Which tool to build a simple web front-end to my database

Question

I am a SQL Server DBA and have a database that I would like to access via a web browser  It will be used internally on the intranet and will simply be calling stored procedures in SQL Server to enter data into the database and return data into a simple web page  I am not a developer although I m pretty good at SQL and scripting with powershell  I may use SSRS later to report on the data   My question is which is the best tool for a non-developer to rapidly put together a web front end to SQL Server  I was thinking maybe ASP NET  Ruby  Powershell  PHP  etc  Which is the simplest   Where should I host the web application  Apache or IIS  I care more about putting something simple together than creating something fancy and flashy  Any suggestions  As you may have gathered I m after the simplest solution for rapid development  at the cost of something slick and nice looking  there will only be two users  one of them me    Thanks  Mark

User · Answer

The most rapid option is to hand out MS Access or SQL Sever Management Studio (there's a free express edition) along with a read only account.

PHP is simple and has a well earned reputation for getting stuff done. PHP is excellent for copying and pasting code, and you can iterate insanely fast in PHP. PHP can lead to hard-to-maintain applications, and it can be difficult to set up a visual debugger.

Given that you use SQL Server, ASP.NET is also a good option. This is somewhat harder to setup; you'll need an IIS server, with a configured application. Iterations are a bit slower. ASP.NET is easier to maintain and Visual Studio is the best visual debugger around.

User · Answer

For Data access you can use OData  Here is a demo where Scott Hanselman creates an OData front end to StackOverflow database in 30 minutes  with XML and JSON access  Creating an OData API for StackOverflow including XML and JSON in 30 minutes   For administrative access  like phpMyAdmin package  there is no well established one  You may give a try to IIS Database Manager

User · Answer

If you are experienced with SQL Server  I would recommend ASP NET   ADO NET gives you good access to SQL Server  and with SMO  you will also have just about the best access to SQL Server features   You can access SQL Server from other environments  but nothing is quite as integrated or predictable   You can call your stored procs with SqlCommand and process the results the SqlDataReader and you ll be in business

User · Answer

How about using the Dynamic data template that comes with Visual Studio  This could be hosted on IIS   This walkthrough shows you how to create a basic Web site that uses ASP NET Dynamic Data  Dynamic Data enables you to create a data-driven Web site with little or no coding

User · Answer

I think PHP is a good solution  It s simple to set up  free and there is plenty of documentation on how to create a database management app  Ruby on Rails is faster to code but a bit more difficult to set up

[sql-server] Which tool to build a simple web front-end to my database

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