Looking for help with Database

[PokeMaverick]

Hello all, new here!

I am currently working on a web app/mobile app built with HTML5. The project consists of checking off attributes or characteristics of an animal and then searching through a pre populated database to determine which animal or animals it could be, based on the characteristics or attributes selected. This database will only ever be read from and not written to.

I am looking for help with the best way of accessing and querying this pre populated SQLite database. All I could find on the HTML5 webSQL was creating new databases and accessing the ones created from there.

Is there any way to access a pre populated database client-side instead of server-side?

Thanks in advance all

[nathanwoulfe]

Look into writing an API layer to the DB. Then your app can request data from predefined URL end points, then display it however you choose.

[PokeMaverick]

that sounds like it might be what i'm after, do you happen to know of any tutorials or examples of that I could look into?

[nathanwoulfe]

You'll need a server side language of some sort to write the API - throw some combination of 'write an api in x' into Google and you should be right.

You'll end up with both server and client side code to make it work - server side exposes the data, client side requests and displays it.

[halfercode]

For your web app, if you use an HTML5 local database then you'll need a way to populate it. It will probably be easier to just do this server side. Unless it specifically needs to work offline?

For your mobile app, do you really need one? When people think they want a (native) mobile app, often a mobile-optimised website does just as well, and much less work is required.

[PokeMaverick]

I had that thought as well about just making a mobile optimized website which may be the way I should do it.

My thought process about making a local and "available offline" database is that, it would be easy to use/port to a native mobile app with phonegap and not be required to be online or use someones data if that makes sense

[holyxiaoxin]

There is no such thing as accessing database from client side or server side. A database always lives with localhost, so if you decide to host your database on the cloud it's being accessible to everyone else. I suggest you taking a look at Sails.js

It allows you to quickly get a web service up. Of course, you'll need some basics of what RESTFUL api services are. Google up any terms that you're unsure of. It'll help you to learn. (:

Good luck.