Just getting started and I want to know if MySQL is gonna do what I need it to do.

[Tony Cass]

Hey everybody!!

So I've been doing some reading and I think that MySQL might be the tool I need to do what I'm trying to do. I'm hoping so because it looks pretty neat!

Fair warning, this will most likely be a stupid wall of text, which is probably very inconsiderate for a guy's first post here.

Anyway, a little about me. I work for a local company and I manage our training program. Our company has 4 facilities, each with a trainer on site, and the site trainers report to me. I'm generally tech savvy and I'm not afraid of manipulating code, but I don't really know any syntax or programming language. So basically, I can copy and paste code and change stuff within code to suit what I'm trying to do. I can remember having fun with JavaScript in the late 90s. Ohhh 90s internet...

But I digress.

I have access to a company intranet where I will be storing this data. So the code can open network folders and stuff if needed. I don't want this hosted on the Internet.

Let me tell you what I'm trying to do and hopefully MySQL in conjunction with some other stuff can get it done.

I want a GUI-based database entry program. I know that MySQL is primarily text based, but I also know that there are other programs that can work on top of it as a GUI. I heard of one called PHP MyAdmin or something like that. Not sure how it works, but anyway, I have heard of it. So like I was saying, the GUI part is important because my site trainers aren't exactly tech savvy and there's no way they can deal with a text-based command prompt style of anything.

Every worker at every facility must have a few papers to sign. For our purposes, let's say that the topics are Job Safety (JS), Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), and Code of Conduct (CC). In reality, there are actually about 12 different topics, but to explain this, we will just use 3. When a new person shows up for their first day, the site trainer will go over the training materials, get the new workers to read and sign the papers and then they will scan them and save them as a PDF on a network drive.

What I'd like is instead of just saving them as H:\Training\Joe_Worker\LOTO.pdf, maybe we could upload them via a GUI. The reason this is important is because we can add info to the file as it's uploaded. The Site Trainer could upload Joe Worker's JS, LOTO and CC paperwork and fill out a small form as it's done. One field would of course be the worker's name, which would be selected from a drop down menu. And there would be a place where you could select if the uploaded file is JS, LOTO, CC or any combination of them (checkboxes would probably be suitable for this). Then there would also be a field where the Site Trainer would select the date of signature from the form, which may/may not be different than the date it's uploaded (the trainer might get the paper signed and then leave it on a desk for a week before scanning cuz they're busy). The signature date field would need to be a drop down or one of those on-screen calendars. And finally, we would need to know which facility, probably with a drop down selector again. So the file would be uploaded and stored on our network drive with the 4 extra pieces of data attached to it: Worker name, Type of document, date of signature and location. The GUI needs to be as guided as possible. If I leave blank fields and ask for the name, they'll end up spelling it wrong or including a middle name or something weird like that.

I'd also like for my site trainers to be able to add workers since they usually see the new people before anyone else. Maybe a simple add form. Just Firstname, lastname, location and start date.

I would also like for my Site Trainers to be able to re-categorize someone as "terminated" or something. Like, if they go in and see someone is no longer working there, they could change from "Active" to "Term".

I do NOT want my Site Trainers to be able permanently delete a worker's data, or even change their data, beyond their Active/Term status.

Finally, I'd like to be able to see this info laid out in an easy to understand way.

My company gets audited by various customers and regulatory bodies. They always want to see recent training efforts. So I'd like to be able to export a location's data to a XLS or something. Or at least have it visible on screen where you could see everyone's names laid out something like this:


NAME l Start l CC l JS l LOTO
Joe John l 2/5/09 l 5/4/18 l 4/3/16 l 2/2/15
Tim Smith l 7/4/14 l 7/2/17 l 4/3/16 l 9/5/18
Amy Wong l 2/8/16 l 2/8/16 l 4/3/16 l 7/1/18

And I'd like the dates to be clickable. Like, if an auditor wanted to see the signed copy of their CC paperwork, I could just click on the date and BOOM there's the PDF with the date and stuff on it. And maybe have the worker's name clickable too and it would open their folder.

So that's what I'm trying to do. Is MySQL with some GUI on top what I'm looking for?

Thank you! Sorry about the first post wall o' text!