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Open Source Database Driven Web Development: A guide for information professionals

Isaac Dunlap, Western Illinois University Libraries, USA

Chandos Information Professional Series

…will provide just the kind of combined strategy, technological advice and practical coding examples to help get such projects under way and completed, even by non-specialists.
Program

…a very useful book, covering many different open Source issues. I would definitely recommend this book.
Ruth Rikowski, London Southbank Univerity, UK

The book is approachable, and so can be useful to both novice and the more experienced.
Ruth Rikowski, London Southbank Univerity, UK

 - introduces popular Open Source database tools (MySQL/PHP) and basic development skills, bringing database driven technology within the reach of any web developer
 - explores strategies for improving content management, web publishing and information access
 - uses non-technical language and presents seven university library web database case studies
 - gives practical guidance and clear direction to make websites more interactive

Almost every organization seeks a simple means of managing, publishing and/or providing searchable web access to information. Written by a knowledgeable web developer, this book demonstrates the simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and versatility of designing database driven web applications with Open Source resources. Case studies of ‘real world’ implementations address both theoretical aspects and practical considerations of developing applications with the easy-to-use PHP scripting language and powerful MySQL relational database. Project organization and design issues are considered along with basic coding examples, accessibility standards and implementation advice.

Readership: Library science and information professionals engaged in web development and information management. The book will be of interest to instructors, webmasters, database developers, content managers, and other practitioners.

£42.50 / US$70.00 / €50.00

£62.50 / US$105.00 / €75.00

An e-book version of this title is available to purchase as part of a Collection or Pick n Mix. Visit Chandos Publishing Online

About the author

Isaac Hunter Dunlap is an experienced web developer who has created numerous database driven applications with Open Source technology. He is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Information Systems at Western Illinois University Libraries.

Titles which may also be of interest:
Library Web Ecology
User-Centred Library Websites
Web Information Management

Contents

Weighty worlds of wonder: whats, whys and wherefores of the Web
 - The twin perils of our time
 - Effective stage management
 - Notes

The open source movement
 - The rise of UNIX
 - Evolving environments
 - A dynasty unravels
 - For whom the bell tolls
 - A moral imperative
 - Free software re-imagined
 - Summary
 - Notes

Six reasons to consider open source
 - Stability and improvements
 - Standards
 - Scalability
 - Portability
 - Cost effectiveness
 - Access
 - Other considerations
 - Notes

The database driven web
 - Static vs. database driven
 - New possibilities
 - Big believers
 - Seven reasons for pursuit
 - Seven excuses for delay
 - Summary
 - Notes

Building block I: cascading style sheets
 - Web services platforms
 - Cascading style sheets
 - Notes

Building block II: PHP
 - Driving the data
 - Basic coding principles
 - Summary
 - Notes

Building block III: relational databases
 - Database definitions
 - Flat-file versus relational databases
 - Summary
 - Notes

Building block IV: database design and normalisation
 - Database normalisation
 - First normal form
 - Second normal form
 - Third normal form
 - Notes

Building block V: MySQL
 - Getting started
 - The login process
 - Creating a database
 - Granting permissions
 - Creating tables
 - Inserting data
 - Updating data
 - Deleting data
 - Indexing columns
 - Summary
 - Notes

Standards and accessibility
 - Accessibility standards
 - Compliance: ethical and professional issues
 - Compliance: business issues
 - Compliance: legal issues
 - Summary
 - Notes

In pursuit of accessibility
 - Applying major web standards
 - Automated HTML/XHTML validation
 - CSS validation
 - Accessibility validation
 - Notes

Web development planning
 - Identify resources
 - Build a web team
 - Know your content
 - Brainstorming and envisioning
 - Discover ‘what’s out there’
 - Find out ‘what people think’
 - Evaluate
 - Study your current site
 - Make decisions and continuously circle back
 - Draft demos
 - Circle back, again
 - Software and web engineering
 - Summary
 - Notes

The dynamic duo
 - Making the connection
 - Querying the database
 - Summary
 - Notes

The indispensable function
 - Jeffersonian functions
 - Summary
 - Notes

Database driven web applications
 - Pulling it all together
 - Sending commands with forms and variables
 - Adding entries
 - Editing entries
 - Viewing entries
 - Deleting entries
 - Keyword searching
 - Summary

Case studies
 - Case study 1: A database driven website
 - Case study 2: A web content management system
 - Case study 3: A searchable online database
 - Case study 4: A digital object management system
 - Case study 5: A searchable URL database
 - Case study 6: A link management system
 - Case study 7: A database management system