Photography website question (slightly O/T?)

[Charlie Chalk]

Hi

I've just finished a website for a local photographer (http://www.philipryott.co.uk) and have just been commissioned to do a site for another photographer.

Its going to be a similar sort of thing, but with a password protected area for clients to see and order photo's from their shoot.

I'm very comfortable with my (x)HTML/CSS skills, but I'm completely green when it comes to databases. I've played with access very briefly, but I don't have the first idea how to use db's for a web site.

I've read a few articles on the 'net but they all seem to relate to shopping cart building, I want to know how to use it for content/images for a normal brochure type site.

Things like do the images sit in the same place as they would a static website (in the case of the above site in a folder called 'images')? If so then the photographer could dump all the pictures in a folder for the dbase to make the page from?

Are there any available scripts for creating the part of the site for the client to see their photos? I was thinking of maybe using the web catalogue in Photoshop as the person I'm building the site for could export them themselves, but I'd rather do the job properly.

Sorry if this is off topic, but I guessed some of you guys may have done something like this before?

Thanks

CC

[gstark]

Charlie,

Totally off topic. Do I look concerned?

What's the backend under which this will will be running? IIS? If so, which version, and what underlying OS?

Linux? What distro? If Linux, you might want to look at Apache/PHP/MySQL, and visit DevShed.net.

But first of all, let's understand the sandpit that you'll be playing in.

[rokkstar]

Hello CC,

Good looking site.

As for the database stuff, what are you going to be using? MySQL, Access?
I haven't used ready built scripts for dynamic site development but I believe there are a few out there.

I can say that if you need any help I'm more than happy to help you out. I've not done any photographers sites, but I've done password protected sites for users to view certain files in both ASP and PHP.

Matt

[Charlie Chalk]

Mr Stark sir, I was sort of thinking (hoping ) you might reply!

As of yet the hosting hasn't been sorted. I've used a few different hosts in the past, but http://www.webfusion.co.uk are the ones I keep going back to. They do both flavours of hosting, linux being the cheaper of the two.

I have a leaning towards the php/mySQL but only because of cost.

Its something I've been telling myself I need to get my head round for a while, but never realy had a site that warrants it.

So, the sand pit is completley empty at the moment and I can even choose what colour sand I'd like in it! Any advice you can give would be greatley appreciated.

CC

[Charlie Chalk]

Thanks for the offer Rokkstar, I may well take you up on it.

My programming skills aren't great, I can usualy do what I need to, but it takes a while with a very much trial and error approach.

CC

[MHD]

take a look at http://gallery.sourceforge.net

[gstark]

Charlie,

Cost should be last of your worries. After all, it's your client who's going to be paying the ogoing site costs, to the hosts, of course.

But that should largely be upon your recomendation.

Let's go back a step, and look at the sandpit you currently have to play in. In order to do the development, you need to have an environment. At our place we have both flavours of os, but all of the webhosting here is handled under Linux.

To help us in that regard, I can set up test environments on the production servers, or I can boot up the old server, and use that in either a production or a test capacity. Do you get the feeling we have too many computers at home?

Brings me back to the question: how will you be doing the development and testing? What facilities to have at hand? Or will you be playing on the host site, behind a closed door?

What is background regarding programming in general? As you move into the realm of MSSQL (Access will probably become MSSQL within this context) or MySQL, you'll need to have - or acquire - a knowledge of programming. A Windoze based solution will probably lead you down the path of ASP, but I suspect that PHP might be a better and more flexible, not to mention easier to learn, solution.

If you have access to a webserver - even IIS on your Windoze box - grab a copy of PHP and MySQL for the OS under which your webserver runs, and then go to Devshed and start looking at their samples. They even have a fully blown shopping cart app, IIRC, but that will still require a fair bit of customisation on your end.

But start there, and start playing with some of their samples. You'll hopefully be productive before the end of the day.

And yes, I'm serious about that !

[xorl]

Using a database will provide more flexibility in your design but it increases complexity and overhead. Depending on what you want to achieve you may not need to use a database.

A simple set up might be a script which allows the photographer to upload the image files to a client specific directory within his webspace. The script can automatically generate thumbnails etc. The website can limit clients to their own directory by using Apache's htaccess mechanisms, this could be managed through a custom web interface. Another custom PHP script can provide a friendly interface for the client to view their photos.

Hope this helps.

[Charlie Chalk]

how will you be doing the development and testing? What facilities to have at hand? Or will you be playing on the host site, behind a closed door?

I have an old PII siting around doing nothing here, it runs Win98 2nd edition, so I believe it has the Personal Web Server on it. I've been thinking about connecting that back up to our network and using as a testing box.

I've just finished working on a large site with a database programmer, it was built using ASP.NET, I did all the pretty stuff, he did all the back end stuff. It was a right royal pain in the arse having to upload all my pages to the server before I could see how they looked! With that in mind I'd like to test localy if poss.

What is background regarding programming in general?

I have 'dabbled' in PHP, but never realy needed to use it so haven't gone too far with it. Access and relational databases I have an understanding of (for use in a work/office enviroment).

The bit that gets me thinking it could be out of my league is not the setting up of the database, more the making sure it won't break, making sure I have coded it so its secure and catching all the possible errors that may happen. With straight HTML I know what could go wrong, and how to cater for it. With databases, in the words of Manuel 'I knowa nothing!' so nasty suprises will be just around the corner!

CC

[a.briggs]

I could also recomend PostgreSQL as a freeware DBMS as it apparently has quite a good GUI for application development. If money is not a major issue I would also recomend using MS SQL Server as the development environment and support tools are very good.

I also think that Oracle may have a free version of their server app but I have found that I personally prefer MSSQL Server to Oracle.

One very important thing you need to aim for is to set the basic table design down very early in design process as once any queries or views are configured it is annoying and paniful to go back and make changes to table structure.

[Greg B]

That site looks great Charlie, well done.

There is a typo on the wedding prices page... Panaramic Option, should be Panoramic

cheers

[Matt. K]

Greg B
You sharp-eyed devel. Never let a spelling mistake go by.

[John H]

Why use a database? Why not leave the images in [relevant] sub-directories? Of course this is assuming the database is for images...

[Charlie Chalk]

Well, two main reasons, first its something I realy need to get my head round (running a site with a databse) and this seemed to be the first time I've come across a possible need to do it.

Second, I'd like to make it a little more managable than putting the images in one folder. I would like to have larger versions of the image apear when the small one in the gallery is clicked, if I did this with just html (and javascript) and there were 20 images on the page it would get a bit messy.

But mainly its because I like to play with new stuff and when better to do it than when someone else is paying for the hosting/my time!

Just sat here watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with Beer and posting on the D70Users Forum - class!

CC PS - Greg, thanks for spotting the typo, soon as TRHPS is finished I'll get it sorted.

[rokkstar]

Charlie mate,

That is UNCANNY!!
I'm listening to the Rocky Horror soundtrack eating cold pizza!

Coolio

Matt

[Charlie Chalk]

I was going to finish this beer the go off to bed (its 10 past midnight here), but Rocky Horror just came on so I thought I'd relive my youth and watch it again!

"Lets do the time warp again.......!!"

Transvestite has just unveiled Rocky - "The Sword of damaclease is hanging over my head.......oh wo is me!"

Time for another bear me thinks!

[rokkstar]

That does it, I'm going to go and buy the DVD today.

"don't get strung out, by the way I look, don't judge a book by its cover.
I'm not much of a man, by the light of day, but by night I'm one hell of a lover"

Magnificent.

Have a few cold ones for me mate.

[Charlie Chalk]

At the risk of sounding realy weard (village idiot??)...

"t t t t t t touch me, I want to be dirty, creature of the night!"

Have a few cold ones for me mate.

If you insist!

MHD - The Sourceforge Gallery thingy looks very interesting, specialy with the shopping cart mod, have you used it?

CC