Write data to database

[Pachydermitis]

Hi all,
I am pretty new to XML and may be off track. I need to write data to
a database using a VB application. Rather that using ODBC to connect
directly to the database I'd like to send the data via a webserver. I
could write a web page and post data to it, but that doesn't seem the
best way. XML seems a natural candidate. Writing XML is pretty
simple, but I'm not sure where to even start on the web and database
server end.
Thanks for your help
Pachydermitis

 

[David Dorward]

I'd like to send the data via a webserver. XML seems a natural candidate.
Writing XML is pretty simple, but I'm not sure where to even start on the
web and database server end.

You should probably pick a language that you can write a CGI or server
module in (my preference would be Perl with mod_perl), then look for a SOAP
library for that language and for VB. Then use SOAP.

 

[Andy Dingley]

I am pretty new to XML and may be off track.

No, this sounds good.

I need to write data to
a database using a VB application. Rather that using ODBC to connect
directly to the database I'd like to send the data via a webserver.

This is a web service.

XML seems a natural candidate.

A natural candidate for an XML web service is a pre-existing XML-based
web service protocol like SOAP.

There is also XML-RPC. This is broken - use SOAP instead.

SOAP is easy to use as a client, harder to write the servers for.
However you don't need to do this, because many web server scripting
languages already have one available. If you use that (such as Perl
and SOAP::Lite) then it's pretty easy.

 

[Pachydermitis]

Thanks for your advice. I will look into that!

No, this sounds good.


This is a web service.


A natural candidate for an XML web service is a pre-existing XML-based
web service protocol like SOAP.

There is also XML-RPC. This is broken - use SOAP instead.

SOAP is easy to use as a client, harder to write the servers for.
However you don't need to do this, because many web server scripting
languages already have one available. If you use that (such as Perl
and SOAP::Lite) then it's pretty easy.