LabVIEW and online database

[frankysaint]

Hello,

I was wondering how to interface LabVIEW with an online database. The database will be or is a part of wordpress.  I hope that makes sense.

If anything is unclear, please ask and I will explain more.

thanks,

Frank

[aputman]

What sort of database is it? 

You can try the following.  Have never tried it with an online database but it does work on networked dBs.

Create a text document on your desktop and rename it to something like connection.udl

Double click the file

Configure the settings and test the connection

Open up the UDL file in a text editor and it will contain the connection string that can be used in the Database Connectivity Toolkit.

[mikeporter]

If the database primarily exists to support a WordPress installation it would be best to not try to access it directly as it would create a huge security hole. You can create PHP scripts that run on the server and which you call using the HTTP client VIs.

Check here for more info:

http://www.notatamelion.com/2015/06/08/building-a-web-backend-in-labview/

Mike...

[Sam_Sharp]

Wordpress runs on MySQL (only?), for security, many webhosts prevent access to databases from any IP address other than 'localhost' (i.e. the server running the PHP scripts) as Mike is alluding to. If your host allows it and you're willing to accept remote access, then you can use the Database Connectivity Toolkit (or another DB toolkit...I think there's a MySQL one) to connect to the database and get values. The more secure option is to create a RESTful HTTP PHP script which sits on the server and returns the data you want through an API.

[frankysaint]

Thanks all.  I will try the suggestions and report back.

[frankysaint]

Hello Mike,

Your link was informative.

I have a few questions. Where will the php file reside? Does the php file run when the LabVIEW code runs?  Can I run the code without LabVIEW to test if it will work on the server side?

thanks,

Frank

[Sam_Sharp]

The PHP file sits on the web-server (e.g. where your database lives). It 'runs' every time a HTTP client tries to access it - when you visit http://mysite.com/test.php, it executes the PHP script 'test.php' and returns some data. It is completely separate and has nothing to do with LabVIEW - so you can probably write your API in PHP and test it without using LabVIEW at all.

[frankysaint]

Hello Sam,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I figure it would sit on the server side. But does it matter what folder on the server side the php file is located?

Also, I assume that the "OpenHandle.vi" in LabVIEW would need the username and password as inputs, yes?

thanks in advance,

Frank

[mikeporter]

The server configuration will tell you where to put the files. You only need an ID and password is they are needed to access the website.

Remember, you aren't talking directly to the database, you are talking to the web server which is providing you with data (that just happens to be in the database).

Mike...

[frankysaint]

Hello Mike,

Where can I find the server configuration?

thanks

Frank