Simplifying Database Design and Integrating it Into Dynamic Web Site Construction

The web offers an effective way of providing access to functionality in a distributed environment. Systems built on and for the web are also fashionable and thus desired by many people. However, most useful web systems need to provide access to information that is constantly changing. This is usually achieved by coupling a web server application to a database management system, which requires an understanding of both server and database technology separately as well as an understanding of the interface between them. In practice this is conceptually difficult for many people. One solution is to provide support tools which simplify the construction process. An alternative, which is presented in this paper, is to look for ways of integrating the database and server design and implementation processes. The context (students who are not computer specialists but need to design dynamic web based systems) is outlined and a simplified approach to database design is explained, showing how it integrates with the web and automatically ensures good practice. A set of tools which support the approach are briefly described. The effectiveness of the approach is illustrated by describing some systems which have been designed and implemented by the students.