[Web4lib] loading database descriptions into web page

[Richard Cox RLCOX]

> The problem is, I have no idea how to create the link that would pull 
the
> info from the database description pages, I'm assuming that part would 
be
> fairly simple though.

If you know programming it would be.  What would happen is your page would 
need to pass a parameter to the database via a SQL query, which would 
return the data for you and then, using your programming language of 
choice, you insert into the page.  For example, 

http://library.uncg.edu/dbs/dbs-byletter.asp?showdbs=A
and
http://library.uncg.edu/dbs/dbs-byletter.asp?showdbs=D

you will note are the same PAGE, but based upon the showdbs parameter the 
content changes.

>  The person I am working with said to create a "dynamic" HTML page, but 
I'm not sure what that means.

It means a page capable of interacting with a data source either directly 
or through a proxy.  You could use ASP, ASP.NET, Java, PHP, or whatever. 
Heck, you could even use AJAX.

> These days, I though they were all dynamic.

It's a word that's thrown around too much. Remember DHTML anyone? Anything 
from animation to AJAX to full J2EE or .NET applications can be called 
"dynamic" based upon what your definition is.

> Do I need to create individual pages for each database description?  Or 
is their a way to create a page with all the database descriptions and 
have
> the appropriate data pulled depending on which database you wanted info 
on?

In theory you could do it with one or 2 pages, just using queries or form 
fields or whatnot to vary the content such as in my above example.

> Does anyone have pages/examples/sites they can share with me that I 
could work from?

Are you looking for source code?  It will depend on the server side 
language used by your org.  But the process should be:

Your page passes a parameter (from a query string or inputted form fields, 
for example), via a SQL query, into a database view, which then returns a 
raw data set. Think a table of data here. 

each data element is a name-value variable pair. For example, 
Database_Name = ACM Digital Library 

You then, again using your language of choice, take that data and 
dynamically insert it into areas on the page. Like you have a header area 
set to accept the value of the Database_Name variable.

Hopefully this makes sense spun off in a very stream of conscious way.  If 
you've any questions just drop me a line and I will do my best to answer.

Richard
Digital Technology Consultant
Electronic Resources & Information Technology
University Libraries, UNC Greensboro
http://library.uncg.edu/




Sandra Cahillane <scahilla at baypath.edu> 
Sent by: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
07/30/2007 07:46 PM

To
web4lib at webjunction.org
cc

Subject
[Web4lib] loading database descriptions into web page







Hello again,

Thank you all for your support.  I really don't know how I've gotten along
without you.

Here is my latest dilemma.  I have someone capable of writing me a script
that would load database descriptions into a web page for me similar to
what they have at UMass Amherst
(
http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/databases.cgi?command=viewdesc&id=5e413c58e05b0c653b4c01b7f85cb881
).
  That is, you click on an info button on my alpha list of databases and a
separate page with a description of one specific database is populated.
The problem is, I have no idea how to create the link that would pull the
info from the database description pages, I'm assuming that part would be
fairly simple though.  Nor do I know how to format the description page so
it would work with the script.  The person I am working with said to 
create
a "dynamic" HTML page, but I'm not sure what that means.  These days, I
though they were all dynamic.

Do I need to create individual pages for each database description?  Or is
their a way to create a page with all the database descriptions and have
the appropriate data pulled depending on which database you wanted info 
on?

Does anyone have pages/examples/sites they can share with me that I could
work from?

Thanks in advance,
Sandy

Sandy Cahillane
Systems and Reference Librarian
Bay Path College
Hatch Library
588 Longmeadow Street
Longmeadow, MA  01106
(413) 567-4529 or (413) 565-1376
fax-(413) 567-8345

_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4lib at webjunction.org
http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/