Calling images from a local database?

[laurencefwhite]

I want to develop a CD-ROM architectural walkthrough using html as a front end and calling a database of photos. I want image maps (up, down, left, right etc) to be produced on the fly according to the parameters recorded in the database for each image (in particular, what linked photos there exist and in which direction). I don't know how to pass calls to a local (not server-side) database that would be on the CD-ROM. I also don't want users of the CD-ROM to need to instal Access. I have Access 2000 and would much prefer not to have to hard-code all the parameters in Javascript. The reason I want to use HTML is I don't want to be stuck in 800 * 600 land or anywhere specific. I also want a solution I can generalise to other photoshoots easily. Anyone with similar experiences please be in touch.

[Bcoons]

If I'm not mistaken, you can pretty much run a website entirely off of a CD (provided it doesn't include server-side compenents like CGI or ASP). Build the site like you would a normal site, and make the database an Access database (users don't need to have Access installed if the website does all of the database accessing). Just use Javascript to code all of the database work and make all of your links relative links (i.e. Data\database.mdb, NOT E:\Data\database.mdb) and I think you'll be ok.

Hope I've helped :)

[khalidali63]

Interesting...

How do you plan to get images from Access DB using JavaScript?,
pardon my ignorance on Access front.

Khalid

[laurencefwhite]

Well if the access db was server-side then I could use CGI or similar (I think - I've never done it) to get the browser to talk to it. But I don't quite understand how to set up a CGI or SQL "server" running locally off a CD-ROM or indeed to bypass that altogether. Hence my posting.:confused:

[Bcoons]

The access database could easily hold an image file name, as well as the map parameters you want to use. You can use client side scripts (i.e. Javascript or VBScript) within your webpages that will access the database and produce what you want it to. You might want to look into Javascript or VBScript code examples of how to connect to a database (I don't have it available to me right now) :)

[Scriptage]

You have another option that doesn't use access. XML is a programming language that acts like database if used in the correct way. The data in an XML database can easily be accessed using Javascript and is compatible with most modern browsers.
If you are interested in this method e-mail me at batesy1986@hotmail.com .
Alternatively go to micrsofts code library at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp, if you can do it, it should be there. I think, however, that accessing an access database is beyond the capability of Javascript, it might be possible with VB but I'm not certain.
Regards

[khalidali63]

Thats what I wanted to know that how JavaScript will access the Access DB?.
Since JavaScript can not access from a client browser to any type of database let alone Access.
XML sounds like a good solution to me as well,and there is no need of database and it can be run from a cd rom or any media that supports a browser (in most cases)

[laurencefwhite]

I believe that Access for XP will export xml files - but I ain't got it. Anyone know of a freeware xml database editor? Or should I just use a text editor??

[khalidali63]

I don't like to use WYSIWYG's but I have known that XMLSpy actually lets you do something like that,
a better editor will be XMLWriter

Khalid

[laurencefwhite]

Thanks a lot guys, I'm off to do some homework...