Hi, I have an SQl database that i want to build a simple search query for that would be accessible from an HTML page, what would be the best way of going about this? and what would be the best language to use?

Thanks in advance

You are either going to thank me or hate me for this answer.

You have two things to consider.

1 - Where the code will run
2 - What the code will run on

1 - Where the code will run: Server-side or client-side?

For example: HTML is client side because it runs on your client's (Visitor's) computer where as PHP is Server side because it runs on the server and sends HTML to the Client (visitor)

As you DB will be on your server you will want to run your code on the server too.

2 - What the code will run on: Windows or Linux?

Your web space is stored on a hard drive of some server somewhere and that server is useing an operating system the same as all other computers. Most are Linux but some are windows.

This is only important because of the choice of languages.

Linux: Perl, PHP, JavaScript, Java, C and a bunch or shell languages if you are lucky with MySQL

Windows: ASP, VBScript, Javascript, FrontPage with MS-SQLserver or Access or MySQL

it more or less boils down to PHP v ASP.

PHP and it's buddies (the languages used) are generally more powerfull, more secure (apparently) and a bitch to learn quickly.

ASP runs basicly VBscript and it is simple (based as it is on Visual BASIC), it is less powerfull but still does the job, security is not a big issue and you can learn it faster.

However all that means diddle-do-day if your host doesn't support the technology. So if all you have is Geo-cities you have doobs-chance of getting anything to work.

As you have a (MS?) SQL DB I am assuming your stuck with windows. This means spam loads of ads or paying for it. English hosts charge about £8 a month and US hosts tend to be about the same $8 a month for your asp and database support. www.Brinkster.com www.fasthost.co.uk www.1and1.co.uk are all good and competitivly priced. the first one used to do free no ads hosting but stopped.

One last bit of advice stear clear of MS-FrontPage if you start down that road you will get very stuck sooner or later because no one in the developing business will touch it will a ten foot barge-pole.

Wow, first of all let me say thank you for such an ordered and helpful response. I am using a windows system with an available server so it looks like I will be using ASP to do this, yes the SQL db I am using is a microsoft one. Luckily the company I work for own all the software and stuff so I don't have to pay any nasty fees. In the past I have only used Java servlets and JSP with SQL databases so it looks like I'm going to have to teach myself ASP for this one. Again thanks for the advice Matt_T_hat

Not a problem, glad to help.

With ASP you get the choice of different script languages to use but if you want good support try to work with VBscript or Javascript.