Web Hosting Software

• Includes WebCast ProServer Software

The big boys of databases--Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft, and others--would like you to believe that only their big, expensive RDBMS products are good enough to handle your data. It's just not true. Most of the time you'll find that MySQL, an open-source RDBMS that's widely used and meticulously maintained, is entirely adequate for storing, retrieving, and reporting on your pieces of data. It supports standard structured query language (SQL, as defined in the SQL-92 specification), and should be familiar to anyone who's done SQL work in any environment before. MySQL has been tested extensively and has been found to stack up well against commercial database products, particularly with small- to mid-size data stores and moderate transaction loads. The point: unless you have unusually tough requirements (such as an astronomical transaction load, a need to store epic quantities of data, or a need for a feature that's available only in commercial RDBMSes), MySQL can do what you want reliably and speedily. It's a well-built RDBMS that does everything most applications require. Its appeal is enhanced by the programming languages and tools that have grown up around it. This kit includes version 3.23.41.

PHP (the letters come from the German for "Hypertext Preprocessor") is similar in function to Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP) and Sun's JavaServer Pages (JSP) scripting languages. PHP code is embedded in documents that are to be sent out by a Web server, and is interpreted before the page is served. That means you can use PHP (version 4.0.6 is part of the NuSphere product) to do database lookups (the language has a set of commands specifically for connecting to MySQL databases). PHP can format the results of the lookups as HTML, which the Web server would then send to the requesting browser. You can set up HTML forms to be submitted to PHP scripts, as well, which means you can use HTML, PHP, and MySQL together to create complete user interfaces for your databases.

If you prefer using Perl (Practical Extraction and Report Language) to PHP or require its more extensive text-manipulation capabilities, this kit provides you with Perl 5.6.1. Like PHP, Perl has modules (included here) that make it easy to query MySQL databases and use the results in your applications. Perl, like PHP, can be used to generate Web pages based on query results. Perl has a gigantic following, and as a result you'll find hundreds of books, mailing lists, chat rooms, sample-code libraries, and experts on it. It's a pretty consistent and easy-to-understand language, too, so learning is relatively easy.

Tying it all together: Apache, the popular, refined, and extensible open-source Web server. Apache (version 1.3.20 included here) serves HTML pages, of course, but also makes Perl and PHP scripts available to users on the network. It's reliable and customizable.

There's documentation, too. Three commercially available books (all from O'Reilly & Associates, and with plenty of detail) ship as part of this package:

• PHP Pocket Reference
• Apache Pocket Reference
• Perl 5 Pocket Reference, Third Edition: Programming Tools

Partly because the four software packages in this kit are so great, and partly because NuSphere's installation routine solves so many configuration hassles, NuSphere MySQL represents a great value. Don't hesitate to buy it if you need to bring up a Web server in a hurry. --David Wall

Business users can author rich content, including graphics and formatting and drag-and-drop content, from common desktop applications. The product also features multilingual publishing, including multibyte character sets like Japanese. All pages go through a workflow process to ensure content is properly approved before publishing. Workflow and publishing options include automated publishing based on dates and times set by authors, three levels of approval, and e-mail notification of publishing activities.

Microsoft Content Management Server 2001 offers site developers and designers a wealth of features to build dynamic Web applications. Pages are created with templates, which ensure consistent design and easy site-wide updates. Template designers can use almost any HTML editor to create templates. They simply drag and drop placeholders anywhere they want authors to enter content. They can set properties for which type of content can be added to the pages to control site design and layout. Site management features include centralized remote administration, archiving, integrated user administration, and enterprise scalability.

Dreamweaver MX is a visual Web editor that generates highly compatible code while also including useful site-management features. Flash MX is the de facto standard for Web animation, containing rich multimedia content in remarkably compact files. Fireworks is a great tool for putting the finishing touches on existing graphics, adding text effects or other elements, and optimizing the results for Web display. These three are the core Studio MX products, and the suite offers excellent value for these alone.

Integration between the individual products is generally very good. It begins with the interface, which uses common elements such as dockable, collapsible panels and a dynamic property inspector, so that you can switch comfortably between products. On a technical level, the key feature is roundtrip support. You can embed Fireworks graphics and Flash movies in Dreamweaver pages without losing any information, letting you later reopen an element in its original application with all its features intact.

Application development is not just a matter of server-side scripting. Flash MX also has potential as a rich client, with an interface driven by embedded JavaScript. Through a technology called Flash Remoting, Flash MX offers support for Web services. While it may seem strange to think of Flash as a rich client moving beyond the Web page, it does make some sense when you consider that it is cross-platform and very widely deployed.

Taking everything together, Studio MX is an essential development tool, as well as a great bundle for any Web designer. --Tim Anderson

Dreamweaver MX is a visual Web editor that generates highly compatible code while also including useful site-management features. Flash MX is the de facto standard for Web animation, containing rich multimedia content in remarkably compact files. Fireworks is a great tool for putting the finishing touches on existing graphics, adding text effects or other elements, and optimizing the results for Web display. These three are the core Studio MX products, and the suite offers excellent value for these alone.

Integration between the individual products is generally very good. It begins with the interface, which uses common elements such as dockable, collapsible panels and a dynamic property inspector, so that you can switch comfortably between products. On a technical level, the key feature is roundtrip support. You can embed Fireworks graphics and Flash movies in Dreamweaver pages without losing any information, letting you later reopen an element in its original application with all its features intact.

Application development is not just a matter of server-side scripting. Flash MX also has potential as a rich client, with an interface driven by embedded JavaScript. Through a technology called Flash Remoting, Flash MX offers support for Web services. While it may seem strange to think of Flash as a rich client moving beyond the Web page, it does make some sense when you consider that it is cross-platform and very widely deployed.

Taking everything together, Studio MX is an essential development tool, as well as a great bundle for any Web designer. --Tim Anderson