Posted by mouac01 on 05/17/07 19:11

On May 17, 5:53 am, Jerry Stuckle <jstuck...@attglobal.net> wrote:
> moua...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > I'm not sure if this is possible. I would like to have a PHP app on
> > the Internet connect and write to a local database (Intranet). For
> > example, users would go to a web sitehttp://www.internet.comto run
> > the app. The app requires an internet connection and is outside of
> > the user's network. The app would have the option to either store
> > data locally or on the Internet. I would like to give users the
> > option to store data locally because some may have privacy/security
> > concerns if the data is stored on the Internet or kept/maintained by
> > another company.
>
> > Would the connection string below work from the Internet to connect to
> > the user's local database? I don't have my web hosting service up yet
> > so I can't test. Thanks...
>
> > <?php
> > $server='localhost' //or whatever the client db server name is
> > $c=new mysqli($server,'user','passwd','db');
> > ?>
>
> As Sabine indicated, php runs on the server, so 'localhost' will always
> be the server's database.
>
> In addition, you shouldn't plan to store data in the client's database.
> Most people don't have MySQL installed. Most of those who do have it
> installed on their local machine either have network connections
> disabled or have a firewall which prevents external access. And those
> who do allow external access are not likely to give out a
> userid/password to another website - at least not if they have any sense
> at all. And even if they give you their userid and password, you don't
> know if they have the appropriate database and tables - or maybe have
> that database and table name for an entirely different use.
>
> I don't know what kind of data you're storing, but I don't think this is
> a good way to go.
>
> --
> ==================
> Remove the "x" from my email address
> Jerry Stuckle
> JDS Computer Training Corp.
> jstuck...@attglobal.net
> ==================- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I was expecting there would be firewall and security issues. It just
looks so simple thought I'd just give it a shot.
I would let the users know that if they want to store the data locally
they would have to have MySQL installed with a specified database
name, user, and password. Then provide a script to create the table
structure.
I was hoping this would be possible so the user wouldn't need to have
PHP and a web server installed. All they would need is just the
database. Now it looks like the user will need PHP, web server, and
MySQL. The user will download a PHP file and run it on their web
server. The PHP page will have links to include files from my web
site. I think it should work this way, right? No security or
firewall issues? Only issue here with me is that I run the risk of
users modifying my PHP and javascript codes. I want to control the
app from my web site so that if I make changes everyone will get the
update, even the ones who run the app locally.

BTW, I'm developing a financial app so the database will have
financial information about the user. Most people including myself
are protective of financial information.

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