PHP or MS Access?

[MesaFloyd]

I know this is a silly question for this foruum, but...

I am about to start a project of developing a WebBased DB for managing housing Rentals

Seems like PHP and mySQL would be a perfect fit. My problem is I am pretty much alone and no one to share thoughts with.  I am not a real programmer but I have some knowledge and a bit of web/programming ability (Older guy)

I have already built about 70% of the functions in MS Access, but I recently decided to put all the operations on the Web Rather than in an office.

I like MS Access because for a non-programmer it gives alot of help... I did write some routines in VB but overall it is working.

I am at a crossroads to continue in MS Access and try to have that be the core for the Web design, but in the back of my head, I have a feeling I should go to PHP/Mysql ... mainly due to the expansiveness of PHP. 

There will be about 3-5 people that will need to add/delete/manage the database, then there will be the customers that would access the database to read/sort/print the rental listings.  Also they would have the ability add a listing (property owners).  The web/database will have to have access security levels (manager/customer) - login/logout and other normal db management routines.

I come to this foruum to ask if anyone can comment on my endeavour before I start, because I hate to find out later that MS Access may have been a better choice. - Also, I want to avoid requireing a MS web server over apache (basically a $$ issue).  Apache gives me more options I understand.

Thanks for any thoughts

 

[AndyB]

http://www.open-realty.org/

 

Maybe that would help you decide.

[MesaFloyd]

Thanks AndyB for the 'OR' link

I think that is much more than I need.

The final product is actually a 'rental listing' which our customers will subscribe to.

Right now, we simply email it in .pdf if their subscription is current.

The main work are the 'forms' for our employees(2-3 we're small).  The form screens will allow us to easily update (add/delete/modify) the listings and add/delete/charge/manage new customers.

The concept is, the subscribers(customers) go to the web site, login, then have access to the db 'report'

There they could arrange/sort to their liking... (by price, location, pets, bd/ba..etc)  Once they have sorted to their liking, then they could print it.

 

The OR you pointed to <I think> is alot more than I need.  We are presently using Excel and Outlook for the DB and it is painful trying to mangage it... just sooo many steps.

 

IMHO we need to go to a DB that has all the info and can be managed from the web.

 

My question is, should I go PHP/Mysql, or try to continue this with MS Access.

 

I don't mind starting from scratch.  Any thoughts about how I should begin would be appreciated.

Floyd

 

[AndyB]

I suspect that you'll get a biased opinion here, given that the forum members are php/MySQL users who may not have a lot of 'public' application experience with other (more expensive, as you note) alternatives.

 

Much of what you want to do is relatively trivial construction of queries against a database.  Often, the boring, tedious parts are the construction of database management scripts that can be used by normal humans.  Something I've used which has been successful even for the 'blondest' clients is phpMyEdit. Details - http://hockinson.com/index.php?s=27

[MesaFloyd]

Thanks Andy, I suspected as much in this foruum.  I have the confiramtion <nudge> I was looking for.

 

I looked at the phpMyEdit, and from my limited knowledge/ability, it looks like a good way to setup the table/database.  It also refers to 'php-form-generator' ... but the form examples I see are very structed. 

I guess I will need to edit the form on the html level to get specific postions 'look' and 'feel' on the web page.

 

Thanks again for directing me over there.

Floyd