Dear Richard,

I would like to link my Access database to the Web. Essentially, my users should be able to upload/edit their data onto the internet. They should then be able to view reports or do analysis of the data anywhere...i mean without carrying a copy of the database. As i watched the Web Syschronisation seminar (i had a one run through the videos), i realised i needed a more solid foundation in ASP or Front Page. Which of these two would you recommend for me? By the way, do i have to buy these two software separately and install on my laptop?

All the way from Kampala, I wish you a blessed 2011!

MICAH

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Reply from Richard Rost:

Micah, FrontPage is a web editing program. It's used to design your HTML pages, but doesn't really give you much as far as PROGRAMMING goes. Use this for your page layout, editing your web, and so on. (Note: FrontPage is now called "Expression Web" by Microsoft).

ASP, on the other hand, is a programming language. It's what you use to actually DO STUFF with your web to make it smart. You can use ASP to connect to your back-end Access database.

So to answer your question, if you HAVE FrontPage and want to learn how to use it to edit your web pages more effectively, start with that. I'll be updating my courses for Expression Web in a few months. The two are very similar, but of course leave it to Microsoft to make a bunch of interface changes.

ASP hasn't changed much over the past 10 years, but they have added a bunch of new "stuff" to it. Now, ASP.NET is the latest version. I personally prefer using Classic ASP for most small or mid-sized web sites. It's the easiest to learn and will get you up and running quickly. ASP.NET has a lot of extra powerful features that most people will never need to use. But, yes, I will be updating my ASP courses to include ASP.NET later on as well. Everything you learn NOW however, with ASP, will carry over to ASP.NET.

I hope this answers your question. Take care.