7 or 8, then there is a bit more involved.
I think this would still be a faster and easier solution for you than rebuilding out the same application in another language. It also doesn’t matter whether or not you use macs.
This whole thing sounds like a great project for someone looking to build out their portfolio and do it on the cheap if they can get something like a testimonial from you at the end of the project.
Your title says database front-end and that seems a contradiction.
I often see people trying to solve a fundamental problem (such as PHP incompatibility) and they ask for help with the solution they have chosen (such as a database front-end, whatever that is). It is likely that if you describe the PHP incompatibility problem then people here have already solved the problem and can help.
And that is confusing since you say you are using a hosting company.
I find it strange that a later version of PHP causes a complete recoding. Perhaps you could share previous PHP version, new version and some code. Then someone may be able to help and save you a lot of unnecessary work
Well potterslained968 (the person asking) should answer that but it could be PHP: mysql_connect. The documentation does suggest a couple of alternatives.
Yes, my guess is that the existing scripts use the obsolete mysql extension to communicate with the database. As mentioned, this will need to be replaced with mysqli or PDO.
I would highly recommend that you skip mysqli and go for PDO.
Some time ago I updates a site from mysql to mysqli, then did it all over again to update to PDO. I really wish I had not wasted my time with mysqli, thinking it would be an easier transition. PDO is more powerful but simpler to use once you find your feet with it.
For your database code, if you switch to the much simpler and more consistent PDO extension, use exceptions for errors and in most cases let php catch and handle the exception, use a prepared query when supplying external, unknown, dynamic values to the query when it gets executed, and use implicate binding of data (supply an array to the execute([…]) call), a lot of the implementation logic goes away and all the extra quotes, dots, and {} to get variables into the sql query goes away. This lets you eliminate, rather than convert, a lot of what your existing code probably has in it now.
Thanks for the input, guys. I was talking about PHP 8. Last year I went through and changed all the msql to mysqli for 7. Now it’s mainly chucking isset in front of every damn variable, though to be honest, errors are no long suppressed in such a cavalier manner so I probably wrote bad code from the beginning…
