Searchable Image Database

[jojo]

DISCLAIMER:
I don't know JACK about ASP (or any other database sw) but am willing to learn.

I'm looking to create a Flash site with a 'searchable' image database. I DON'T know where or how to start. I've heard everything from "Good luck", "you need ASP and Access" to "it could be done with Flash5 alone". If anyone can point me in the right direction as to what would be the best way to go with it, any books or sites, I'd greatly appreciate it. When done I'll use the site to publish a bunch a photos I've taken (and done nothing with anyways) for designers, students, 'wallpaper' fans to do with as they please. Getting a good FREE stock photo is a bitch and I just wanna ease the pain ;)

Thanx!

[Jesse]

OK well I wouldn't use ASP or Access because they both require NT Server. I'd use mySQL and PHP which are both FREE and can run on pretty much any server around.

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/programming/php/tutorials/tutorial4.html

That's a great tutorial for those who know nothing about databasese. It also has links to other tutorials solely on database construction, PHP, mySQL, etc. It's a great place to start.
If you create your Flash 5 file, you're not going to be able to import JPGs in real time from a database htough, keep that in mind. You can only import SWFs or use Generator to import GIFs/JPGs on the fly.

Cheers

Jesse

[jojo]

Thanx a lot dude but how bout using Generator and Flash 5? Would you recomend that over PHP and mySQL?
FREE always deserves to be in caps!

[Jesse]

Well when compared to the cost of Access and NT Server, FREE definantly deserves caps.
I don't have any knowlegde of Generator really, as my boss never bought it for me and I'm not going to fork out the very hefty sum just to get it. If you graphics are in JPf format, you might want to use generat, although I think there are other pograms like swift generator which do the conversion and cost a lot less. ultimately if there aren'tt ha many images I would manually do the conversino and keep each as an swf instead of a jpg on my server....

Cheers

Jesse

[jojo]

MySQL and PHP it is then, Thanx again!

[alexcook]

Now, I'm still learning PHP, so this might come out wrong, but can't you create a swf file from PHP code? If so, it would be possible to dynamically generate the swf file that is then feed to flash correct?

[Jesse]

Umm yes and no. I saw that this was possible but I can't remember where I saw it and it wasn't anything flash. Like the extent of it was writing a line of text across a SWF just like PHP can manipulate images and text. It's still a fair while before you'll be doing complicated alphatweens and actionscript via PHP.

Cheers

Jesse

[alexcook]

Which isn't what I would need PHP to do... all I would want it to do is take a GIF or JPG, and convert it to a one fram swf and that swf is what is dynamically called from the Flash file that doesn't access PHP at all.. PHP would just be used to batch create those one frame swf files basically...

-ALEX

[Jesse]

Oh I see, like a PHP form of generator. You might actually have something there, I think you can do that sort of thing, but alas I can't find the site where I saw the PHP SWF creation in my history

Sorry

Jesse

[alexcook]

http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.swf.php

:)

I found it last night, and am still looking..

now, with Macromedia's recent purchase of Allaire, makers of ColdFusion, think we'll finally get an easy Generator? ;)

[jojo]

Thanx to both of you for the nfo! Hopefully next time I post it'll be so you all can check the site! hehe, doubt it... Thanx again!
jºjº...