Need ASP.net advice - Building a Knowledgebase

[redbeacon]

Hi all,

 

I'm not sure whether there will be bikers here that are in companies doing Web Application Development or any one kind soul that practices webpage design/development. Nevertheless, I'll give it a try by posing my questions here:

 

First and foremost, I'm building a full-fledged website for a client. What will be inside the entire customer's website will be pages and pages of Knowledge-base FAQs -- you know, like single page documents of how-to's documentation inside my website.

 

This is what I would like to do (for the customer's front page):

 

http://i31.tinypic.com/2yod4if_th.gif

(click to enlarge)

 

...and these Items numbers #1 thru #3 (illustrated on the picture), can be clicked, and will directly link visitors to the full version of their respective knowledge-base "page".

 

Ok, broad picture now: What do you suppose is the best way I can go about storing my knowledge-base "pages"?

 

I don't suppose i could use a SQL database to store one page - where that single page will contain paragraphs and paragraphs of information on (eg.) the different ways to cook an egg, would you? One field in a database can't store that much text, based on what I remember.

 

How about other alternatives? XML files, other's that I've never heard of?

 

I'd like to hear any suggestions on this. What is your (or maybe your company) best practice on this? I don't mind taking in any silly suggestions too.

Thanks in advance!

[meh meh 羊åƒè]

1) This is your company project which you get paid for.

2) From your past posts you like to slam on those weak in IT knowledge making jokes out of them bringing out your superiority.

3) From the questions you raised you are obviously not a developer.

 

Considering that I must learn to be a gracious person,

1) There are many different data types for database backends.

2) Go read up on SQL Server data types.

3) How do you think long posts in SBF are being stored if not database?

4) File based approach belonged to the 90s and turn your server into a dog.

 

What you are trying to do is essential a CMS. Go do some research and if allowed, plenty of free and open source solutions that give your client a much high quality output than can be expected from you.

[edition]

can be clicked, and will directly link visitors to the full version of their respective knowledge-base "page"

alternative 1 : go try research on ajax control functionality .. there's plenty of ajax control functionality .. i believe they have wat u want ..

 

alternative 2: can try to go to backbone of the code aka the source and type ur own html code .. but the result won't be as gd as ajax

[edition]

1) This is your company project which you get paid for.

2) From your past posts you like to slam on those weak in IT knowledge making jokes out of them bringing out your superiority.

3) From the questions you raised you are obviously not a developer.

 

Considering that I must learn to be a gracious person,

1) There are many different data types for database backends.

2) Go read up on SQL Server data types.

3) How do you think long posts in SBF are being stored if not database?

4) File based approach belonged to the 90s and turn your server into a dog.

 

What you are trying to do is essential a CMS. Go do some research and if allowed, plenty of free and open source solutions that give your client a much high quality output than can be expected from you.

 

cool dwn dude ..

[Refugee]

database can one lah.

 

just split into different parts lor....

[redbeacon]

Many thanks for the suggestions, Sir Meh Meh (or pardon me if you're a ma'am?)

 

What you've said was quite damaging and rather one-off.

But, let me take the time to explain why I have presented my question here, and i'm going to reply you in ascending order of what you've presented:

 

I have decided to take a big step from just the simple static webpage, to something that involves client, server, and whatever database that's inside it. I have often wondered how CMS websites hold such large amounts of data if a (Knowledge-base) page contains rich HTML formatting. As such, I was quite skeptical on whether a long string of the abovementioned would fit into a field in a table, of a database. And hence, I even doubted the data types -- thought they were puny little values, and yes I was silly enough as a neophyte to think this way.

 

But now you've proven that it's possible and that file-based data storage is impractical to be used against today's precious server processing power.

 

Sir, just want to let you know that my "client" isn't a big company to which a neophyte developer would hope to earn big bucks from. Very sorry if you have thought of this this way and I actually earn nil from this and in the hopes that my client can benefit from $0 to advertising dollars per month.

 

All this for the interest of coding...I started out how to simply create webpages for my own benefit and have since upgraded myself to include adventurous web-based design. And alright, I'll give it to you that I'm not a developer (yet). No surprise here though and I do pratically take my hat off to those accomplished developers squinting at their monitors 24/7 just finding out why their multi-thousand dollar project gave a Runtime Error, just because they clumsily missed an ending quotation " ' " in their code.

 

But I digress.

 

I was and am never the sort of person that looks down on others when it comes to computing. I've socialised with grandmas and granduncles whose ancient-era companies have converted from paper/pen/books to PC when I did my Desktop Support stint and they have shared their hair-raising experiences when using companies' computers to do accounting and record-keeping. Do I laugh when they forget to plug in their CPU, and hence go home thinking I'll get paid doing a crap 9-to-6 job only? If they really need their computer for important company work, despite being not very proficient in computing -- do I laugh in front of their concerned and flustered selves?

 

My friends look me up for computing advice, my relatives living in a poor country as well. I'm more than happy to help them as I believe a non-working computer is similar to a very expensive white-horse with a glossy flatscreen, collecting dust.

 

This is apart from work-related attitude, where one shakes his head and screams at his subordinates when the latest patch from Microsoft wasn't applied at 9am to one of their companies' servers, but instead an hour later, minus propagation. I could cite numerous cases where I've encountered compentent (i.e. geeky) computer users that were plain ignorant to those who need help, but that would make my post longer.

 

I hope you aren't one of them.

If you feel the need to label me a geek, I'll take that as a plausible comment.

In fact, I do get used to people critiquing me this way as well. But if one can reason it out, then that's another story (and hopefully no sore losers will erupt from this).

 

Let me get straight to the point if you still don't get the gist of what I'm tryint to prove. With regards to comments 1 thru 3, what in good heavens are you talking about?

 

For the rest of the guys who are reading this and who frequent the I.T.inerary section of SBF, do confirm with me if you were the victim of insults/jokes as with what this Sir has claimed. If it's toward my regret that there actually are, I'd be glad to offer my sincere apologies and maybe a cup of tea on the house too

 

Nelly

 

P.S.: Whew, that took a good 1 hour to type all of these out.

 

1) This is your company project which you get paid for.

2) From your past posts you like to slam on those weak in IT knowledge making jokes out of them bringing out your superiority.

3) From the questions you raised you are obviously not a developer.

 

Considering that I must learn to be a gracious person,

1) There are many different data types for database backends.

2) Go read up on SQL Server data types.

3) How do you think long posts in SBF are being stored if not database?

4) File based approach belonged to the 90s and turn your server into a dog.

 

What you are trying to do is essential a CMS. Go do some research and if allowed, plenty of free and open source solutions that give your client a much high quality output than can be expected from you.

[jB]

1) This is your company project which you get paid for.

2) From your past posts you like to slam on those weak in IT knowledge making jokes out of them bringing out your superiority.

3) From the questions you raised you are obviously not a developer.

 

Considering that I must learn to be a gracious person,

1) There are many different data types for database backends.

2) Go read up on SQL Server data types.

3) How do you think long posts in SBF are being stored if not database?

4) File based approach belonged to the 90s and turn your server into a dog.

 

What you are trying to do is essential a CMS. Go do some research and if allowed, plenty of free and open source solutions that give your client a much high quality output than can be expected from you.

 

I got no idea if its his company project or a personal one. Come to think of it, I don't really remember him slamming on newbies with jokes etc, I'd plead guilty immediately if you'd say its me. I don't really like to laugh when I go to customer's place, just to make a few laughs to cheer them up and let them realise their folly.

 

Just last night I was at someone's home to figure out why he/she couldn't access a GOV website. Never been to that web before, nor do I need that web's service now. Somehow I explained the problem to him after a while that the weblink has expired, fixed a few tweaks in his com, get paid and I bounced.

 

Being gracious is good man, what goes around comes around. We all will always start in something new as a "L-plater" and requires help/assistance from our "Instructors". I myself have learnt some info from TS(redbeacon) as well. And No, I do not know him personally to side him in this issue

 

 

Sir, just want to let you know that my "client" isn't a big company to which a neophyte developer would hope to earn big bucks from. Very sorry if you have thought of this this way and I actually earn nil from this and in the hopes that my client can benefit from $0 to advertising dollars per month.

good to help for learning also my first DIY cpu was helped done up FOC by a classmate and his cousin because he liked to learn and fix it up.

 

accomplished developers squinting at their monitors 24/7 just finding out why their multi-thousand dollar project gave a Runtime Error, just because they clumsily missed an ending quotation " ' " in their code.

yea I tried troubleshooting some blogs(I know its easy to others not much to me) already

 

For the rest of the guys who are reading this and who frequent the I.T.inerary section of SBF, do confirm with me if you were the victim of insults/jokes as with what this Sir has claimed. If it's toward my regret that there actually are, I'd be glad to offer my sincere apologies and maybe a cup of tea on the house too

I still think I made victims instead of myself being one , I don't mind free tea :] more milk pls

 

P.S.: Whew, that took a good 1 hour to type all of these out.

I took 15mins you're tired man, take a rest. I'll PM you over msn later about who might be able to help you.

[meh meh 羊åƒè]

 

Maybe the author of the topics in weird encounters thread wasn't you?

 

Tech support making jokes out of others?

 

I don't think you're ready to take on this project with your own effort. From the way you've put it, a bespoke system is not needed. Most COTS/OSS can deliver what you want with differences only in additional functionality, presentation, etc. It'd be better both ends for you just to do installation and configuration and not development.

[redbeacon]

Alright then.

 

Based on IT literate people encountering odd experiences with those who are not IT savvy, and deeming them as funny in the end -- I've come to accept your concern on my attitude/behaviour.

 

But do take note that this behaviour (i.e. sharing of funny I.T. experiences) does exist in the I.T. world as well, as with TV comedies and websites that engage in slapstick/parody.

 

Regards.