Re: Documents Database - HELP

On 6/21/06 10:51 AM, "Christo Romberg" <coromberg(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

> I'm interested in creating a document database for my personal documents. I
> use different operating systems (UNIX/Linux, Windows XP). Using PostgreSQL,
> Apache HTTP Server, and PHP I could create a cross-platform solution.
> I'm a newbie to PostgreSQL, web servers, and PHP and would really need some
> help and guidelines for getting this done.
>
> HERE ARE THE DESIRED FEATURES:
> The document database (with the files) would mainly be based on an external
> hard drive. I have two computers that would be the "clients", and the
> external harddrive would be the "server". I'd like to store the files in the
> filesystem on the external drive, and therefore be able to edit the content
> of the files.
> I'd like to access and manage the files through a web interface. When I'd
> connect
> the hard drive through an USB-port, the "frontpage" would appear in one of
> the "clients" web browsers.

An external hard disk will not run software. That has to run on a computer.

> To add new records/files to the documents database, I would use different
> forms depending on the information type (not the extension of the file) of
> the document.
> A very important feature would also be to browse the content of the database
> (the files). I would like to use the values from a category coulmn from
> within the database. to view the files in an hierarchical tree.
> The database would also have to be capable of deleting records from the
> database. When you'd delete a record you could choose to also delete the
> file in the filesystem. Updating a record would in the future also be
> neccessary.
> A search function would be necessery in the nearest future, with the ability
> to search in different fields.

You will have to design your database to allow you to search what you want.

> TECHNLOGIES AND SOFTWARE:
> First off, what software and technologies would I need? I already know that
> I would want to use the PostgreSQL database to store information/metadata
> about the files in different fields.
> I´ve heard that you can store the PATH to a file in the filesystem with
> PostgreSQL. Does anyone know how it can be done (eg. what data type to use)?

Store as a simple text field if you are simply storing the URI.

> . I would also like to be able to create different metadata schemas/tables
> to classify different documents. When adding a new record (document) to the
> database you could choose which one to use.
> I would probably need a web server of some kind. I've tested the
> Apache HTTP Server, and it seems very good.

> I'd probably need the PHP language to write the pages and letting the user
> (me) to create, view, modify, delete etc. records in the database.
> Would I need something else?

This is really non-trivial.

> Any guidelines and help would be very much appreciatet. Perhaps some example
> scripts..

What you are describing is actually a fairly involved project--scripts
aren't going to do it here. If you haven't used PHP, postgres, or apache
before, I think you will probably have some serious learning to do before
you can accomplish your task. There are numerous books out there on
building database-backed web applications using php. Pick one up and learn
from it.