Thread: Advice for first attempt at web-based database app.
It finally happened. I became overwhelmed managing accounts and passwords for all the users and services used in my organization. I've created a postgresql database: one table, approximately 100 rows and growing, and 6 columns. Postgresql ver. 9.5.4. on Fedora 24. I can do simple sql commands from the psql terminal to view, update, and add information to the database. I would like to continue developing the database and interact with it via browser. I have no experience with web development and currently do not know any programming languages; but, I'm familiar with many sysadmin duties and general networking. For now, I would like to start with apache's httpd server hosted locally on my linux workstation, but don't know what other parts and pieces are needed to make a simple web-based database app. I'm looking into javascript for its flexibility and brevity; but, I'm not sure what other software I need to communicate with the database and secure the data when I choose to make it accessible from the internet at some point in the future. What would you suggest to a beginner to build what I've described? Thank you for your suggestions and advice. Mike
On Thursday 17 November 2016 14:02:22 Mike wrote: > I would like to continue developing the database and interact with it > via browser. > I have no experience with web development and currently do not know > any programming languages; but, I'm familiar with many sysadmin duties > and general networking. > > For now, I would like to start with apache's httpd server hosted > locally on my linux workstation, but don't know what other parts and > pieces are needed to make a simple web-based database app. > > I'm looking into javascript for its flexibility and brevity; but, I'm > not sure what other software I need to communicate with the database > and secure the data when I choose to make it accessible from the > internet at some point in the future. > > What would you suggest to a beginner to build what I've described? > > Thank you for your suggestions and advice. > 1) Pick the language you want to work in. 2) Find a web framework that uses that language. Ie. Laravel or CakePHP if you choose PHP (lots of options for PHP), or Django for Python, or Rails if you choose Ruby. You can even use Node.js if you really want to use Javascript. 3) Start with intro tutorials and build pages as needed. Add language tutorials as needed. 4) Never ever expose it to the public Internet. It takes years and serious dedicated effort to learn enough about web security to build something that can be safely exposed to the modern Internet. A good framework can help you avoid a lot of potential mistakes (ie. simple SQL injections), but certainly not all. Keep it behind your VPN.
Alan, Thanks very much for your response. Picking a language...so difficult . . . I've procrastinated on this point for a long time . . . enjoying lengthy superstar programmer tirades on the virtues or entropy of this language vs. that one. Definitely appreciate the words of caution under #4. Mike On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 2:27 PM, Alan Hodgson <ahodgson@lists.simkin.ca> wrote: > On Thursday 17 November 2016 14:02:22 Mike wrote: >> I would like to continue developing the database and interact with it >> via browser. >> I have no experience with web development and currently do not know >> any programming languages; but, I'm familiar with many sysadmin duties >> and general networking. >> >> For now, I would like to start with apache's httpd server hosted >> locally on my linux workstation, but don't know what other parts and >> pieces are needed to make a simple web-based database app. >> >> I'm looking into javascript for its flexibility and brevity; but, I'm >> not sure what other software I need to communicate with the database >> and secure the data when I choose to make it accessible from the >> internet at some point in the future. >> >> What would you suggest to a beginner to build what I've described? >> >> Thank you for your suggestions and advice. >> > > 1) Pick the language you want to work in. > > 2) Find a web framework that uses that language. Ie. Laravel or CakePHP if you > choose PHP (lots of options for PHP), or Django for Python, or Rails if you > choose Ruby. You can even use Node.js if you really want to use Javascript. > > 3) Start with intro tutorials and build pages as needed. Add language > tutorials as needed. > > 4) Never ever expose it to the public Internet. It takes years and serious > dedicated effort to learn enough about web security to build something that > can be safely exposed to the modern Internet. A good framework can help you > avoid a lot of potential mistakes (ie. simple SQL injections), but certainly > not all. Keep it behind your VPN. > > > -- > Sent via pgsql-novice mailing list (pgsql-novice@postgresql.org) > To make changes to your subscription: > http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-novice