David Hagen

Actually you did answer my question. This being a small database I am not overly concerned with performance. In addition I am most interested in function rather than form. So much advice I seem to find focuses on performance and form. I'd rather find the elegant solution than the pretty one. I'll start with a simple PHP program per your advice and build from there. I'll probably be back for specific advice as I move forward. Thanks

thanks for responding. Basically I'm trying to provide drop down menus to allow the user to select the "WHERE" part of the SQL query. The database might have 35 student names in it; they might be on any of four sports teams; they each may have taken 50 quizzes on books that they have read with quiz name, quiz scores and date taken in the table. Obviously there are multiple tables involved but I have figured out the joins necessary for the report. I would like to have a drop down list of the students names combined with a start date selector and an end date selector that would allow a supervisor to select the name and dates and see the quizes taken and the scores. OR select the team combined with a date selectors and see the students on that team listed with the quiz results. So the drop downs would have only 35 names on it. I assume with HTML and CSS I can put them in columns and allow scrolling if necessary. I'm OK with letting the PDF go. Also, I'm willing to do the heavy lifting here but I don't seem to be able to settle on the best language(s) to learn. My idea is to design the process for this application so I can use the "template" for other MYSQL databases.

I am proficient in mysql database queries. I would like to write a "report writer" that allows users (not programmers) on a particular site to connect to a particular mysql database, select from drop-down menus populated by columns/rows in the database (e.g. student name or sports team) and have a report generated on the web site and available as a PDF printout. I am confused as to where to start....PHP, PHP PDO, JavaScript, JQuery....? I get started and solve one aspect of the challenge but don't seem able to put together a complete plan. Can someone please advise me how to start( re-start).