MySQL/PHP Driven Home Inventory?

[67comet]

Hello, long time *nix'er (about 5 years via several distros) but not so hot with PHP or MySQL. I've recently started using MySQL a lot for implementation of Wordpress, Joomla, Xoom and an attempt at Plone. Needless to say I love it so far.

My wife recently asked me if I knew how she could catalog her music books (She's a piano teacher). She wants to be able to fire up her browser, hit her web site and search a plethora of ways for books and such. We run her web site (as well as several others) on a box turned server from our home. I am the admin for all that is her site in other words.

I'm not sure what would work as this, but I did just take a Database Concepts course (didn't do well at all) and think she is asking for a prime project for me to delve into building an actual useful tool for her.

Ideas on what a MySQL noob can do?

Thanks much,
Justin

[Wim Sturkenboom]

You need experience with (or need to learn)

html (and to a lesser extent css) to be able to design forms and present data; you might be able to use tools for it (nvu, quanta)
mysql to be able to create databases and tables and compose queries
php to be able to connect to the database and run queries from web pages
web security as you probably don't want the rest of the world to modify the data in the database
apache to get php going (migt already be working because of other things that you have)


Some links:
HTML tutorial (http://www.w3schools.com/html/)
css tutorial (http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp)
Building a Database-Driven Web Site Using PHP and MySQL (http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/ddws/index.html)
PHP MySQL Tutorial (http://www.php-mysql-tutorial.com/)

Take small steps at a time.. Hope this helps

[67comet]

I'll hammer out a few of these. I already admin about 10 sites via my home server so I've got Apache, MySQL, PHP, ProFTPd, Webalizer and Munin running well. I create the databases myself but one of the CMS or Wordpress handles the population for me.

I was just hoping there was an application already out there that I could plug in to what I have, set it up and hand over to the wife.

I may see if Joomla, Xoom or Wordpress can be build upon to get that going.

Thanks again :), I bookmarked the links, they are helpful no matter the need.