MySQL Frontends?

My Web Host uses MySQL on their server, and my research tells me that MySQL is very powerful and I would like to set up my e-commerce site using MySQL as the backend database. Is this possible? All the shopping cart programs seem to want to use flat-file databases, mostly text files with commas or colons to delineate entries, Or require you to purchase an entire new database program for the server.

Are there any commercial-grade Shopping Cart Programs out there that use mySQL? If I have to I could teach myself PHP, but is that compatible with Secure Socket Layers(the Standard?) What are my option if I want to set up a shooping cart system with a relational database?

Any information people have, or possible new directions of travel would be greatly appreciated. Thanx!

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Patrick Rogers
www.growspot.com

To easily access your mysql server, depending
on your comfort level with client/servers
and your platform, you can easliy use M$
Access as a front end if you're stuck in the
windows world, or complie the mysql client
on your linux box, or even give kmysql a
try if you're into kde. (gnome, sorry I
don't know). There are a myriad of shopping
cart apps available, but I am mostly familiar
with un*x/php/perl based carts which, due
to the blessing of crossplatformability(?!),
php & perl should run in the windows world
of nt based hosting.

Check out freshmeat.com: "cart" came up
with 22 matches. Although I feel that
most of these matches are commercial
grade or better, I'm sure there is someone
out there ready to take your money.

Secure socket layers is a server issue,
it shouldn't affect you at all.




[This message has been edited by tmak (edited January 11, 2000).]

At the mo I am buildng a php/mysql shop and wouldnt do it any other way

If you go here http://www.yearbook.udel.edu/~jeremyf/php/

there is very simple bit of code to understand that handles the selling of one thing (his yearbook) which you would probably find helpful if you are just starting with php/mysql.
It has eveything you need.

good luck

There are numerous open source shopping cart programs that uses MySQL database as a backend. Some are as good as the other commercial competitors.

Here's a short list of some at freshmeat:
http://www.freshmeat.net/search.php...y=shopping+cart