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Links SQL Potential

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Links SQL Potential
Hi there. I am new here and seeking some answers to my questions. I am about to start a new project for a company and I believe Links SQL may give me the foundation that I am looking for. I would need to modify the program of course, but for the following, in your view, would Links SQL be the a good option?

The service will be a type of Classifieds Advertising system.

Users Table
Users would have the ability to join and add listings as they wish.
When enetering the Modification Area, they would use a username and password to pull up all of their records - not just one at a time as I believe the program is made to do now
The site Administrator could select between two different User types - thus, if one user adds a listing, they would be forwarded to a different thank you page then the second type of user.
The user would be able to edit their personal (address) information as well as each individual listing.

Listings Table
Through searched or category links, visitors could view summarized listings. The summaries could be sorted by columns.
Option to view 2nd thumbnail page (with thumbs) rather than the standard links summary page.

We would also want only sub-categories to display (or be built) if that sub category contains a listing, otherwise, it should be skipped. We do not wish to have a bunch of empty catrgories (the main categories would always display).

The best example of what we are looking for on the web would be the SQL version at http://Scriptmate.com however, we feel that Links SQL would allow us greater control. http://Carsforsale.com is probably the type of result that we are looking for however we are on a much smaller project.

I know Links 2.0 from experience has a lot of potential. I have no idea about Links SQL though but I think it should be comparable. Are the above features possible? SQL will be new to me but this project will allow me to learn as I go, no big time deadline.

Thank you.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Yes...LINKS SQL can do what you have outlined and much more.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Thank you for the reply. I have spent the entire day going through DBman and Links SQL in the Resources section quite thoroughly.

I just want to make sure that Links SQL would allow for a separate table for the users - I do not wish the users to have to type in their personal information each time they add a listing - this would only be matched to the user table by way of attaching their ID.

Considering both programs and the unlimited potential they offer, would you recommend one over the other? In other words, if you were to want to do a site, say as http://carsforsale.com, but on a smaller scale, which program do you think closely matches the intended use?

I am also considering learning ASP / Access and going full database. Not sure if I have the time for that though.

Thank you for your comments.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
In Reply To:
I just want to make sure that Links SQL would allow for a separate table for the users -
Uh..yea...it does.

In Reply To:
In other words, if you were to want to do a site, say as http://carsforsale.com, but on a
smaller scale, which program do you think closely matches the intended use?
All depends...do you want to build a "directory" type site where there are individual
categories and links to CARS with more details? Or would you prefer a "database" type
of site where you can only search for CARS rather than browse categories? Really
depends on what application you are attempting to build.

If it is the former you are after, then LINKS SQL is better. If it is the latter, then
DBMAN SQL better.

If you want to have intergrated user features, then LINKS SQL is definitely the
better choice since you would have to HACK DBMAN SQL quite a bit for it to match
the user features in LINKS SQL.

In Reply To:
I am also considering learning ASP / Access and going full database. Not sure if I have the time forthat though.
Well...that really deals with what type of operating system and platform you are using
for a web server. Are you using a Windows based server running IIS? If so, then, yes,
ASP would be the wiser choice since Perl scripts eat up memory and also pose many
security risks in Windows servers. If you are running a UNIX or Linux servers with
Apache or some other web server software, then ASP would not be the best choice
since you would have to install Chilisoft to run ASP in UNIX/Lynx servers, yet since
most UNIX/Linux web server hosting companies already have Perl installed and CGI
script access, it is best to go with Perl, although there are also possibilities with
Server-side Java or even Phython...and of course, PHP.


Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Thank you for your comments. I believe the Links SQL will be the best application for our purposes. We will be running on a new Windows 2000 server.

Couple of more questions...
Any time line on Links SQL 2.0?
I believe I read somewhere that it will accept most databases and I noticed some Access images in the user manual (2.0), would we be able to use Access for our Database?


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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Don't use a windows 2000 server, use a *nix based server, or solaris server.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Ouch! Why are you going to run under windows?

PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://pugdog.com/FAQ


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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Why? Well, why not? - only joking. Actually, we may not be. It is a temporary server for us now to see what it is all about. So far, to be honest, it is more of a headache with the permissions than anything else.

We have completed our site with Links 2.0 however it is not released yet. It is only a temporary testing stage to get our presentation displayed as soon as possible. We like the features that Links offers that's why I was inquiring about Links SQL... I am just wondering now though if Links SQL would be better than a hand made Access or SQL database system. That's why I am here.

From what I have seen, Links SQL will give us what we need, Links 2.0 does but we really need a user integrated database/table with file uploading capabilities and a few more items.

The 2000 server gives us a platform for the time being at a cheap rate with differnet platform options, depending on what we choose. From there we will transfer the site once we are all set-up.

BTW, does anyone know of any ASP/SQL sites that have an employees for contract section? I have been searching all over and have yet to find one. I believe it is in our best interest to review the possibilites of going straight to a full database solution (Assess/ASP) rather than Links SQL - although I do think it will give us what we are looking for.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
I think you are misreading what Links SQL is.

Links SQL is a link (record) management system that is built on top of a running SQL Engine. The engine of choice is MySQL. But it is being set up for Oracle and MS7. (Some sites are running it on those platforms).

"Access" is not a real database (ducking all the M$ fans out there) and is an extension of the "lotus 123" database mentality. If I remember, it was originally a "data management solution". It got entreanched in a lot of applications, and it "grew" but you are _much_ better off going with a true database.

With the cheap availability of SQL databases, with MySQL probably going to usurp Oracle for everything but mission-critical, high-finance, big-business type applications, not going to a true SQL database is somewhat of a bad decision.

On M$ platforms you have the choice of Oracle and MS7, as well as a port of MySQL. On *nix systems you have Oracle and MySQL.

You might feel Oracle is the best option, but it's really, really, _not_ for everyone. Oracle has lots of legacy code, high-overhead, and data backup problems. The database has to be off-line to back it up. But it has full transaction and rollback ability, and a long history of mission critical use.

MySQL was designed to be a light-weight database, with the essential core features of SQL, without the high-overhead of other legacy and higher-powered (for lack of a better term) systems such as Oracle.

MySQL has developed along with the web, and was developed with CGI/web-based applications in mind. That's not saying it can't do more -- it can, but it's a child of the Internet generation, not a parent or grandfather.

MySQL has gone GPL and has a lot of backing now, so more features will be available, and it will probably have several development threads just like Linux. Companies will probably develop versions tailored to different application uses -- each with the core functionality, but with or without additional features for various niche markets.




PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://pugdog.com/FAQ


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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Sorry, you did not understand what I was getting at but I do have an idea about what I am speaking of. You do have to work within what the budget dictates and what is available to you.

Anyways, I am still pondering the idea of a hand made program or the Links SQL version.



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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
FWIW... there is no way you could duplicate what Links SQL offers, in under 6 months of 100+ man hour weeks.

MySQL is _free_ and truly open source.

Unix is mostly free, and open source.

Unix servers tend to be 1/3rd cheaper than M$ servers, since there are no license fees, and the hardware costs are lower for any given unit of measure.

So, over all, Unix is much more cost effective than Windows anything. The only way it's not, is if you are being given the server, or part of a server by someone else who is paying the way <G>


PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://pugdog.com/FAQ


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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Thank you for the response. I would have to agree with you in regards of man hours and developing an entire application. I believe we will begin a move to the Links SQL program in the next week or so.

BTW - In our case, a 2000 server is cheaper than a UNIX one, like I said, it is only temporary. I have been a good and loyal customer of my hosting service and they occasionally ask me to demo some things for them. Deep down, I am a UNIX guy, you don't need to sell me on that.

Question...
Does anyone have any idea when Links SQL 2.0 will be available? (Since we would be in the early stages of moving into the SQL platform, it may be worthwhile for us to wait rather than transfer once the new version is out).

Pugdog: Thank you for your assistance. It has been helpful.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
The Next Generation SQL 2.0 is in beta 3 version now. As such, it's "available".

PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
Postgres is better then MySQL.

It has some neat features that MySQL does not which makes it a better database app to use. It has things such as sub queries, triggers, functions.

The new versions of Postgres run faster then MySQL do as well.

BTW - I am saying this from a PHP perspective. I know for Perl you use DBI, and I am not sure how Perl/DBI compares to PHP when interacting with a database.

However setting up triggers etc does make queries faster, do some reading up on this, you may wish to use that as your main DB if drivers for it are included with Links SQL 2.0 (I haven't checked yet).

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
php will run faster than perl, because it's mod_php To do a fair comparason, you'd need to compare it to mod_perl.

PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://pugdog.com/FAQ


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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
I know that,

The main point I was trying to get across was that Postgres is actually faster then MySQL now. I wasn't sure if it is faster then mysql when being used with perl, I thought it might only be faster with php. I have never used perl to access a postgres database.

Gossamer-Threads should have a look at postgres though, it is a better database system.

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Re: Links SQL Potential In reply to
In Reply To:
Gossamer-Threads should have a look at postgres though, it is a better database system.
Yeppers they should - As for me thats what my Hosting Service runs and will not allow any other DB to be installed.

Alex did tell me at one stage he would get Links NG running with PostgreSQL..

Lets hope he does.


And just to get right Off Topic - there will be a new php version developed similar to links which will be able to link to most common DBs - including Postgres.

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