ASP.NET integration with WYSIWYG web interface?

Question

I have used a variety of WYSIWYG web builders before. I now have a new website that I would like to create that is a bit beyond my skill set. The website will need to have some kind of IDX plugin or interface for real estate listings. There are a ton of different options out there for this. However mine will also - ideally - display microsoft access based forms and reports on specific pages. I'll need to design how the forms & reports are displayed. A plugin would be fine. My understanding is that Access can interface with the web through asp.net as long as the db is hosted in the cloud. I also have a mail chimp account that should be connected with the same site. I would like to know if anyone with more technical knowledge than myself can make any recommendations as to how to pull these pieces together and if I should ask any specific hosting or servicing questions as I do my research. Many thanks!

Answer 1

Well, a c# program (non web) can connect to sql server. A c# program or a foxPro, or even a vb program can connect to MS-access.

And a web site can connect to sql server, or MS-access.

However, in ALL of these cases, we talking about a program interface that allows one to read the tables as a database.

Access has two parts. The database part. This part can be consumed by c++, asp.net (web site), FoxPro, V6, vb.net and just about ANY development set of tools that supports the MS-Access ODBC drivers.

However, you can't call MS-Access "just" a database. MS-Access includes two parts:

The database part (this is the database engine). This ONLY allows you to open the database table(s) and work with the data. So VB6, or FoxPro, or vb.net can thus read + use MS-Access as the database. However, this has ZERO to do with code, queries, forms, and reports written in MS-Access.

So, when someone decides to use SQL server + a web site? Then you have use of the tables and can submit sql to the database engine. That database engine might be Oracle, or MySQL, or SQL server or MS-Access data engine (ACE/JET). However in all of these cases, you not using VBA code from MS-Access nor are you using reports, nor are you using forms.

So, Access ALSO include a IDE and development part. That development part allows you to build a application. But a application has ZERO much to do with a database.

So, while you can use the data from MS-Access and connect to the tables, the forms, the code, the reports have ZERO to do with web devleopment, and thus the forms and code in that Access database can no more be used on the web then can some code written using Turbo-Pascal, FoxPro, VB6 or any other desktop development system. VB6 has ZERO ZERO to do with web development. Foxpro has ZERO ZERO to do with web development. And Access has ZERO ZERO to do with web development.

So you can "use" the data from FoxPro or say the data from MS-Access in a web site, but ZERO OF THE code in such desktop systems can no more be used for the web.

You can no more take desktop code for windows and run it on a Apple II, a iPad, a Android phone, or run such code in a web site. They are about as different between a bicycle and a helicopter.

So the ONLY part you can use from MS-Access applications written for the desktop part? Answer zero, none, nada!

The only part that you can use from a MS-Access database say in FoxPro? Only the data part - not the code and UI parts.

The only part you can use from a MS-Access database say in VB6? Only the data part - not the code and UI parts.

The only part you can use from a MS-Access database say in VB.NET? Only the data part - not the code and UI parts from MS-Access.

The only part you can use from a MS-Access database say in c++? Only the data part - not the code and UI parts from MS-Access.

The only part you can use from a MS-Access database say in a asp.net web site? Only the data part - not the code and UI parts from MS-Access.

So you are confusing the application part (code, forms, reports) that belongs to a given application. If you going to use a whole new different development system? Then what system in the last 30 years, going all the way back to say software written in Turbo-pascal, c++, VB6, FoxPro or ANY system could you by some magic act use the code and parts from those DIFFERENT application systems in another new application you plan to write?

The answer is ZERO parts!!!

You can no more take code and forms written in say Pascal and expect that code to now run and be used in say VB6, or VB.net.

So, you are most free to move/take/grab/consume the data from MS-Access and use that in a web site. But the code, form, reports etc. written in MS-Access cannot be used for the web, no more then some forms and code you wrote in BASIC for your Apple II can be used on the web.

The only part you can move in a automated fashion from MS-Access applications is the data part - not the code part.

You can no more take BASIC code and forms from a c++ program and shove them into say an MS-Access application you plan to write.

So, you MUST distinguish between the data parts of a given application, and that of the UI and forms and code. In general, since the VERY first personal computer came out, this MOST basic and fundamental concept? Code for one application and system cannot be salvaged, used, nor converted in some automated fashion.

If you want to move code from c++ to MS-Access? You have to re-code and re-write that code.

And if you want to move code from MS-Access to c++? You have to re-code and re-write that code.

And if you want to move code, forms, logic, reports from MS-Access to some other new platform - say like some new set of web development tools? Once again, this a manual process, and it been that way since the very first computer came out!!!

so there are a gazillion web development platforms. More platforms exist then there are flavors of ICE cream. You have to go and find one you like, or one that suits your fancy, or what that maybe you took a few courses. However, not knowing your past experience, and ALSO that outright recommendations of software product X or product Y goes against the code of conduct on StackOverflow. And this is a good thing since then these boards would be swamped and over-run with people selling their wares and products here as opposed to a community that helps developers answer coding and development questions based on a particular tool or platform.