Which program should I use?

[smellyfb]

Hello,
I am just starting some web design and I am a bit overwhelmed with everything there is to know. I am wondering which software I should use to develop this application for my client. So, I have this client and they want their customers to be able to be able to find the product that is right for them based on about 20 questions (hopefully in a drop down format). So the questions would all be on their website and after the client selects the correct response from the 20 drop down menus a final product or products which are right for them will be displayed. And also they would like it on CD-ROM for their sales reps to be able to do the same when they are with the distributors. DOes anyone know which software I should use to do this.
Thank you,
Smelly

[smoseley]

Sounds like something you'll want to use VB / ASP (for the web) and VB (CD) for.

You can make an Active X DLL to calculate the algorithm for your ASP page and a compiled EXE for the CD, with a thick-client interface.

Alternatively, you can make an Active X Control (OCX) for your web page, which is like a thick-client application for the web.

[tha_Gsheep]

Of course I don't want to make any judgements but I think you might be throwing yourself in at the deep end slightly if your planning on doing a full fledged dynamic site for a client proffesionally as your first Job. Its a bit late to go back now obviously but I would recommend you seek as much help as you can muster as I've been doing it for six years and such a project always give me the starting out judders.

But to help you out as much as I can heres what I would say:
it sounds like no matter what solution you come up with your going to have to learn to use databases in your design. I say this because you want to order specific results depending on the clients preference so the information has to be catagorised under a heading in the first place to order. Also, the clients will be searching for specific products, the most efficent way of achieving this is to put them under headers for a search engine to plough through.
I would recommend that you look in to a database software called MySQL as it is easy to use and highly documented so you'll get loads of help everywhere. To develop the site I would look into using PHP thats a language that will be able to talk to your database full of items. With these two in mind go out on to the net and find some pre-made solutions and fiddle with them trying to adapt them for your client that way you can get a good grounding fo what your doing and your not just struggling to put together something that works everyday, you've got something to fall back on.
Really do expoit the use of networking on the web as much as you can, thats what its there for ask those in the know such as the forums for the official sites.
Good luck.

[smellyfb]

Thank you everyone. I will definitely keep all of your suggestions in mind.