Looking for "Web-Based" Database Program

January 27, 2008 10:14 PM

I am looking for a web-based database application that I can run on my own servers.

I would like to find a web accessible database solution that I could run off of my home server. There are a few online web databases out there such as DabbleDB and Lazybase, however I want to be able to run the database on my own servers. I could use MySQL with "phpMyAdmin" but it is a little too technical for my wife to use and frankly more DMS than I need. Maybe a good way to describe what I am looking for would be, a "Web version of Microsoft Access". Is there an open source project out there that might fit the bill? I don't mind paying for a solution if it is the right fit. Thank you!

posted by DerekTheGeek to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Can you say in more detail what it is you need to do?

I've been working on a project which does only the basic user interactions, i.e. find, read, create, edit, delete records. No admin stuff at all, i.e. you can't create a new database with it.

I was assuming someone else would do that higher level stuff with PHPMyAdmin.

Requires Perl and a couple of key modules.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 11:48 PM on January 27, 2008

Web based stuff is nescessarily more technical than Access. Don't know if this suits you but the article here is one (perl based) solution, albeit with a good bit of learning curve. Nevertheless anything you pick in the web world will have learning curve ...
posted by singingfish at 12:21 AM on January 28, 2008

Depending on your specific needs it might be worthwhile to either learn enough PHP to modify a Symfony skeleton app or pay someone to do that. Starting with a working CRUD skeleton makes it just a matter of defining your models to get basic Access-like functionality. Certainly that would get you far more flexibility if you're willing to spend the time.
posted by Skorgu at 6:05 AM on January 28, 2008

What about Filemaker? It has a web interface.
posted by bradbane at 6:22 AM on January 28, 2008

Ruby on Rails?
posted by jozxyqk at 6:57 AM on January 28, 2008

Some excellent suggestions .. thank you!

Here is some more info that might clarify what I am looking for. I would like to have a central database where I can add/update/view records of a wide range of data types. From purchase receipts and serial numbers to recipes and contact information. I could write web applications for each of these but I would spend more time writing the apps than using them. I was hoping to find a general solution that had already been written that I could use. Something that would allow me to create tables, add fields and then allow me to edit/update records through a web interface. My web servers run both Apache and IIS so I can host with either interface. Scalability is not an issue since it would only be my family making use of the database.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! Please keep them coming!

- DTG
posted by DerekTheGeek at 7:04 AM on January 28, 2008

phpFlashMyAdmin
posted by kirkaracha at 8:26 AM on January 28, 2008

Filemaker's probably got the gentlest learning curve, or you might even check out their new "Bento" database. I just saw a freeware web interface for Bento this morning on versiontracker, but I've had no experience with Bento.
posted by edjusted at 10:38 AM on January 28, 2008