# ASP, PHP, Access and stuff.



## Pengu (Mar 10, 2003)

Okie dokie. Im at tafe studying for a Diploma of Networking, and one of the components is "project management"... Anyways. For the major part of project management, I've been tasked with adding extra features to an existing ASP/Access online assessment server thing... Now, I'm working with someone else, as equals, rather than as a leader/helper-monkey situation. Here's the problem... I have no real desire to learn ASP.

The lecturer never intended the system to be server based, but the previous guys did it that way, so i guess we're following their lead. When i asked if we *had*  to use ASP/Access, she said that we can re-code it in another language if we want.. So. Out of all this I guess I have one or two questions...

I have some knowledge of PHP & MySQL, and with the online docs nothing is ever out of the realms of possibility.. but... I have to ask,


How well does the linux tool "asp2php" or whatever it's called work, if at all..
How hard (read: crap) is ASP to learn/use
[/list=1] 

We have until the middle of the year to complete it I guess, so even a complete re-write by hand isnt impossible, given that much of the logic is already done.. And surely there is a tool around to convert access db layouts to mysql, even if it's exporting as a comma delimited file... Anyways. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them.. Keep in mind, I use OSX 10.2.4 at home, and all the computers here at tafe are running WindowsXP, and the local network server is a novell box.

Cheers guys.

Pengu


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## norm (Mar 25, 2003)

here is what I would do if I were you. Install MS RDC on your home Mac so that you can connect remotely to one of the XP boxes. Write your App in ASP.Net using jscript as the language. That way you can avoid the painfull experience of ending lines without semi-colons, having to remember to code an ' end if ' for each 'if', and worst of all- trying to get by without associative arrays. Ahh, the joys of Basic.....

Jscript.net is almost reason to say something nice about Microsoft, 
ALMOST  :-/


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## Pengu (Mar 25, 2003)

Ok. OR. i'll do what i'm doing now, and use php & mysql. Turns out you can't run ASP on Novell Servers without third party software. only people who make any, charge $US995 per CPU. So we're lookin at about $AU1600 - $AU2000. Then remember they want to run it on about 7 different servers. Then remember I already know PHP, and I don't have any plans to learn *another* dodgy microsoft "created" or "enhanced" programming language. And as for conencting to the XP boxes. One. Everything is behind several GOVERNMENT firewalls. Two. Why would i need to connect to a client machine when im making a SERVER based system??


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## norm (Mar 25, 2003)

Right-On. Php is always preferable to ASP in my book. I was under the impression that you were being locked into serving your pages off of one of the boxes currently on the network, and figured that the XP machines would not have PHP installed.

re:

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"..Turns out you can't run ASP on Novell Servers without third party software."

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Why would you be using the network server as a Webserver?

And if you end up putting any OS-X machines into the Novell network, please post the details. I would love to see how it is done.

re:

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"..Why would i need to connect to a client machine when im making a SERVER based system??
"
*************************************************************

I only suggested RDC so that you could  connect to one of the Windows boxes and use .Net to develop the application. That is the way I usually do it, although sometimes I'll just fire up VPC6 and do it in emulation.


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## Pengu (Mar 26, 2003)

Uh. ok.


> Why would you be using the network server as a Webserver?


Because that's what I was told it has to run on.
also..


> And if you end up putting any OS-X machines into the Novell network, please post the details. I would love to see how it is done.


I think it was made quite clear, this is a project I'm doing as part of my diploma. No one get's paid for this, except the lecturers for "teaching" me project management/integration skills. Besides which. It also has to run on about 7 different campus networks. Sure they're conencted by ISDN, but they want to run it locally. Also. ALL state government IT services are handled by EDS. What a great bunch THEY are.


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## TommyWillB (Apr 13, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Pengu _
> *Uh. ok.
> 
> Because that's what I was told it has to run on.
> also..*


Where I come from Project Managers are the ones who make these types of decisions... Of course they have senior managers telling them to do it their way, but ususally that is solved my making a short powerpoint explaining why the executive is wrong and why it would be to their benifit to let the project manager do the project manager's job.::ha::

IMHO, I think you should figure out the requirements indepenantely of whatever the solution ends up being coded in. This is the #1 lession that most rookie project managers fail to understand. Requirements must always come first and must be approved by all stakeholders before picking any technologies or doing any development.



> _Originally posted by Pengu _
> *I think it was made quite clear, this is a project I'm doing as part of my diploma. No one get's paid for this...*


So the good part is that you don't have to deal with a real $ budget, but still you need to plan your time/skill resources carefully. If you find that you need to cut corners, make sure you document what they were and why they were cut. That will make it clear to your teacher that you make real world PM decisions...


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## Pengu (Apr 13, 2003)

Um. Cheers for the whole "In the real world" talk, but that just isnt gonna happen. I will give them exactly what they asked for, not what i would if i were a real PM. Im not planning to BE a project manager, im planning to get a Diploma of IT.


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## TommyWillB (Apr 14, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Pengu _
> *Um. Cheers for the whole "In the real world" talk, but that just isnt gonna happen. I will give them exactly what they asked for, not what i would if i were a real PM. Im not planning to BE a project manager, im planning to get a Diploma of IT. *


Wow!

I hope you don't say it that way when you interview for a job...


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## Pengu (Apr 15, 2003)

Tommy, you obviously have no idea what TAFE is like. When I say, "Its like Uni, but different", i mean that very losely. When they tell you, "You have this semester to complete this project" and you get the requirements/etc 6 weeks late, and then discover you HAVE to re-code the thing for it to work, you don't start thinking about making power point presentations and handing out cups of tea.
And, as I said before. I have no intentions of working as a project manager in any forseeable future. I will avoid it like the plague. Sure, I can organize helper-monkeys and tell them what to do, when. But the continual bull s*** of making reports, etc., s***s me to no end.

Oh and Tommy, I'm not tryna be rude, or nasty, or whatever, I'm just tryna show it the way I see it.


_EDIT: Please refrain from swearing - Captain Code_


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