Thanks again Trevor and Bob! The reason I was mentioning ASP is because "Chilli Soft! ASP" thingy (?) is installed on the live (Linux/Apache) server. IIS doesn't come in to play (other than on my localhost I was (stupidly) testing on!). I have just got off the phone having managed to get the server admin to concede to allowing MySQL to be installed. Hopefully he will actually do this! If so, this will solve ALL my problems! Hurrah for Linux/Apache/PHP/MySQL! Hurrah! Alex |:| Reply-to: alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx |:| Or call me for free using Skype: |-----Original Message----- |From: Gryffyn, Trevor [mailto:TGryffyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] |Sent: 12 May 2004 17:00 |To: PHP List |Cc: Robert Twitty; Alex Gemmell |Subject: RE: Linux/PHP/Access Database - oh boy :( | |Good point Bob. If you're running IIS and can get PHP installed then |you can use the ADOdb or probably various other methods for accessing |the MDB files. No need to learn ASP then! That should speed up |development time a little at least. | |So looks like the options are: | |1. Get various database tools installed on the linux box that probably |aren't going to really help you out too much |2. Get PHP installed on the Windows box and use ADOdb or something |similar to connect to the MDB files |3. Learn enough ASP to pull the data. You could always just create an |ASP file that all it does is pull the data from the MDB and use PHP for |all the rest of your processing. | |-TG | |> -----Original Message----- |> From: Robert Twitty [mailto:rtwitty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] |> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 11:46 AM |> To: Alex Gemmell |> Cc: 'PHP List'; Gryffyn, Trevor |> Subject: RE: Linux/PHP/Access Database - oh boy :( |> |> |> Hi Alex |> |> ADODb will not work either. ADODb is basically a PHP |> abstraction class library that relies on lower level database |extensions to |> connect to the various databases. The problem for you is that other |than the odbc |> extension combined with MDBTools, and the odbtp extension, there is no |> other way to connect to an MS Access database from Linux under PHP. |> |> BTW, you mention that your other alternaive is to learn ASP. |> This implies that you will be using IIS on another machine. Can PHP |be |> installed on that machine? |> |> -- bob |> |> On Wed, 12 May 2004, Alex Gemmell wrote: |> |> > Thank you Trevor! |> > |> > Funny you should mention ADOdb. I just d/l it and uploaded |> it to my web |> > site! I am working through the docs now. I was losing |> hope because I |> > couldn't find what I was looking for but if you don't mind |> I will help |> > myself to your connection string: |> > |> > case "OtherDB": |> > # Sample connect string to Access MDB file |> > $myDSN="PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver |> > (*.mdb)};Dbq='C:\Database.mdb';UID=;PWD=;"; |> > |> > I have been using the realpath function of PHP in other |> connection strings |> > to map the path from the server root to the database |> location. I assume |> > will work fine here: |> > |> > $myDSN="PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver |> (*.mdb)}; Dbq=". |> > realpath("prices/mydb.mdb") .";UID=;PWD=;"; |> > |> > I'm still not sure this will work. I'm getting a lot of |> information from |> > people saying a .mdb file (the MS Access database) just |> can't be accessed |> > this way and I should use an intermediate database format, |> like .dbf which |> > can be made by exporting the database out of MS Access into |> "dbase 5". |> > |> > Does anyone know what the connection string for a .dbf |> (dbase 5) format |> > database is? |> > |> > Alex |> > |:| Reply-to: <mailto:alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx> |> alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx |:| |> > _____ |> > |> > From: Gryffyn, Trevor [mailto:TGryffyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] |> > Sent: 12 May 2004 15:09 |> > To: PHP List |> > Cc: Alex Gemmell |> > Subject: RE: Linux/PHP/Access Database - oh boy :( |> > |> > First, I don't think you are likely to use COM calls on a |> linux box since |> > COM and DCOM are MS things aren't they? Even if not, it |> might require some |> > configuration on the server end which you can't do. |> > |> > I use the ADOdb database library for PHP in all the things I do: |> > http://php.weblogs.com/adodb |> > |> > I have a dbconnect.inc file that has all my connect strings |> in a switch/case |> > statement that dynamically changes the connect string. |> > |> > I think you can connect DSNLess to an Access database this way. |> > |> > I'll paste a stripped down version of the dbconnect.inc to |> my message since |> > I don't know if this list accepts attachments. Let me |> know if you have any |> > questions.. good luck! |> > |> > -TG |> > |> > <?php |> > include("adodb/adodb.inc.php"); |> > |> > ADOLoadCode("ado_mssql"); |> > $db = &ADONewConnection("ado_mssql"); |> > |> > switch ($database) { |> > ################################################################ |> > # Cargo System databases |> > ################################################################ |> > |> > case "PhotoGallery": |> > # Where the photos are stored |> > $myDSN="PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DRIVER={SQL |> > |> Server};SERVER=PhotoServe;DATABASE=Photos;UID=username;PWD=password;"; |> > break; |> > case "UserLogin": |> > # Where the user login information is |> > $myDSN="PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DRIVER={Microsoft ODBC for |> > ORACLE};SERVER=TMPROD;UID=ops;PWD=ops;"; |> > break; |> > case "OtherDB": |> > # Sample connect string to Access MDB file |> > $myDSN="PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver |> > (*.mdb)};Dbq='C:\Database.mdb';UID=;PWD=;"; |> > break; |> > } |> > |> > $db->Connect($myDSN); |> > #$db->debug=true; |> > |> > if ($sqlquery <> "") { |> > $rs = $db->Execute($sqlquery); |> > if ($rs === false) { |> > print "<h2>Error: (" . $db->ErrorNo() . ") " . $db->ErrorMsg() . |> > "</h2><br>\n"; |> > } else { |> > $arr = $rs->GetArray(); |> > print "Status: (" . $db->ErrorNo() . ") " . |> $db->ErrorMsg() . "<br>\n"; |> > } |> > } else { |> > $rs = $db->Execute($sql); |> > if ($rs === false) { |> > print "<h2>Error: (" . $db->ErrorNo() . ") " . |> > $db->ErrorMsg()."<br>$sql<br>\n"; |> > } |> > } |> > |> > $sqlquery = ""; |> > $sql = ""; |> > |> > $db->Close(); |> > ?> |> > -----Original Message----- |> > From: Alex Gemmell [mailto:alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx] |> > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 8:12 AM |> > To: PHP List |> > Subject: Linux/PHP/Access Database - oh boy :( |> > Hello all, |> > |> > I am fairly new to Linux/PHP so please bear with me. I |> have an awfully |> > awkward problem to solve - a stop gap solution for the next |> 6 months until |> > we have out in-house servers set up and running. I also |> have a very short |> > timeframe to sort this out. I am using PHP on a remotely |> hosted Linux web |> > server to build my website, however I have been given a MS |> Access database |> > to use! Despite my best efforts (and two days Google |> trawling) I haven't |> > found a suitable solution so I am turning to your |> collective knowledge. |> > |> > First things first - I do not run the server and cannot |> install any new |> > tools on to it (I cannot access the folders above my web |> root). There are |> > lots of suggestions on the net about installing MDBTools |> and UnixODBC RPM |> > (http://bryanmills.net:8086/archives/000099.html) - but |> that involves the |> > admin who won't do it! I can, of course, put scripts that |> may help in the |> > actual web folder and reference them if anyone has any ideas. |> > |> > I know I must use a DSN-less connection. I first tried |> connecting directly |> > to the mdb file using: |> > $conn = new COM("ADODB.Connection") or die ("Cannot |> create ADODB |> > Connection object."); |> > |> > //$connstr = |> > "PROVIDER=MSDASQL;DBQ=/prices/mydb.mdb;"."DRIVER={Microsoft |> Access Driver |> > (*.mdb)};" |> > //$connstr = "Provider=Microsoft,.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; |> Data Source=". |> > realpath("prices/mydb.mdb") ." ;"; |> > // I've never got the above two connection strings |> to work but I |> > include them for completeness and in case any realises they |> might help me! |> > $connstr = "DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}; DBQ=". |> > realpath("prices/mydb.mdb") ." ;"; |> > |> > $conn->open($connstr); |> > |> > This worked on my localhost running IIS 5 (unsurprisingly) |> but fell over |> > immediately on the Linux box. I am told this is because |> COM support in PHP |> > before version 4.3.x is buggy (he PHP version installed on |> the server is |> > 4.1.2). Is this true? Will upgrading to version 4.3.x solve all my |> > problems? |> > |> > Also, I heard that converting the .mdb file to a .dbf file |> might help - but |> > how do I connect to that with PHP? The PHP manual says |> this about dbase |> > functions: |> > "These functions allow you to access records stored in |> dBase-format (dbf) |> > databases. There is no support for indexes or memo fields." |> > That's no good because I have long text fields in the |> Access database that |> > are of type "memo"! |> > The Manual also says "we recommend that you do not use |> dBase files as your |> > production database" - eek! It's only a small database |> (one table with |> > about 50 records, each with no more than 20 fields) so |> hopefully it will |> > suffice. |> > |> > Am I right in thinking I have very few options? I don't |> want to move over |> > to ASP (would that even help?) because it means learning |> VBScript and I |> > don't have a lot of time. Also, I can't use another |> database (e.g. MySQL) |> > cos the server admin is NOT helping me and won't install |> anything new. |> > |> > I know 99% of you will want to tell me to just back out of |> this horrible |> > tangle and take a different route, but is there one person |> out there who can |> > help me get through this nightmare? |> > |> > Thank you! |> > |> > Alex Gemmell |> > |:| Reply-to: <mailto:alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx> |> alex.gemmell@xxxxxxxxxx |:| |> > |> > Or call me for free using Skype: |> > <callto://alex.gemmell/> |> > |> > |> |> -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
