Re: Getting started - Interfacing questions

Thanks for the reply. This is my first _reply_ to the list, and IIUC,
this list advocates replying to both the list and individual. If I'm in
error, please let me know.

On Sun, Mar 06, 2005 at 07:20:25AM -0500, Sean Davis wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David" <dbree(at)duo-county(dot)com>
> To: <pgsql-novice(at)postgresql(dot)org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 2:07 AM
> Subject: [NOVICE] Getting started - Interfacing questions

> >The question I've not yet been able to satisfactorily answer - I suppose
> >I could answer it myself with enough experimentation, but would appreciate
> >a little jump-start if possible - is the correct interfacing method. As
> >I said, it appears that psql _may_ give me all I need, but what is the
> >normal approach to operating a database? Are real databases actually
> >run from psql, or is it better to develop a front-end to the whole
> >setup? One note, in my case, what I'm developing is strictly
> >single-user. If need be, I could do my inserts straight from the SQL
> >command, although a forms-type interface (as I have in my current setup)
> >would be nice.
>
> While only a single user, you might find building a web-based interface
> straightforward, and you can modify the "look and feel" quite easily,
> because HTML is built for just that.

This seems like a very good idea. I think I have another reply from
someone else who suggested php, (a quite similar idea, right?). So
perhaps this would be a good idea. FWIW, with my current application,
I'm using groff to do the formatting.

> If I were you, I would build a
> "business logic" component, allowing for querying, inserting, updating,
> deleting. Once you have the interface to the database, you can build a
> controller for the application.

With the above and below suggestions, I take it you suggest building the
interfacing into two separate modules, so to speak.. one for inputting
and one for outputting. For the above, would it be best to create an
app or could all this be done from within psql, or another tool?

> Finally, you can use a tool for generating
> views of the data. I use perl and find Class::DBI a good start for the
> data model, CGI::application for the controller, and Template::Toolkit (all
> available from http://search.cpan.org)

> There are numerous other posts
> with different answers recently. Try searching for GUI or forms in the
> archives.

Yes, I have many of them archived for future reference. At this time, I
have to take it slowly because many of the concepts are still a bit
vague to me, and I'll have to gain a bit more familiarity before it all
becomes clear.