My Capstone Project

Linking HTML Forms To An Access Database

By Lewis Keller

March 08-April 21, 2011

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My Capstone Project Introduction Last year, when I was considering the choice of what to do for my C.I.S. & T. Capstone project, my advisor/professor suggested that I do something related to a prior internship that I did last summer. So, I took this into careful consideration. Knowing that I would probably face difficulties from multiple factors (my clients thoughts, other work, etc.), I chose to go ahead with that idea. Project Description My project was to have a web interface for the Academic Affairs faculty database. This interface consisted of a series of forms that added entries once somebody inputs the proper data into the correct fields. By the time I got done with these forms, the interface shouldve been able to add the entries when somebody inputs the proper data into the correct fields (i.e.: a first name into the first name field). Given that it was going to be in HTML and ASP, I planned for it to be connectable via the internet. However, this meant that it needed to have a strong level of security to guard the data. Purpose of Project The purpose behind this project is that every time somebody wants to enter or change data, they shouldnt have to go directly into the database to do so. With these forms, they wont

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have to, and they can add records to the database from anywhere, just as long as they have the proper login authentication permission to do so. My goal was to have everything done by April 2012, including a 15-minute video explaining how to use the firms. Methods and Technologies Utilized I have researched and taken notes on the intended users needs and concerns with this project, and I took them into consideration as I worked on the project. For the form design, I used Microsoft Expression Web version 4.0 to try to create html versions of the forms. I then tried my hand at the coding, but it grew to be too much for me. So, I came across accesshosting.com, and it allowed me to host the database on my own page (via Access Services and SharePoint). Before I could do that, however, I had to correct several compatibility errors (which took me a couple of weeks to do). On April 15th, 2012, the Academic Affairs Faculty Database went online for the first time. There was a life cycle for the project, although it was somewhat erratic. I originally began with the above plan, but then I was forced to go with a different route (altering certain parts of the database for web compatibility, and using Access Services (and SharePoint) to publish the database to the web), due to not knowing much about ASP and time-related issues. Regardless, the database is online, and operable. History of Technologies

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Expression Web Microsoft is usually known as a highly dependable software and application developer, and no exceptions were made when they developed each version of Expression Web, which is an off-shoot from FrontPage. (Priya 1) They developed Expression Web in 2006 mainly for web designers who wanted to join the web design wave. The first version, released in December of that year, had a layout similar to both FrontPage and Adobes Dreamweaver, but yet worked differently from both programs. Like them, it worked with both HTML and CSS. However, unlike them, it supported W3C accessibility standards, which is a major must-have for all web designers. (Priya 2) Also, it was lacking the help feature that FrontPage had (for beginners), as well as tech support. Expression Web 2 came out in May of 2008, and its layout was similar to that of the first one. (Mendelson 1) Other than supporting PHP and adding a few minor features (including changing properties of video files and generating images from PSD files), Expression Web 2 worked exactly like its predecessor. A major negative thing against it, though, is the fact that it didnt support Secure FTP. Also, Expression Web 2 was missing browser-based scripting, which is used to create dynamic pages that are compatible with all web browsers. Expression Web 3 was the first version that came out as part of a suite, and its also the first version that Ive used. Personally, I say that given the several features that it contains, its a great web design tool. However, by no means was it meant for beginners. For instance, to access

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some features, you would have to go through one or two menus, which was somewhat cumbersome to me at first. Overall, Expression Web 3 was more than worth its price, as it had added support for Secure FTP and a couple of new capabilities (Snapshot and SuperPreview) that allow you to preview your pages as theyre being created. (Arah 1-4) However, it did have clunky support for Silverlight. For example, you couldnt directly view a Silverlight file through Expression Web 3. Instead, you had to download the Silverlight player, and then preview your page. Expression Web 4 came out in June 2010, and like Expression Web 3, its more than worth its price. One of the best things about Expression Web 4 is the fact that it provides full support for HTML 5 in Code, Design, and Split views. (Microsoft 2) Another thing that I like about it is that you could use SuperPreview to preview logon-protected pages, and it will have you enter the proper administration credentials. It also includes support for CSS3, which is shown in the CSS Properties pane, and the New Style and Modify Style boxes. Expression Web 4 is supposed to create standards-based Web sites faster & easier. (Microsoft 1) However, its not as beginner-friendly as Microsoft claims to be. An example of this is how daunting the Split and Code views can be. Another example is that, like Expression Web 3, several features are hidden inside menus. (Yorkshire 1) Also, beginners might not understand many of the features in the first place, and might opt to try to find another program like Dreamweaver or an online website designer.

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Access Back in November 1992, Microsoft introduced us to a flexible form designer known as Access. (UtterAccess 1) Compatible with Windows 3.1, Access version 1.0 took over the database market by storm, by learning of the mistakes made by the head people at Borland (the company behind dBase). Less than a year later, version 1.1 was released, and it was full of bugs. (Brief 1) It was integrated with Fox Pro software, and it introduced us to the Access Basic Programming Language. (UtterAccess 1) Access version 2.0, released in 1994, was the first version to be packaged/linked to a Microsoft Office suite (Office 4.3 Pro). It handled crosstab queries, autoforms, and autoreports, and it was integrated with ActiveX. This was enough to satisfy the majority of developers and general users, but it wasnt user-friendly when it came to designing databases. (Brief 1) Also, utilization was often limited by the increasing sizes of databases and the low amount of RAM. Access 95 was released along with the Windows 95 OS, and it was very unpopular due to the fact of 32-bit applications still being in their early stages. (Brief 1-2) This version introduced VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), and the capabilities of filtering by form and selection. It was more powerful and flexible compared to its predecessors, and things continued to improve from there. Access 97 was a true success, compared to Access 95. (Brief 2) Along with it came partial table replication, filtering by input, and programmable toolbars. (UtterAccess 1) Most

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importantly, it was the first version to be compatible with other platforms (i.e.: Macintosh, among several others). (Microsoft 2) A key feature that I do like about Access 97, though, is the Publish to Web wizard, which allowed people to output data to either a static or dynamic HTML format (whichever one they wanted to choose). Access 2000 was released around the same time as Windows 98, ME, and 2000/NT. (Brief 2) This was the first version of Access to be integrated with SQL Server, and it was also the first version that allowed developers to publish their results in HTML. (UtterAccess 1, Brief 2) This version lost the capability of multi-user design and xBase/JET interoperability. However, this was so that MDBs (Access database files) could be made ready for the new JET engine and the powerful tools that were provided with it. This, in turn, helped make this version very popular amongst developers. Access 2002/XP and 2003 were both minor enhancements that provided better integration with other applications. (Brief 2) Access 2002/XP added Office Web Components (in particular, pivots and charts), security prompts, and smart tags. (UtterAccess 1) Access 2003 enhanced the font capabilities in and added a context-based help menu to SQL view. With Access 2003, a user can make local tables from linked tables, view object dependency information, and not worry about checking for errors in forms and reports. Access 2007 introduced us to the ACCDB file type, free runtime, a data source task pane, a grouping pane, and many other features (Brief 2). However, it still provides support for

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MDB files, but doesnt contain features like security, replication, and data access pages. Also, it can handle complex data (multi-value data, attachments, etc.), data collection forms, and JET privatization. Access 2010 brought us better integration with Microsofts SharePoint Server. (Brief 2) Overall, Access 2010 was a minor upgrade from Access 2007, with an updated Ribbon Bar, and the addition of Data Macros, thus making it more user-friendly for everybody. Also included are Backstage View, User Interface Effects, Navigation and Web Browser Control, and BDC Integration, along with several other useful features. However, Access 2010 isnt able to work with Data Access Pages and Calendar Control. Overall, Access is a good database-building tool. Despite going through various changes over the past 20 years, Access has become one of the most user-friendly tools available on the software market, and I can see a bright future for it. I can attest to how user-friendly it is, because Ive used it to help build not only this database, but also another one during high school. SQL Edgar F. Codd came up with the concept of being able to manage data better in existing computer systems in June of 1970. (SELECT 1) This particular concept was the basis behind his well-known paper, A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks. (Collins 1) It wasnt until 4 years later, though, that this concept was really acted upon, when Donald Chamberlain and Raymond Boyce invented a language known as SEQUEL (later shortened to

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SQL). Their focus was to entice people who frequently work with computers to learn about interacting with them via using a query language. The below quote from their paper, Sequel: A Structured Query Language, pretty much reinforces that focus. However, there is also a large class of users who, while they are not computer specialists, would be willing to learn to interact with a computer in a reasonably high-level, nonprocedural query language. Examples of such users are accountants, engineers, architects, and urban planners. It is for this class that SEQUEL is intended. For this reason, SEQUEL emphasizes simple data structures and operations. Chamberlain and Boyce, Sequel: A Structured Query Language

The popularity of SEQUEL/SQL grew so much through the years that software vendors were each offering their own database software, which was based off of SQL technology. (SELECT 1-2) Microsoft offered the first version of SQL Server for Windows in 1992, and theyve been dominating the so-called SQL market since the late 1990s. I agree with Chamberlain and Boyce in that SQL is meant for people who are somewhat experienced with computers, and that have to work with items such as databases. Ive taken classes on SQL and how it works in relation to organizing items, and from what Ive experienced, its an amazing language to learn. SharePoint During the 1990s, Microsoft had several efforts that were focused on information access and sharing, and the rise of the internet, intranet, and extranet was a catalytic agent for this. (SharePoint Blog 1) Office Server Extensions were installed on different web servers, so that

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users could post documents online, create/edit web sites, and participate in discussions. These extensions were hosted by ISPs, which helped millions of users collaborate with each other over the web. Also, Site Server came into existence to help web site developers create and manage their sites. TeamPages and Digital Dashboard enabled users to make web-based lists and dashboards, respectively. It was through these tools that Microsoft learned of their end users needs, and they went to work on designing the first version of SharePoint. The first version of SharePoint was released in 2001, and it was split into SharePoint Portal Server 2001 and SharePoint Team Services. (How to Do Everything 2) Portal Server 2001 helped businesses collect corporate information through navigation and search, while its sister item allowed teams to create sites and get them up and running to organize documents and other information. Customers wanted to use these two products in unison with each other, but it couldnt be done. In 2003, Microsoft released SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Windows SharePoint Services 2.0. (How to Do Everything 2) It was very clear to them that customers wanted a more integrated and comprehensive solution from us. (SharePoint Blog 2) These customers liked STS ability to do WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editing and SPS web part editing. However, they wanted it to be so that their respective sites would be able to use both products (in terms of editing).

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Microsoft eventually made STS into a better platform (with more scalability and flexibility), and added SPS on top of it. (SharePoint Blog 2) A new SharePoint page model was then released, and it allowed customers pages to have editable zones which the customers could have customized to their liking. It was at this point that Microsoft recognized that they, their partners, and their customers would be hosting SharePoint sites on the internet. When SharePoint 2007 was released in 2006, it was built on top of Windows Server, SQL Server, and the .NET Framework. (SharePoint History 3) It was in control of the .NET Framework, which contained good features such as web parts and master pages. With 100 million licenses sold, and revenue of over $1.3 billion per year, it had remarkable success in sales. The platform of the program mainly focused on features such as collaboration, business forms, and business intelligence technologies. However, customers could also store important documents, blog entries, wiki articles, and much more on their pages, as well. This led to various business-site-related scenarios. SharePoint Server 2010, released in 2010, is entirely web-focused. (SharePoint History 5) Its main interface is through web browsers, and the main value behind it is the aspect of access anywhere. Most of the core concepts of SharePoint 2010 are different from those of SharePoint 2007, with the only exception being the search concept. (Mosher 1) SharePoint 2010 has native Web CMS functionality, which people can use for doing things such as running an intranet, or just a regular, public-facing website. It also contains a similar look and feel to Office, as well as cross browser support, among several other new features. With SharePoint

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2010, people can have direct integration with Office, so that they can work on documents and more without questioning their environment. This can only bring more hope towards the next release of SharePoint. Access Hosting In January 2010, Larry Strange (the guy who invented SharePoint Hosting back in 2003) was working for SmithBridge when he created Access Hosting. (Free Access Services 1) Originally meant for blog readers and developers who wanted to try out Access Services, but didnt have the resources to get SharePoint Beta running on a fully set-up machine, Access Hosting is a full service hosting platform and data migration service for current Access databases, according to Microsoft. In July of 2011, they announced that along with a redesigned website, they also included new features such as data recovery backup options and the instantaneous availability of Remote Desktop. (Yahoo! 1) In November of that year, reporting services for Access Web Databases in SharePoint 2010 were made available, so that people who use Office 365 could republish their databases to accesshosting.com because of the web-based reporting functionality. (Thomas 1) Soon, a SQL Denali Hosting Service will be available, and people are being asked to sign up to be notified when it does become available.(AccessHosting.com 1)

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There are a few other plans (which are highly loaded with useful features) that are available from as low as $19 per month to as high as $499 per month, with a 30-day free trial available for each plan. (AccessHosting.com 2-3) What Im Doing Meeting With the Intended User These forms are meant to be used by the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. However, when I met with her, she said that she might have a work study or secretary work on them. Also, she doesnt want the forms to be super-complex, but yet doesnt want them to be hack-able as well. During the meeting, she admitted that this project wouldnt be much of an advantage, because of the fact that the files thats shes using for the database are all in paper form. To her, it would be more advantageous to update the database from Excel and Access, and the likelihood of actual use is very slim. However, I was still encouraged to go on with the project so that I could learn from it. Designing Forms I did get the first form designed most of the way, and I even uploaded a video about it to my blog. However, due to devoting a majority of my time to other assignments, I havent had a

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chance to work on the other form designs yet. With six weeks left, the first thing that I promise to do is to finish the form designs, yet practice better time management. This is what the first form looks like thus far:

Establishing Connection Between Forms and Database I did take some time to test out some potential code ideas on the first form to try to integrate it with the database, but it didnt work. The code looked something like the following (represented by pseudocode). INSERT Values (Everything on the form) Into [Database] WHERE (Everything on the form) = (Its database counterpart)

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I would like to find out how I could successfully implement a good connection between these forms and the database. Perhaps, the answer may lay within the database itself. Implementing Strong Security This is still an important must for me, because without it, theres still a risk of somebody hacking into the forms, and if that happens, Im afraid it will come back to me. So, I will attach a password authentication system that my client will have to utilize in order to gain access to the forms. Also, I need to put on a good, strong internet security suite to ensure a second level of protection. This would be where Kaspersky Internet Security comes into the picture. They continue to provide users with a high level of protection that includes security tools not offered by many competitors. (CNET 1) Though it does cost money (a three-user license costs approximately $80), I feel that this would be the strongest security software for these forms. A feature that I really like is the Roll Back feature, which is handy should any malware manage to slip through the cracks. The Roll Back feature is activated, and undoes whatever damage that the malware causes. However, one thing that I dont like about Kaspersky is its Internet Explorer security analyzer, because of the fact that its meant to only work with Internet Explorer, and no other browser. Overall, though, Kaspersky Internet Security will be a good tool to use in this particular case. Uploading Forms to the Internet

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When I am done with both the design/connection and security, I will have the forms uploaded to the Internet. I will ask Dr. Ken Wang (a professor at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford) to see if I can have them uploaded to the universitys MIS server (www.pitt.edu/~username/). If, for some reason, I cant, then I will try to upload it to a server with free web hosting. Change of Plan Everything did not go as well as I had planned. After experiencing too many errors with trying to integrate the database with the web by using Expression Web, ASP, and SQL, I found myself to be seeking alternate ideas. I tried to have Dr. Wang directly upload the database to the MIS server here at Pitt-Bradford, but he said that it would require use of ASP, and with the amount of time I had left, it wasnt enough for me to learn how ASP worked in cases like this. I then learned about being able to upload databases to hosting sites. I tried to use some of the free options, and they didnt suit my needs. So, I ran across accesshosting.com, and discovered that they were the best option for what I was trying to do. So, I signed up for a 30day free trial, and went to work on getting the database ready. Thats when I came across several web compatibility errors within the database. In order to have these errors corrected, I had to look up the error codes, and see how each respective error could be fixed. This resulted in the database getting a major face-lift in order to be compatible. This took me about a month or so

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to do, and when I was finished, I was able to upload the database onto my own page on the site (http://lpk7.accesshosters.com/Academic%20Affairs%20Faculty%20Database). Conclusion Critique of What I Did Even though I did have a good start, I definitely think that I couldve had a better finish. Nonetheless, though, at least the database is online and still editable. I dont like the fact that I had to change the field types of some of the fields, because I felt that that would be an easy source of confusion for my client. Overall, though, this project did teach me that I need to continue to improve on my time management, and that I definitely need to have more of a grasp on things when it comes to computer coding. Impression of My Overall Experience with This Project Overall, I am somewhat impressed with myself that I was at least able to get this project done on time. One important thing I have learned from this was that ASP is definitely not a coding language that a person such as me could grasp immediately. If it werent for sites such as accesshosting.com, I honestly wouldve given up on the project long ago. Im thankful to have been able to figure out how to solve compatibility errors, because they helped me understand how Access databases work with the web, and what conditions need to be met in for them to work with the web.

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Works Cited "Access History - Access Wiki - Access Help and How-to - Microsoft Office by UtterAccess.com." Access History. UtterAccess.com, 14 Feb. 2012. Web. 09 Mar. 2012. <http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki/index.php/Access_History>. "Access Hosting Plans & Pricing." Hosting Service Plans and Packages for SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Access 2010. AccessHosting.com, 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://accesshosting.com/pricing.asp>. Arah, Tom. "Microsoft Expression Web 3 Review." Technology, News and Reviews. PCPro.co.uk, 05 Nov. 2009. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/software/353092/microsoft-expression-web-3>. "Brief History of Microsoft Access." Learn About Access Databases. About-accessdatabases.com, 2009. Web. 09 Mar. 2012. <http://www.about-accessdatabases.com/history-of-microsoft-access.html>. Chamberlain, Donald D., and Raymond F. Boyce. Working paper. SEQUEL: A Structured Query Language. IBM Research Laboratory. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/people/chamberlin/sequel-1974.pdf>. Collins, Chris. "Chris Collins." Chris Collins. Wordpress.com, 20 May 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://ccollins.wordpress.com/2007/05/20/history-of-sql/>.

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"Free Access Services Hosting Trial for Early Adopters." Access Blog -. Microsoft, 04 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoftaccess/archive/2010/01/04/free-access-services-hosting-trial-for-early-adopters.aspx>. Mendelson, Edward. "Microsoft Expression Web 2." PCMag.com. PCMag.com, 11 June 2008. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2319674,00.asp>. Microsoft. "Expression Web 4." Microsoft. Microsoft, 2011. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/web_overview.aspx>. "Microsoft Expression Web in Encyclopedia." TutorGig.com. TutorGig.com. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://www.tutorgig.info/ed/Microsoft_Expression_Web>. Priya, Indu. "A Brief History of Microsoft Expression Web." Bright Hub. Brighthub.com, 13 Nov. 2008. Web. 08 Mar. 2012. <http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windowsplatform/articles/15004.aspx>. PRWeb. "AccessHosting.com Launches a New Website and New Remote Desktop Services." Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 27 July 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://news.yahoo.com/accesshosting-com-launches-website-remote-desktop-services130019699.html>. Rosenblatt, Seth. "Kaspersky Internet Security." CNET. Cnet.com, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://download.cnet.com/Kaspersky-Internet-Security/3000-18510_410012072.html>.

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"SELECT * FROM SQL History." SQL History. FairCom.com, 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.faircom.com/ace/enl_22_s12_t.php>. Swearingen, Chase. "Microsoft Access Database." Wikia.com. Wikia.com, 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 09 Mar. 2012. <http://databasemanagement.wikia.com/wiki/Microsoft_Access_Database>. Thomas, Steven. "Full-featured Access Services Solution at Http://www.accesshosting.com." Access Blog -. Microsoft, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2011/11/14/access-services-freetrial-accesshosting.com-in-browser-reports.aspx>. Wenzel, Elsa. "Microsoft Expression Web." CNET. Cnet.com, 2007. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://reviews.cnet.com/web-graphics/microsoft-expression-web/4505-3637_732383169.html>. Yorkshire, Tye. "Expression Web 4 Review: Worth the Money?" Bright Hub. Brighthub.com, 09 Nov. 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://www.brighthub.com/internet/webdevelopment/reviews/81432.aspx>.