Client Server Programming Algorithm........

hi ppl,

I am trying to build a client and server program to cater for some bookings here. But first of all, let me explain to you what i'm trying to build here.

scenario:
1. customer login to the internet and make bookings for the hotel room from the web portal.
2. A program should be running at the hotel reception displaying at real time which customer had make an online bookings so that they will able to reserve it.

I was wondering what tools should I use to build the program that will be used at the hotel reception? and how will the algorithm of the program be?

Let's assume that the portal is running on a linux platform, php and mysql.

Can someone give me some idea on how should I develop the program? Web portal shouldn't be a problem but the real time program is a headache man!
hehehehehe..



thanks a million in advance!

i presume the portal isn't hosted on the reception computer. but you shouldn't hve pbs with creating the program. mysql offers you header files and functions to connect to the database server from a client.