I'm a complete novice at webdesign but have recently built my website using HTML code. Its looking pretty good but i've got a huge problem where the stuff i'm selling are "one-off" items. So i need some kind of stock control. I've done a database in microsoft access but have no idea how to get my site to read the database and check the stock when people order stuff. Please can someone help me???
There must be some way i can do this without having to buy software? Can i not just somehow put commands into my code to tell it to check the database every time an "add to basket" button is clicked on??

PLEASE HELP ME!

You will need to use some sort of server-side language (PHP, ASP, JSP, ColdFusion etc)

There are alternatives such as Zen-Cart which is open source and free software that offers a complete shopping cart system and secure methods for payment. All you would need is to get a host, SSL certificate and a subscription to a gateway service (or could use paypal).

i would look at one of the open source commerce sites. seems to me that what you have is just a touch out of the extreme category.

good luck in your endeavors

Originally Posted by sabrinaP

the stuff i'm selling are "one-off" items. So i need some kind of stock control. I've done a database in microsoft access but have no idea how to get my site to read the database and check the stock when people order stuff. Please can someone help me???

It's actually pretty easy. But there's one big caveat: html is universal, just about any operating system can handle it. But Microsoft Access is proprietary ... you need Microsoft Access ( or at least the "jet" database engine ) to use it.

You probably have a linux web server, because linux is free, and hosting your site costs less. To use your Access database interactively with your web site, you need a Windows web server. If you have a linux server, chances are it comes with MySql and can handle PHP ... so you could export all your data and write programming against a new database up on the server.

As others have pointed out, there are off-the-shelf shopping cart solutions, even free ones. You might be better off with them, unless you're on a MSFT server. ( In that case, if you've got Access 2000+ you should be able to use the "data access pages" feature. )

Sabrina,

The first thing you need to ask your web host is if they support Access or SQL databases. SQL is just a beefed up version of Access. If they have these databases then I would suggest porting your data over to SQL.

Once you have done this you can access (not Access) your data by using ASP, PHP, CFM, etc. to add, update, or write data to the data tables.

mgraphic mentioned using PayPal. This is a great way to automatically know when you've been paid for an item by using their Instant Payment Notification (IPN.)

Now; if you are a novice and you don't want to learn all of this stuff then you probably should use an off the shelf shopping cart.

If you do want to learn this stuff then it looks like there are a few people on these forums that can help.

Good luck.

Hi,

You can use php code to connect to MS ACCESS database. I have an
example. http://www.configure-all.com/php_access.php where you can see how to do that.

If you are novice then go from open source solutions. Just google and u will get 100 of choices.

I agree that if you are new to web design then you should use an open-source solution. I would also suggest that you use a MYSQL database, which most likely was included in your hosting package, to keep track of your orders.

You can talk to Access using PHP, ASP, ect... but there are a lot of ways that you could run into problems.

For instance, if you don't enter the right code into the connection string then you won't be able to update your database/recordset. I actually lost 1/2 of a day trying to figure this one out.

Go with the easier option of pre-made solutions using a MYSQL database.