EXCEL AND WEB FRONT END

[kristie ann]

Hi,
I was wondering is there any way that data from a web front end can be saved directly to an excel spreadsheet, instead of to a database. If so, can the same security features be incorporated?
Thank You
Kristie

[santeria]

What access to you have to the web server, and are you doing your own web site programming ?

What you are after is most definitely possible. It's just that, if you have root access to the Web Server, then you can do it yourself, or you can get someone to implement something for you.

I know I found a web site for people who implement this kind of project, can't find it right now...

Okay, take a look at this site

http://www.jedox.com/

And see if they provide what you want.

[kristie ann]

Hey santeria
Yes I am doing my own web programming and also have access to the web server. My initial thoughts on how to get around this problem was to use a macro to export everything from an access database to excel but I don't know is this the best approach???

I don't need to store that many details from the web so the most simple approach works for me - I am mainly interested in using excel for quering purposes.

Thanks

[santeria]

Okay, cool.
What Web Editor (if any) are you using, and can you do asp pages ?
Also, now I think of it, are you using a css page to load your info?

[kristie ann]

Hopefully I will be using either Dreamweaver or if not then basic Microsoft Frontpage. I will also be using asp and hope to have external css.

Does this pose extra problems??
Thanks

[santeria]

No.
Personally, I found DreamWeaver more of a programmers item.
frontpage 2002 has some neat attachments to it.
If you want certain reports on Activity on your site, then Frontpage 2002 can do that.
The question is, will it extract the info you want?

The reports FP 2002 generates are usually all in Excel or Excel Compatible.

an asp page has been the best way to run data to and from a secured data source. I don't know how the current trendy php pages work, but if what you are putting up is framed using css standard tricks, then any asp connections should make things pretty easy, and very secure... and especially if you have root server access. The data going there will be almost unassailable if you have the links right.

I don't have my copy of FP 2002 running at home. And I don't have it here, but Excel should be just the trick for data coming from your front-end.

About the only problem I could think of is if you don't have a direct link to the server, and if you have to ftp your files to the server .

Also, I was trying to recall what some Web admins I know do to send info back to the back-end of the server... and One person uses what I think is Java or Perl Script, I forget what is was because I always query her about the cookies and popups she does.
A more advanced Web programmer uses people who develop java beans which I understood is a way to securely traffic info to the Backend. However, My guess was that you probably don't do Java beans since most of the people doing that kind of work have people who do the web Framework for them.

The only other Web Admin guy I knew was a Linux Maniac... he added text based changes to something like 10,000 pages of material.
He maintained that this kind of administration was only possible on a Linux Box.

He also ran Windows ( or what he called "Windoze") in a VM platform inside the Linux system, a system he claimed never shut down, and was only ever rebooted when Memory propagation from Games run from a sub-system was occurring.

Hopefully I will be using either Dreamweaver or if not then basic Microsoft Frontpage. I will also be using asp and hope to have external css.

Does this pose extra problems??
Thanks

[kristie ann]

Hey santeria ,
Thanks a million for your response. You have been a great help. No doubt I'll be posting some more queries up here as I get underway with the project.
Thanks
Kristie Ann