What's the simple solution to DB retrieval? 1

[hohriver]

Here's the deal: I have a 'mock-up' order template online (see at:

http://www.affairs-chocolate.com/TechnoPrimitiv_Site/testtemplate_two.htm)

which is 2/3 of the way to where I want it to be: it sends a reply to the web browser/user, and it emails a copy of the data submitted.
It fails to keep hidden most of the 'hidden' fields, but that's another sidebar issue...
What I absolutely am stuck with is both how to STORE the submitted data, and then how to RETRIEVE the stored data?
'Matt's Script Archives' in the formmail.pl template comments makes it sound like a simple matter of creating a '.dat' file. That didn't work at all for me. I suspect it needs to be a .txt file, but I don't know how to go about this? I've read through six PERL/CGI manuals trying to find relevant passages of how to accomplish this...and guess what? All six have different techniques, and each seems increasingly more complex than the other! Form DB modules I would need to download to using Perl to call up MySQL or Oracle or Access....??
I'm still thinking there is a simpler route. Anyone know one?

 

[MikeLacey]

By far the simplest way of storing data is in a text file, but it does have some disadvantages.

After a while, when you've accumulated a lot of data, it will go sloooo

http://wwwwwlly.

It's difficult to neatly change just the one record, or delete one record.

There's a fairly good database access package called the DBI which I'm happy to reccomend to you. It works over Access, Oracle, MySQL - and a lot of other databases.

If you already have Oracle you could be up and running with the DBI in a few minutes. If you're running from a PC then using Access tables is easy as well.

There's a Tek-Tips FAQ faq219-390 that you should have a look at. Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com
Email welcome if you're in a hurry or something -- but post in tek-tips as well please, and I will post my reply here as well.