Pre-Workshop Hands-on Lecture/Demo

Technologies for Building Interactive, Database-Driven Web Applications: Features, Frustrations and Foibles

Sharon E. Dennis, M.S.

University of Utah

Abstract:

Everyone agrees that the best way to create and maintain Web site content and interactive Web applications is to build dynamic Web pages linked to a database. The question is, which technology to use to accomplish this? If you're confused by the alphabet soup of dynamic Web technologies (ASP? JSP? PHP?) then attend this workshop to help you decide which technology is right for you. (If you'd like to learn how to code ASP's, see the pre-workshop "Introduction to ASP: Building Interactive, Database-Driven Web Applications.")

The workshop leader will:

Compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages three dynamic Web server technologies: Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Page (JSP), and PHP.
Explore various options for the back-end database to hold your content, depending on the type of content, your platform, technical expertise and how much traffic you expect to generate.
Discuss experiences with graphical tools that claim to make it easier to generate dynamic Web pages without programming.
Demonstrate a small application using all three technologies.

Prerequisites:

Familiarity with basic Web terminology (Web server, browser, URL, etc.)

Benefit in Attending Session:

Participants will learn how to sort through a variety of technologies for creating fresh, interactive content on the Web. By the end of the workshop, they will be able to evaluate which technology is right for their particular situation.

PRIMARY AUTHOR'S INFORMATION

Sharon E. Dennis, M.S.

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Health Sciences Center

University of Utah

10 North 1900 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Telephone Number: 801-585-3928

Fax Number: 801-581-3632

E-mail Address: sdennis@lib.med.utah.edu

Web Site: http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/

CO-AUTHORS' INFORMATION