How do I use Excel as Backend database with HTML Front End?

Question

I am helping my daughter create a project for her school (Grade 4). She is in the process of creating a basic form in HTML to capture text and numeric data. We are wondering whether we can use Excel as the database to store the data entered in the form. We are not planning any reports, query of the database using the HTML Front end. can you tell us whether :
1. Excel can be used here
2. How do we integrate Excel with the HTML Page.
It would be great of you can direct us to a website which can explain this in detail - as we have not done this before.

Thanks in Advance ......

Answer 1

I would not use Excel for this. It's a spreadsheet, nothing more. HTML cannot do this alone--you will need some server side programming (PHP, Python, Perl, ASP .NET, etc.) to parse the spreadsheet and render the data in the browser.



Since you want to build a form for this, I would use Google Docs/Drive. You can build a form and have it insert the submitted data into a spreadsheet automatically. You can then build graphs and what not on the submitted data. i think this approach would be MUCH easier.

Answer 2

Html Form To Excel Spreadsheet

Answer 3

Great thread - it took me a while to find it...



I had the same question but from a different angle. I'd like to do some rapid prototyping by building an HTML front-end with an Xcel back-end. The advantages doing it this way is that I can do the HTML and my non-technical co-workers could do the database work in an application that they are comfortable with.



Thanks for the thread amitava - that was just what I was looking for.

Answer 4

Dont use Excel. Use the language of data storage for web traffic which is XML. XML was created to hold data especially for use of data exchange via the internet.



XML is much better at storing DATA. Excel was never supposed to be meant for "data storage" but to be used as a spreadsheet.



Also, to read and write from excel you must have Excel loaded on the machine and it is not easy. Also, moving about in "columns" and "rows" is a pain when compared to opening an XML file and reading its data. You can easily write the XML file to your computer and read it with various programs and text readers.



Here is a good start for xml - http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp



please feel free if you have any questions about it to email me.

Answer 5

Hi!

First, I just want to say how awesome it is that you're willing to help your daughter go above and beyond :). So +1 at being a good parent.



1) Yes (Using Javascript, not ONLY html). Although the level of complexity is probably something you're not going to enjoy.

2) http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16172572/easiest-way-to-read-data-from-excel-spreadsheet-with-javascript



Theres a quick example. If you want to do this you can message me and I'll help you implement it further :)

Answer 6

I think you will get it here http://smallbusiness.chron.com/populate-website-excel-database-43872.html

Answer 7

Use VBA to access the SQL tables through ADO.