Building a Web Database

[Mercule]

I've got a website set up for my campaign. It's really nice to have and my players love it. I want to take it to the next "level", though.

What I'd really like to do is set up something like the EN World feats database, only have one for feats, one for classes, one for PrCs, house rules, etc. Does anyone know of anything I could use to do this?

It has to run on a Unix box and PHP is fine -- which is to say that I can't code a line of PHP, but the server will handle it. It also has to be free -- or a one-time cost of about the same as a WotC hardcover. Finally, I need to have some security on it. I'll be posting at least the overview of some non-OGC stuff, and some derivitive material for my players (who have the books -- I just want to organize things). I'd like to feel like me publicly posting a link to some of the OGC wouldn't put me in hot-water with WotC legal.

I've seen that there are some mods for PHPBB and some other CMS toys (currently running Mambo), but nothing looks quite right to me. I was hoping some of the gurus around here might have some ideas. I don't mind doing a few hours in one-time set-up, but I don't want to have to get "under the hood" all the time, and I'd like to have the one-time set-up be pretty much "connect the dots".

 

[snotling]

Alot of the CMS systems can do what you want. (PHP-Nuke, etc).

I use the "content" module with PHP-Nuke to track play aids (like NPCs, planets, monsters, races, etc) for the Farscape RPG (over at www.frelled.net) I am sure most other CMS applications have this feature as well.

Most CMS also have different "levels" for their subscribers. I use that as well, so that only a few people can upload various play-aids. This is nice so my drive does not get filled with unwanted stuff.

You can also take a look at my other site (more fantasy based: www.snotling.org) for our current d&d game bits, and see how our game group uses the system.

 

[barsoomcore]

Yo Mercule, I built a very simple set of scripts to do that sort of thing for my d20 Modern SRD. Works on a text file and is pretty easy to adapt. Drop me an email and I can send you the scripts. I knew NOTHING about PHP when I wrote them, so they're heavily commented (so's I don't forget how they work when I try to update them).

Lemme know.

 

[XCorvis]

Most of the Content Management Systems are free and use MySQL as a back end database. It is also free. There are also very detailed how-tos on the Apache+PHP+MySQL combo. As snotling said, PHP-Nuke is probably what you're looking for.

 

[Mercule]

Thanks for the ideas, guys. Those sites look pretty similar to what I've got, though (http://albathador.net). If I'm missing something, let me know, please. What I'm really looking for is something pretty much like the feats database that used to be under the Rules forum.

Basically, I want a grid/table of some form that has customizable columns and will like to other docs for greater detail. For example, I'd like to list feats in a format like the books have them -- with name, prereq, benefit blurb, and source. But when someone clicks on the name of the feat, the browser drills down to a full description. I'd like the security to filter out those feats that I mark as non-OGC, though, so I don't have to worry about, say, posting my game's URL here.

Maybe I'm just being obtuse and just not catching something. Please let me know if this is the case. (i.e. I'm incredibly greatful for the feedback, thus far, but none of those seem to quite what I'm looking for.)

 

[XCorvis]

Ah, you're looking for a literal database. Well, looks like you're running Mambo, and it looks like that runs MySQL on the backend. So you already have a database in place, and you just need a front-end to it.

I found a mambo plug-in database, but there's one problem - it's for wine. (The kind you drink, not the kind you use to run windows games in linux.) You might be able to convert it into a more useful database by changing some of the names.

If you learn SQL and PHP, you can program your own web interface. It shouldn't be very hard, so you'd only have to learn the basics. But that's a less desireable solution...

 

[Mercule]

Can you send me a link to the wine database? I'll look at it and see.

My desire here is to really not have to do much/any code -- at least none that isn't quite straitforward or hand-held.

I do ASP.NET (not ASP classic) development for my job, so the basic understanding is there, but PHP is enough different that it would be a time-sink for me. Since I want to do this to save time, that'd be a bit counter-productive. That's also why I've not really done much with PHP-Nuke or Post-Nuke -- slow learning curve, and I had a royal pain trying to figure out how to maintain them.

I could always switch to an ASP.NET host and probably code it in a weekend, but I'm very happy with the service-level of my current host and would prefer to just find a usable alternative.

I also don't mind the idea of completely switching my CMS or learning something new. I just don't want to have to puzzle through things. I barely have enough game-prep time as it is. So, if there's a step-by-step guide to PHP/Post Nuke somewhere, I'm all ears (eyes?), especially if there's a database module for those portals.

 

[XCorvis]

Whoops, meant to link it.

http://mamboforge.net/projects/moswine/

 

[JamesL85]

I too have set up a sub-domain, but instead installed Xoops as the bulletin board software (untill I can afford vBulletin, anyway).

One of the guys suggested a chat room, which I've found a couple for Xoops, but one of the other guys wanted a dice roller for the chat room (he's the one that lives 2 hours away) and thought that would be a pretty cool thing.....I agree, but I'm not sure about the logistics.....Is anyone using anything that might have this ability????

What would be ideal is to have icons (similar to the "smily" emoticons) for each dice and when you click on one (a d6 for instance) it would output "*user name* has rolled a d6: 3" or something like that....

Just some thoughts.....

James

 

[snotling]

A die roller in a chat room. That depends on the chat program you are going to use. Alot of folx use IRC. bots are be made (and exist) to do just what you are asking (except the image of the dice).

http://www.dndresources.com/index.php/files/1440 is a really cool one (runs on windows though, so it would be hard to make it part of your site. But it does most of what you want.

To get what you want, it looks like it is going to be a dedicated application, with its own clients (you might not be able to use the standard IRC clients). This might not be bad if you only want it web accessable. It is doable though.