Quick and dirty reports based on a SQL query

Question

I never thought I'd ever say this but I'd like to have something like the report generator in Microsoft Access. Very simple, just list data from a SQL query.

I don't really care what language is used as long as I can get it done fast. C#,C++,Python,Javascript...

I want to know the quickest (development sense) way to display data from a database.

edit :

I'm using MySQL with web interface for data input. I would be much better if the user had some kind of GUI.

Answer 1

Depends on the database -- with [sqlite][1], for example, ...:

$ sqlite3 databasefile 'select foo, bar from baz'

is all it takes (see the URL I pointed to for more options you can use, e.g. to change the output format, etc). Mysql has a similar command-line client (see e.g. here), so does PostgreSQL (see here), etc, etc.

So, what specific DB engine are you concerned with? Or, if more than one, which set?

Answer 2

Some suggestions: 1) ASP.NET Gridview ---use the free Visual Studio to create an asp.net page ...can do VB, C#, etc. ---drag/drop a gridview control on your page, then connect it to your data and display fields, all via wizard (you did say quick and dirty, correct?). No coding required if you can live within the wizard's limitations (which aren't too bad actually).

The type of database (mySQL or otherwise) isn't relevant.

Other quick and dirty approach might be Access itself -- it can create 'pages', I think, that are web publishable.

If you want to put a little more work into it, ASP.NET has some other great controls / layout capability (non-wizard derived).

Also, you could look at SSRS if you have access to it. More initial setup work, but has the option to let your users create their own reports in a semi-Access-like fashion. Web accessible.

Good luck.