33 replies to this topic

[taita cakes]

Allright, here we go again.

Basically, as one of my contributions, im soon to be working on a much talked about [earlier] NIC Database. This will be created in Flash MX, and, as a result, look pretty nifty. I know my stuff, and know how to source to an external text document, but can this be done with Databases created using Access or similar?


I'm not too strong with my action script, in other words, i pretty much know jack. I use the dynamic text method to source to a text file but i want to know if i can source from queries and sections of an online Database, such as tallies of NIC members and number of users in the certain locale. I wont go into too much detail because it is a lost cause if nobody here uses much flash and coding. But feel free to decipher my rambling post and get back to me.

[Death]

Flash is not the right tool for a database. In fact, Flash has nothing to do with a good database.

If you are serious about this, your best bet is to set up a GNU/Linux server running Apache and MySQL, buy a book about utilizing MySQL, and then spend a hell of a lot of time designing your database so that it doesn't suck.

If, on the other hand, you are not serious about this and planned on creating an "International Nerfer Database" as something of a pet project to do in your spare time, then I suggest you pick up your keyboard and smash it against your own face until such time as your "Database" is completed.

[Death]

Hehehe, I just read back my own reply, and I may have been a bit harsh (I sometimes get annoyed with people who think Flash and VisualBasic are real programming... Granted, I started to learn with those tools, as well, but they are horribly inefficient for anything of use).

Ummmm... So I guess this is both an apology and a reiteration of sorts. Sorry I was harsh, learn more about computers.

[taita cakes]

*picks up keyboard and beats himself in the face with it*

This was a pet project, and now i sort of get the drift.

I never said that i thought VB and ActionScript were any form of real programming, in fact, i mentioned that my knowledge of Flash was piss-weak, so don't blame me for your incorrect assumptions.

I've had a thorough look at this project, and in its first form, it will be ugly and arduous, and certainly not in any way popular amongst you self-titled coding elites.

In my retort, ill let the evidence speak for itself . . . Click here . . .

There are some pretty big statements there...

Sorry I was harsh, learn more about computers.

*Ahem* Kiss my ass . . .

Edited by taita_cakes, 06 June 2004 - 05:43 AM.

[Alexthebeast]

Death doesnt kiss anybody's ass, you dueshe. If you want to do data bases and externals, just open the flash coding in notepad, and add some iframe scripts & php scripts.

Edited by Alexthebeast, 06 June 2004 - 03:46 PM.

[seirus]

I quote eddie murphy, "Man, what happened to the good old days when kids would just grow pot in their garage?" Why not take on a realistic undertaking. Like, per se, an electronic bottle opener (ooh, lazy electronics)

[Zero Talent]

You guys do realize that this database is going to have, at extreme most, 1000 text entries, perhaps totalling 50 bytes a piece... Perfectly managable with something unsuited as flash. I doubt he'll need to throw together a database server in order to serve what others have quasi-completed with merely a textfile.

The hard part is going to be gaining the neccessary information, not building the information representation. Hell, I'd settle for a definitive, regularily upkept html file. You can always just scan the text entries with a simple find-in-page search, after all.

However, it still remains a handy skill to be able to work with actual databases, and I suggest taita_cakes takes the time to learn them, and use this project as neccessary experience with his learned skills.

...And taita, your retort was entirely unneccessary. Death apologized for any reasonably insulting sentiments. I agree with him: Learn more about computers. God knows I need to myself... I'm helpless with a Macintosh. [HSF+? Everything's a link on my desktop?! Where's the command prompt!!?]

[Congratulations Horsemen, your clan image has created in at least one mind a faceless avatar of paralyzing fear.]

Edited by Zero Talent, 07 June 2004 - 06:47 PM.

[Alexthebeast]

Uh, You gettin your horsey's mixed up Zero? That was Death, not Ash.

[xedice]

Why would you want to set up a server with Apache and MySQL, and then go buy a book on MySQL, and spend forever reading it, just to create a simple Nerf Database... Pretty overboard in my opinion. Flash is fine.

Edited by xedice, 07 June 2004 - 11:33 AM.

[Crankymonky]

I think even flash might be overboard. How about an exe and one txt file updated regularly. It would allow you to search by name/location/all. Also it would let you add a nerfer or update or delete. In fact, I programmed something like this for computers in C++ and with a bit of editing I could make it work with nerfers. Also Someone would update these files and constantly upload them. People would download the file and voila, the bandwidth issues since after the initial download, people only require a few kb txt file. Who would like me to setup a similar database in the manner I described?

Crankymonky

Edited by crankymonky, 07 June 2004 - 03:52 PM.

[cxwq]

I think the most straightforward way to manage something like this is as follows:

Create a program that takes in data from a number of flat files and puts a pretty, searchable interface on it. PHP comes to mind as a good candidate since it bridges the gap between HTML and your data very elegantly.

Divide responsibility for maintaining the data up into geographical chunks with roughly equivalent numbers of NIC members. Nominate people to manage the data set for their own region. One person for Australia, one for eastern Canada, one for western Canada, one for SoCal, one for NoCal, a couple for NJ, etc.

Give each of these people the file specifications so they can regularly email updated txt files to the uber-maintainer. Alternately, set up a little script to allow them to upload it directly to the server.

.
.
.

Actually, I just thought of an even more straightforward way. I add a few new fields to the profile information on NH and make a new searchable interface for displaying nerfer demographics. Then, everyone can just update their own damn data. Integrity would suffer but the work of maintaining the list would be ideally distributed.

[Zero Talent]

Actually, I just thought of an even more straightforward way. I add a few new fields to the profile information on NH and make a new searchable interface for displaying nerfer demographics. Then, everyone can just update their own damn data. Integrity would suffer but the work of maintaining the list would be ideally distributed.

Considering almost all Nerfers frequent the forums, or at least one of each representative group, that's the easiest way to do it. I know when I go to compile information, forum location directories are the first place I look.

I think someone's contribution has been stolen.

[taita cakes]

Hmmmm, some good suggestions indeed, and they are the general area i'm going for.

If you havnt clicked here yet, im basically employing a flash interface to select your country and then state, and possibly region for the larger more populated So Cal area's [and NJ?] which then open up a php file with the information presented in a still undecided format.

My dad is a rather unskilled IT teacher and he's inquiring with a few people about the possibility of uploading a .db file and using queries to select the necessary fields etc. but im not entirely sure about updating this all the time.

To the 'troubles' with flash, its no extra effort, apart from having to do one hell of a map for America, i've done the general world map here and it took me a couple of seconds with some free flash ready maps. The only challenging thing about this project will be entering all the information.

I do like the concept of having area managers, but i severly doubt whether any one could be bothered moderating their locale.

Any suggestions for fields?
- AKA Name [user nickname or something]
- Contact address [im guessing email address or something]
- General location [no direct addresses]
- Arsenal?

[taita cakes]

Dad's spoken to a techie at school, who has in turn, rounded up apparently all the relevant information for sourcing from a .db file and says it should be as easy as pie. He said i can either try and work it out or meet him for 30 minutes after school and he can give me a quick run over for all the relevant coding.

Sounding better by the minute.

I'm going to publish an intro soon, and fill in the main flash content, via use of Flash 5 .swf files because producing in MX has struggled with codec errors [eg i cant view my own animations on the afforementioned links]

Any suggestions for INDB Fields?

[taita cakes]

*Phwoar* Triple Post. Excuse me.

I've just updated the introduction. It's going to take a while to trace some new images of nerfers, but you'll understand once you see the intro. I'm having a few problems with the preloader and such. If you click here, wait 'till your status bar says it has completely loaded, other wise it will keep pausing to stream the heart-beat sound effect.

Anyway, i know, for the moment it's very homosexual. To say the least. I'm on school holidays [they end in three days] but once they end, i'll spend a bit of time after school with one of the IT teachers and get this all up and running. Just one thing. I'll probably need a MySQL server. And to be quite honest, I'm sure as hell not paying for that

[taita cakes]

My GOD! Please don't hurt me for posting four times in a row, i'll 'discipline' myself...

Just wanted to let you all know that i had finished the introduction animation. I would personally like to thank the NH galleries for providing the images that i traced for the animation. The file itself is 277kb so you'll have to wait a fair bit before its downloaded, and because of some major errors with the preloader, its better if you wait 'till it loads before hitting 'play', because it streams the audio, pausing the animation to run in direct speed with the audio.

On the whole project, i'm still waiting till i head back to school before i can actually start the project. It's looking bigger than ben hur. But i promise you guys, it will be good. Well, i hope it will ...

Anyway, check out the site intro here ...

Enjoy.

[cxwq]

Pretty cool intro. I didn't get any sound though... am I missing a plugin of some kind?

I also seem to have become multi-national... don't tell Asscroft.

[taita cakes]

Umm... bugger bugger bugger....

You should be able to hear sound, it's just its a very subtle heart beat effect, so maybe you'll have to turn up the volume a fair bit.

Would NH be up to hosting the INDB. Because i cant really be bothered paying for a MySQL server when we have a perfectly good one here. Feel free to say no. There are plenty of other nerfers out there with domains...

As i said, its going to be a fair while until you see any real proof, as i'm waiting to see a techie at school to explain all the coding i'll need.

I'm going to include:
a browse my location function [built in flash] - and -
a search [probably .asp or .php ... will be able to search all database fields]

And then its just going to be a matter of entering and managing the information in a database. Unfortunately its probably going to be a sole database, not a australia.mdb, usa.mdb, uk.mdb set of databases ... But i might give certain people permission to upload there respective country.

So far, for countries, i have:
US of A;
Canada;
Australia;
UK;
Asia [Taiwan for 3DBBQ]; - and -
New Zealand [god only knows if there are any NZ nerfers...]

Thanks for accepting the fourth post in a row, i needed to tick over the topic, and we know an edit doesn't do that...

[cxwq]

Would NH be up to hosting the INDB. Because i cant really be bothered paying for a MySQL server

[..snip..]

probably .asp or .php

If it's going to require mySQL, NH won't be hosting it. My account only allows one db and though you can micky mouse around that with table prefixes, I'd rather not.

If you have a choice between .asp and .php, always go with the latter. Asp is not as nice a language, is more platform dependant, and will probably end up abandoned by MS like active-x was last week.

[taita cakes]

If it's going to require mySQL, NH won't be hosting it.

Bugger, but i guess another lovely, risk-taking, super kind person will . . . well, i hope they will...

If you have a choice between .asp and .php, always go with the latter. Asp is not as nice a language, is more platform dependant, and will probably end up abandoned by MS like active-x was last week.

Yeah, it seems that most search pages revolve around a .asp file though. Anyway, i've been using PHP includes for a while now, and you can't beat them there includes.

The techie is going to give me all the source materials and instructions for php anyway, but having a look at some examples on sites has led me to believe asp's were common. Not to worry. I hope to get it up soon. This is looking good...

[okto]

do you have the actual text list of nerfers yet? post that online til you get the DB all worked out, so at least the info is accessible and we can search it with our browsers' find function (there surely arent enough entries to swamp it)

ps: asp is aptly named. a poisonous snake. avoid it like one.
pps: your flash intro doesnt work

Edited by okto, 14 July 2004 - 03:46 AM.

[taita cakes]

do you have the actual text list of nerfers yet? post that online til you get the DB all worked out, so at least the info is accessible and we can search it with our browsers' find function (there surely arent enough entries to swamp it)

Egad, that would involve effort ... To gather this information in the first place, i would generally have to ask each individual person or set up some country and state managers like CX originally [and wisely] suggested. No can do for the moment ...

ps: asp is aptly named. a poisonous snake. avoid it like one.

Heh, thats APS, but i get your drift anyway, its PHP all the way baby ...

pps: your flash intro doesnt work

Get the latest codec from the macromedia site [which is actually, a very old codec, you obviously don't update very often ] and just be patient, is something like 250kb so it's not 56k friendly. I would get the preloader working soon, but that would involve effort. Third day back to school and im already swamped...

p.s. the update function is there for a reason
p.p.s. two can play at this game ...

[okto]

hehe, it wasnt meant to be acronymic. i was referring to the fact that an asp is a type of pit viper found in egypt, supposedly that which killed cleopatra.
and the ps was to guide the reader as i would have spoken it.

[taita cakes]

To both of those, i completely understand, i was just bored.

Anyway, it turns out im going to have to go after school and learn some of the coding and stuff myself. And then, and only then, will I even begin collaborating and collecting all the information for all the NIC. There's no real use collecting the information once, and having to display and convert it twice.

Sorry about the late reply, the thread subscription thing isn't working. I'm going to have to manually check for replies instead of just getting emails now ...

[Alexthebeast]

Chancer are we can host you over at www.forum-125.com slash www.Nerfevolved.com

Stop in, and Me and the rest of the staff will see what we can do.

Edited by Alexthebeast, 14 July 2004 - 10:45 AM.