Need a simple database solution (I think)
April 16, 2013 4:07 PM Subscribe
I'm compiling an Excel spreadsheet full of personal data. What my employer would like to do is add that information to their existing website and make it searchable and filterable, so that researchers can filter out all guys who were born in year X or town Y, search for all guys named Cohen, etc.
Nothing more complicated than that. Something vaguely like this is what I had in mind:
It has an alphabetical index, search fields, and filter boxes, so I think that's generally what I'm looking for. If it matters, we're dealing with about 550 people, and about 40 fields per person. Unlike with the example site, ours is more concerned with showing you everything about a person, rather than finding that person in the first place.
My employers say a database program would solve this, but they don't know any more than that, so they want me to find a solution and for now I'm taking them at their word unless you tell me they're wrong. But I don't even really know what a database is in terms of software, let alone if they're right in saying such a program is what is needed to put this online. I'm familiar with Excel, but beyond that it's all tachyon technobabble.
Could anyone suggest what I need to make this happen, and any software solutions that will do it? The main criteria are that it must be:
a) simple - they don't need to do a lot here (or so it seems to me), and extra features would probably just make it more complex and more expensive. No scripts or programming or what have you, because the staff who will eventually need to maintain it don't know any of that, nor do I. There's no ecommerce or social media stuff required. Manageable to a staff that is not high on tech skills is far and away the most important factor.
b) Windows-based - everyone in the office is running PCs.
c) relatively inexpensive - they're willing to spend a bit (maybe up to a grand?), but this is a non-profit I'm working for so lower cost would be appreciated.
I see that questions along these lines have been asked in the past, but since I don't really understand what needs to be done, I can't tell if the answers given apply to me as well. I'd appreciate a more talking-to-a-clueless-idiot style of answer, if at all possible.
Thanks in advance.
Nothing more complicated than that. Something vaguely like this is what I had in mind:
It has an alphabetical index, search fields, and filter boxes, so I think that's generally what I'm looking for. If it matters, we're dealing with about 550 people, and about 40 fields per person. Unlike with the example site, ours is more concerned with showing you everything about a person, rather than finding that person in the first place.
My employers say a database program would solve this, but they don't know any more than that, so they want me to find a solution and for now I'm taking them at their word unless you tell me they're wrong. But I don't even really know what a database is in terms of software, let alone if they're right in saying such a program is what is needed to put this online. I'm familiar with Excel, but beyond that it's all tachyon technobabble.
Could anyone suggest what I need to make this happen, and any software solutions that will do it? The main criteria are that it must be:
a) simple - they don't need to do a lot here (or so it seems to me), and extra features would probably just make it more complex and more expensive. No scripts or programming or what have you, because the staff who will eventually need to maintain it don't know any of that, nor do I. There's no ecommerce or social media stuff required. Manageable to a staff that is not high on tech skills is far and away the most important factor.
b) Windows-based - everyone in the office is running PCs.
c) relatively inexpensive - they're willing to spend a bit (maybe up to a grand?), but this is a non-profit I'm working for so lower cost would be appreciated.
I see that questions along these lines have been asked in the past, but since I don't really understand what needs to be done, I can't tell if the answers given apply to me as well. I'd appreciate a more talking-to-a-clueless-idiot style of answer, if at all possible.
Thanks in advance.
Here's a cool JavaScript user interface for interacting with a SQL database (such as the free MySQL). It would take basic programming and database skills to get this up and running on your own data and with your own database.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 4:30 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 4:30 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Your non-profit's web site is probably already using a database management software like MySQL, so you should ask the web developers - or whoever that's in charge of the site - if they can code a solution that allows you to create, search and read data. Pretty basic database stuff.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:58 PM on April 16, 2013
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:58 PM on April 16, 2013
An alternative is Zoho Creator which is a web app that allows you to visually design a database that can then be embedded on any web site. The advantage is that you're not dependent on your web developers for updates.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:16 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:16 PM on April 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Is security and privacy a concern? Is this data for people who are still alive? Aee there HIPPA or other concerns about this data?
If so, any solution may need to take in to account logs ins, logging of requests, etc....
posted by bottlebrushtree at 6:37 PM on April 16, 2013 [2 favorites]
If so, any solution may need to take in to account logs ins, logging of requests, etc....
posted by bottlebrushtree at 6:37 PM on April 16, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the help so far. I'll check Zoho Creator first - it sounds like it most meets the simplicity requirement. I'm also in contact now with their web developer.
Any other advice would be appreciated. Cheers.
posted by Palindromedary at 10:03 AM on April 17, 2013
Any other advice would be appreciated. Cheers.
posted by Palindromedary at 10:03 AM on April 17, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
http://legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/last-post/
posted by Palindromedary at 4:08 PM on April 16, 2013