Student needs help for his thesis !

Hello,

I am a student in engineering and I need help for my thesis. I have to do a software which will manage the process of a small compagny
(see information about the workflow etc...)

I have to create a client application which would communicate with a DB server. The database must run under Solaris (and should be able to run under Windows),  and must be relational and support SQL. For the client, they would like to use StarOffice (to manipulate data retrieved  by SQL...) if possible, as they already use it for their activities.

So I was wondering:
- do you know such a database, and which is relatively simple to handle? I tried to install Oracle but it's pretty hard ! they talk about recompiling the kernel  and such things (?)... without doing that the install freezes on my sparc :( Is there a simplier database which runs on solaris & windows? (or do you know how to make Oracle work?)

• how can I create an interface (which ideally would be part of Staroffice) and which would communicate with a distant DB via SQL, in a transparent way ? I heared of (staroffice's) APIs?? I don't have many experience in development
  (a little bit of C & Java...) Is it possible to use Staroffice to do that?
  Maybe it would we better to use PHP or JSP?

Any help would be welcome!
Thanks !

devnix <devnix AT mailandnews DOT com> Received on Tue Feb 13 2001 - 19:36:13 CET