Easy online database builder?

Question

I'd like to create a website for a small organization.

The website should allow visitors to search a smallish contacts database (around 300 records) by a couple of different criteria.

I'm guessing there's an easy-to-use web app out there that makes this possible for a small monthly charge - any recommendations?

Answer 1

You can use Google Sites for the free website part, and then you have access to their API's in any google service via Google App Scripts.
Help on using Apps Scripts in your site is available too.

After looking at a lot of questions about replacements for Access and Zoho Creator I compiled the following:

• http://www.zoho.com/creator
• http://www.lightspoke.com - claims you can do it in 15 minutes
• http://www.viravis.com
• http://quickbase.intuit.com/
• http://www.ironspeed.com/
• http://mytaskhelper.com/
• http://www.longjump.com
• http://www.orangescape.com
• http://www.filemaker.com

Answer 2

Try Zoho Creator. You can create the database from scratch or import.

Zoho Creator lets you embed Forms and Views in your website by pasting a few lines of code.

Pricing depends on number of users & records. For 2 users & 1000 records, it's free.

Answer 3

I will build this by myself - using ExtJS for interface - Row Editor Grid Panel (or others) will provide full CRUD with filtering option...http://www.sencha.com/products/js/

Answer 4

Something I ran across in a Google search: Lightspoke

It purports to speed creation of common and custom Web applications.

Answer 5

I'd suggest Caspio. Their Caspio Bridge platform will provide you with readily deployable database interfaces to view your records. The interfaces embed directly into your website so you can preserve your branding. You also get unlimited users at no extra cost.

Answer 6

Check out GoDaddy's Easy Database for Websites product, it's perfect for your situation:

The application codes widgets that collect and display information that can be embedded on your website. It’s great for restaurant menus, photo galleries, team rosters, hotel reservations, and anything else you’d manage in a table and display on a website.

Easy Database for Websites can help take the confusion out databases. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the free 24/7 technical support department. http://x.co/SeeSupport

Answer 7

We've just put up a Beta of a new easy online database tool that supports relational database web apps (Master / Detail records).

It sounds like it would be a good fit for a simple contact database (though not sure that you need master/detail tables - perhaps just a contacts table).

The site is http://www.rhythmdata.com.

All you need to do is tell it the names of the fields you want to collect and it generates the forms and sub-forms for you. There is no need to design the forms.

The Beta currently only runs in Firefox, but we're working on adding support for the other browsers now.

We would appreciate any feedback that anyone has to offer on our system.

Answer 8

Google Apps Sites + Apps Script + GUI Builder (in Apps Script) + App Engine is a possibility, tho would take some work.

Note that as mentioned previously, using GDocs spreadsheets (as tables with API lookups) does limit you to how much data you can store. I have used it for writing a custom gmail gadget to include other address info exported from an SQL database to a GDoc sheet. It works very nicely, tho needs to be refreshed from SQL every so often.