Web page to collect and store user info.

Ok... Background. Done lots of programming of excel / sql / some HTML / some ASP.net / some javascript and good at the first dangerous on the remaining.

Ok so here's what I want to ask. .... and if need be break this thread up into smaller subjects.

1. Web page will be personal ( aka on my own network in my house )
2. Have installed and am using Windows IIS manager ( ok it runs and I've made things and they work ) I'm just not an expert on web / networking.
3. Have diabetes and get tired of having to plug in a bunch of numbers into my spread sheet at one time. Usually, have a smart phone with me so that if I had a simple web page to put a reading or two in at a time it would make me smile

4. So ... to start .... I need to make a website that has a front page where I would put in data ... and when I click submit some page of code or what have you would take that data and save it to a, let's say, csv file. I'll have excel look for new files and import them later.


So I do not know what code php, java, vbscript, or whatever is out there that will 1 work on IIS ( without having to install anything else ) and save data to said file.


I'm fine with that front page being nothing more than a form that has 1 text box and a submit button. What I need is just a how. I've learned all my programming by finding examples ... and then learning as I go.

Regards,
Barry

Seems like you could just use Google Sheets or something similar. You can edit that from a smartphone. Or maybe just move your Excel sheet to OneDrive, and use the MS Excel mobile app to edit it.

Otherwise, I'm sure ASP.net can do what you're wanting, though the one expert I know on the subject, I haven't seen around here in a while.

I'm not an ASP guy either. I'm more PHP (Apache, UNIX).

Why does it have to be your "own network"? If you used a website (a personal website), you could store data there and access from anywhere.

A website doesn't have to be "web pages". You can subscribe to a webhost and store anything you want, that only you can access.

Or, get a diabetes blood tester that is bluetooth to an iphone app.

What is an example of some "numbers" or info that you need to enter?

EDIT:
And if your numbers were in a database on your website, you could have a PHP script to display the data in the form of charts (like a line chart). You could see your trends over time. If you were at a doctor's office, you could log into your site with your smart phone and show it to them also.

All valid points,

1. Why not a web hosting service .... cause I'm cheap. I know my ip addr and know how to do the port forwarding so ... for what I know buying a hosting service is not an expense I'm wanting to take on.
2. Different meter. Well the VA doesn't have a different meter and test strips can run in the neighborhood of $1.50 a test for various meters.
3. Database... Sure I could do database .... think I've installed SQL Lite or something have done work with databases. Just thought that a text file would be simpler.

As far as why a web page .... Cause I want to learn something new. Want to figure out this web stuff. Would love to figure out the "APP" stuff but .... Just no ambition for that yet.

Will look again at ASP.Net ... just thought that stuff was dead.

ASP is perfectly fine. Not many of us use it though. Just because PHP is so common and easy to use.

Webhosting (example: cleverdot.com) with a domain name for the 1st year is $39.95 ... after that, about $54 per year? That's $4.50 per month. Not really an expense that is overwhelming. Less than a cup of Latte at Starbucks?

It's just that with a website, you could enter data from anywhere ... not just at home. Yes, you could keep your computer connected to the internet and access from outside, but it's a pain if it shuts down and the dynamic IP changes when it comes back online. Plus you have to maintain it (as a server). You could say it would be private and nobody else would know the IP. You could say your ISP (internet service provider) is OK with you having your server always

As far as apps go, there are 2 types of apps.
1) Online apps. Where a webpage is used as the user interface. The smartphone has a normal screen icon, but the app is really a website.
2) Native apps. Where you program and compile an app that is installed in the smartphone (IOS or Android). This is very much harder to do, and you can't do IOS unless you're certified by Apple as a developer and your app passes the tests.

I do online apps all the time. I have my own GUI to control things around my house. Nothing critical, just outside deck lights, and various monitoring devices. I tap the icon on my iPhone and the control panel (using Safari browser) pops up. Or I ask Alexa to turn on my deck lights.

Thanks everybody. Well I'll look into the asp.net .... last time I did it was like over 15 years ago and it wasn't a big project then so will have to relearn the hows again. Was just hoping there was a simple easy way to make something for home.


Regards,

If you decide to install WAMP with PHP and MySQL for your server, I would be glad to offer PHP help. ASP.net if foreign to me. Sorry.

There are also numerous options outside of ASP.net, which is rarely used due to the overhead cost, and PHP, which is easy to learn, but becoming a bit outdated as an overall technology. You mention JavaScript as something you know. There's an entire backend ecosystem based on it called NodeJS that is lightning fast and fairly simple to develop with. You can also go with Ruby, Python, Go and a plethora of others. Don't restrict yourself if you want to learn something new. There are better options.

mlseim,

Had to look up wamp and what is it. Will look into that.

and thanks Ron ... will keep your advice in mind!