Skip to Content
 

Code or program to make a card database from?

17 replies [Last post]
jonathanflike
jonathanflike's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/09/2016

Hello Everyone,

I'm not sure where I should put this so the water cooler seemed like an okay spot. I'm trying to make a searchable database for my card game and not having a lot of luck. I'm using Wix, and it doesn't have an option that really works for me. I can add tables with links (no images)via Wix or google spreadsheets without links on Wix, but each one only does some of what I need it to do. I tried Caspio, but it's a little heavy for what I think I need. Any one have any experience with this or can direct me to somewhere that I can make such a database. I just need something similar to MTG's "Gatherer" where a person can search and find a card or just flip through numerous pages of cards if they are bored. Help!

Best,
-Jonathan Flike

questccg
questccg's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/16/2011
Hmm... That's a good one!

I don't know of any DATABASE tools unless you code your own. Which is relatively easy and possible. Using some language in collaboration with MySQL. On most hosting websites they give you a variety of languages and usually a couple database engines such as MySQL.

But you do bring up an interesting dilemma.

I don't know of any "catalog" on-line application that allows you to simply INSERT your items and then lets you browse them...

I know of store fronts that allow up to 500 products. Which may be too restrictive and the plain simple fact that you don't want to sell just to view...

I'd do more research into "catalogues" and see there is one that exists which is FREE and allows you to simply browse and search through your content.

Cheers!

questccg
questccg's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/16/2011
If you can't use $0.00...

An alternative with a SALES catalogue is setting the item as being BACKORDERED or SOLD OUT. Meaning that stock has run out and you are waiting for more stock to be able to "sell" again...

Just another TIP.

jonathanflike
jonathanflike's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/09/2016
Thanks!

Thanks for the insight. Yeah it's a little complicated, but if you find something let me know, I appreciate it. I actually tried to do that with the store (because the layout is ideal) and Wix only lets you have one store and the names of everything is fixed -- like I can't change price to say dragon or something for filtering purposes. I found some developer info for Wix so I'm going to play with that, but it sucks feeling like I hit a wall.

questccg
questccg's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/16/2011
Actually you had me thinking about Year 2000 technology

Way back when I was a younger man, actually my first job after University... I worked at a company where they were using "generic" objects. The object was of a dynamic set of types specified by the DATABASE.

The really nice thing about the application is that all the objects "properties" were ALSO DYNAMIC too.

So you could say Object A = Turbine. Object A has properties = Power Output, Maximum Capacity.

And all those properties were dynamic. So each object could have its own. The problem with this is you CAN'T "delete" anything... Because that could break some of the objects with missing properties. So you merely had a FIELD which was like "Deleted" True/False (A boolean value).

You could of course SEARCH for objects based on properties too. Or filter out lists given input for certain properties.

Anyway not that this helps you in any way... Sorry I just think something like that on the Internet would be perfect for you to use and search with. But I am not aware that such a "DATABASE" or Catalogue exists for this kind of dynamic editing you are searching for.

Cheers.

questccg
questccg's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/16/2011
I would be a relatively easy effort...

But it would require a Software Developer to do the job. It's fairly easy, probably only need one (1) Table maybe something like:

  • Products: your "properties/attributes" as columns to this table.

  • Images: a central file location for all images to be saved to.

  • Some webdesign and coding to display the "Products" table.

  • Add a search page with filters based on "properties/attributes".

No need for sessions, cookies or logins. Since this is all PUBLIC data that can be viewed by anyone. It's a pretty simple project to do. The problem is that the cost of paying and hiring a resource is rather expensive. Such a simple project could take about one (1) months time to develop. Twenty (20) business days of development work would cost around $5k to develop. So having a dedicated resource to construct this as per your requirements would be possible -- but it's costly.

If you were developing a "AAA" game ... well maybe you could hire a resource to do this. Or if you plan to have a Kickstarter and one (1) of your Funding GOALS in an "online database", you can make this a "Stretch Goal" knowing that it would require about $5k to make this possible. It's a cost, just like good artwork or nice creative writing. You can factor for it, knowing that it is very well possible and relatively inexpensive (comparatively).

Good artwork is expensive too (again relatively). But it's something you invest in knowing that backers are interested in it. Same goes for an online resource offered to all backers. Anyhow neither here nor there ... because I cannot help you with this endeavor because I am already busy with another. And from my knowledge, you haven't KS-ed a game and have the monetary amount required to develop this. But if you keep it simple (no sessions, cookies or logins) and just a database you can view ... it's definitely do-able.

My apologies; TL;DR post/comment.

Cheers.


And some people might think it's excessive (20 days). But this includes testing everything and putting the solution into production, migrating database assets (configuration) ... and generally making sure everything works on the Go-Live date. You'll need a "private" form for configurating new products (so an admin section)... But if you can live without HTTPS and admin accounts (so sessions, cookies, logins) it might be simpler to develop.

It's not a very complicated effort to work off a database with only one (1) table (in principle - you may have a configuration table, a category table, etc.) It's rarely only one (1) table...

Anyway you get the idea. I give realistic estimates (real world). Not it's going to take me one (1) week to develop and then do next to no testing and then Go-Live with a site that's not ready to be deployed and instead use an iterative process for debugging... etc. Let the users debug the experience... Not!

questccg
questccg's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/16/2011
I've discussed other options

But as I stated, some of those platforms are restricted to 500 products. So in your case that would mean 500 cards.

That may be too limiting too.

For User Experience, it is best to settle on a platform that will do what YOU NEED and lower the risk of requiring migration at a later time. Users might be familiar with your "old" website/database and not want to transition to another website...

Cheers!

gxnpt
Offline
Joined: 12/22/2015
PHP/MySQL

It should be simple enough to do in PHP/MySQL, especially if you keep the images as files and just reference the filename/location in the database.

I would need to know what you already know in order to make what would work for you.

Do you have your own website?
Have you ever used PHPMyAdmin?
How about Filezilla or other FTP program?
Your own HTML or just template stuff?

larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Microsoft access could do the

Microsoft access could do the thing. I think the DB can hold pictures or a file path to a picture.

I did something like that in the past for Duel Masters. Not sure if it was in pure access, or a mix of access and visual basic.

FrankM
Offline
Joined: 01/27/2017
Suggestion

larienna wrote:
Microsoft access could do the thing. I think the DB can hold pictures or a file path to a picture.

I did something like that in the past for Duel Masters. Not sure if it was in pure access, or a mix of access and visual basic.


I'm not sure I ever made a functioning Access database without using VisualBasic, but I suppose a simple list browser would be an application where it's possible.

However, my understanding was that Microsoft has avoided seriously hardening Access specifically to push people into their SQL products.

Haven't made any webpage generation code since the 1990s (get off my lawn), but I would suggest the following:

Since all media assets are static, keep them in a simple media repository distinct from the datatbase.

Have the database form spit out the HTML for one cell of the table. This generated code should have image tags that point to the repository. The HTML can also include embedded links to static help pages to explain game jargon (this is where those linked tables come in).

Have a front-end "container" webpage that handles the query, paginating the output, and user preferences (sort order and items per page). The "preferences" can be encoded into the URL, they do not require cookies.

Since everything is supposed to be public anyway, you don't need robust security on the queries other than to keep the database and repository absolutely read-only from the webserver. Updating things would be done through a completely separate back-end.

X3M
X3M's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/28/2013
larienna wrote:Microsoft

larienna wrote:
Microsoft access could do the thing. I think the DB can hold pictures or a file path to a picture.

I did something like that in the past for Duel Masters. Not sure if it was in pure access, or a mix of access and visual basic.

I can give a very gruesome explanation of why I don't like Microsoft Access.
But I have chosen to only say that I don't like it.

If a database is too big, it is just sooooooooo slooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Especially when your computer communicates with a server somewhere else on the world.

jonathanflike
jonathanflike's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/09/2016
Thanks!

gxnpt wrote:
It should be simple enough to do in PHP/MySQL, especially if you keep the images as files and just reference the filename/location in the database.

I would need to know what you already know in order to make what would work for you.

Do you have your own website?
Have you ever used PHPMyAdmin?
How about Filezilla or other FTP program?
Your own HTML or just template stuff?

Hey gxnp,
Thanks for the response. I do have my own webstie through Wix. I haven't used any of those programs unfortunately, I'm pretty green with the technical end of web design, I can make things look pretty no problem, but I am definitely lacking in coding abilities. I did some HTML and CSS in dreamweaver way back when, but I remember it being a headache so I moved over to building on Wix. The biggest problem with it is the templates can be extremely limiting. I am willing to learn though if you had some go to resources I can look into. Thanks a bunch.

Corsaire
Corsaire's picture
Offline
Joined: 06/27/2013
I tried to look through Wix

I tried to look through Wix documentation but its load time is horrible on my iPad. I did see that Wix supports iFrames. Which means you could find a different toolset somewhere to embed.

I'd suggest skimming through joomla.org. It is a small step up technically, but a pretty solid web building psuedo language. In general for whatever tool, it should be a question of laying out a page with a dropdowns, labels, and text boxes with embedded images. If a page is connected to a database, query by example should be pretty standard.

Worse case, depending on your audience, you could publish a Google sheet and use the Image function within a cell. That can be searched and filtered, sorted, browsed, etc.

gxnpt
Offline
Joined: 12/22/2015
images

HTML

Javascript to change the picture

otherpic="you.jpg"
document.getElementById("me").src=otherpic

Or, if using iframes, just stick some PHP in the frame page and have it submit to itself with PHP filling in what changes

larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Else, I am a big fan of

Else, I am a big fan of SQLite since it does not requires a DB server and it's pretty fast.

jonathanflike
jonathanflike's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/09/2016
Thank you all!

I wanted to thank everyone for their insight and pointing me in some good directions. I think I found a workaround with some developer tools on Wix, database set collection, image repeaters, and a CSV spreadsheet that makes it much easier to put a large amount of cards on the website. There is no search function, but there aren't THAT many cards to make some minor scrolling a chore. Once I finish one of the factions I'll post it here, and maybe I can get some feedback. I am realizing that I need to take some time out of my day and start the process of learning to code, at least the basics. Man, maybe we'll all be rich one day and have a team instead of working alone and doing all the things.

Best,
-Jonathan Flike

larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
It's fun to do everything if

It's fun to do everything if you are a generalist person.

The only problem is it's hard to compete with people who have teams.

jonathanflike
jonathanflike's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/09/2016
Oh I agree

larienna wrote:
It's fun to do everything if you are a generalist person.

The only problem is it's hard to compete with people who have teams.


I agree, it is fun to take on a large project and work on it. There is something really rewarding about the experience. I think where it gets frustrating is when you reach this bottleneck of things to do and putting a new thing on that pile makes things feel overwhelming.

Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut