Hello,
I have a local windows app developed in Visual Basic. It uses: access mdb databases, datagridviews for displaying data, different modules for project management, client management tools, engineers tasks and ToDo lists, etc.... It was created using Visual Basic and it is used by the entire company.
Now, I would like to recreate this app and transform it into a web app. As far as I can tell php is the best way to go. I began studying it and so far I really like it. Of course, I will also have to rewrite the code for SQL Database.
My question to you is: how should I best approach this task, especially regarding the user interface?
After I will learn PHP I suppose I will have to create the HTML user interface. After searching the internet I found different things like: Joomla, Bootstrap, Foundation etc...
I am only familiar with plain HTML code but I suppose it is not enough.
So, besides php coding, what are your suggestions for creating the UI? Basically there will only be tables, buttons, labels, pages, etc.... But I need them to look good and professional.
Are there any other necessary things that I would have to know (besides PHP and UI creation tool)?
Thank you.
Best approach for web app
Moderators: egami, macek, gesf
Essentially, you just translate your functions, methods etc.. into PHP. That's easy said. The biggest difference is that VisualBasic stays in residence and PHP scoops everything together and spits a page out.
If you know HTML, stick with it, don't clutter your code with frameworks, all you need to do is translate - HTML acts as the window and all of its elements.
Your SQL should be very similar, but spend some time learning PDO as you need to protect user input and this is the simplest way of doing it.
Maybe some AJAX later on, but get the thing working without it first.
All of the work that you did to write the VisualBasic program can be used, any notes diagrams etc. keep the same naming conventions so far as you can.
If you know HTML, stick with it, don't clutter your code with frameworks, all you need to do is translate - HTML acts as the window and all of its elements.
Your SQL should be very similar, but spend some time learning PDO as you need to protect user input and this is the simplest way of doing it.
Maybe some AJAX later on, but get the thing working without it first.
All of the work that you did to write the VisualBasic program can be used, any notes diagrams etc. keep the same naming conventions so far as you can.
Ok,
Thank you for your answer. I am able to create basic web interface using HTML code only but there are some problems. First, it will not look to good. I have seen in those frameworks some very nice buttons, forms, nice design, etc...
Second, it will not look the same on all browsers. Third, I would like to be able to use this app also on a phone or tablet.
I don't think that plain HTML code would be enough.
Thank you for your answer. I am able to create basic web interface using HTML code only but there are some problems. First, it will not look to good. I have seen in those frameworks some very nice buttons, forms, nice design, etc...
Second, it will not look the same on all browsers. Third, I would like to be able to use this app also on a phone or tablet.
I don't think that plain HTML code would be enough.
Sorry, I should have mentioned CSS, I took it as read that HTML and CSS are learned together 
.
Maybe this will help you, it offers a good way to approach writing web pages, he also has a forum if you run into trouble.
.Maybe this will help you, it offers a good way to approach writing web pages, he also has a forum if you run into trouble.
