A: Simply put, a database in the eCriteria sense is a collection of information such as a product inventory, customer list, employee roster, or on the personal side, a girl's soccer team roster, church members, or class reunion attendee list. The structure of a simple database is a series of rows and columns of data. For example, a row in a customer list database might contain all the information describing a specific customer such as company name, address, phone number, credit limit, etc. Each data element, e.g. company name, represents a column (often called a "field") in the database. You can think of a database as a tabular set of data much like you'd find in an Excel spreadsheet.

Q: Where do I start?

A: A good place to start the process of publishing your own web database is to go through our demo which is available from our home page. The demo will illustrate the process in a step by step sequence. After the demo, you should register as a Data Author. You must be registered to publish your data. Once registered, you proceed to your private admin area called the "my eCriteria Control Panel" where you can create a new web database. Once the database is created, you can simply access it through the eCriteria website, or you can attach the database to your website. You can learn how to link to eCriteria by reading the "Linking to eCriteria" page in the How To section of our site.

Q: What is a Data Author?

A: A Data Author is a registered user of eCriteria who has created a Web database using our Web Database Publishing Wizard. As a Data Author, you have three levels of service: Standard, Premium, or Enterprise.

Q: What is a Data User?

A: A Data User is a person who uses any database hosted by eCriteria. Data Users do not need an eCriteria account. Typically, a Data User enters the name of the database for which access is desired from the "Use Database" page. A password may be required to access a database, but only if the Data Author requires one.

Q: How big can my database be? Is there a limit, and what if I exceed the limit?

A: A database can vary in size depending on the number of data records stored inside. Standard accounts may have up to 2.5 megabytes of aggregate data storage. You can have multiple databases with your Standard account as long as the total space does not exceed the limit. If your aggregate database size is larger than the limit, then you must upgrade to either a Premium or Enterprise account with which you get more database storage space.

Q: How can I add a Web database to my existing Web site?

A: Easy! Just create your database here on eCriteria and include an HTML "link" from your site over to eCriteria (we have complete instructions in the How To section of this site). When your users click on the link, they'll see the Criteria Page (or Data Entry Page if you created a data entry style database) and may immediately access your database. You don't have to learn Web or database programming to add database content to your site.

Q: How can I securely share data within my corporate department?

A: Our Enterprise capabilities are for you! With eCriteria Enterprise, you have a complete and secure data collaboration facility where you can set-up and maintain groups of users who you can require to "login" to your database to add, or modify their data records. For example, you easily could build an eCriteria database for time card record keeping.

Q: How much customization (in terms of the look-and-feel) does eCriteria allow?

A: eCriteria provides different levels of customization depending on the type of account. Standard accounts can create Web databases with the same functionality as Premium accounts, but are limited in customizing the look-and-feel of the database. Databases created by eCriteria Standard accounts will show eCriteria's large logo, small logo, and outside banner advertisements. All Premium and Enterprise accounts have two options for customization: (1) They can link to their eCriteria database by pasting a link on their website. The Web form, search criteria page, and/or search results page will show a graphic (such as a logo) that the Data Author uploaded to eCriteria, and a small graphic that says "Database Powered By eCriteria." (2) Premium and Enterprise accounts can opt for an even more seamless integration with their website by using the HTML code that eCriteria generates for Web input forms and search criteria forms as a starting point. By using a favorite HTML editor to modify and customize the HTML, Premium and Enterprise accounts can smoothly integrate the Web database into a new or existing page on their website. By modifying the eCriteria-generated HTML form code, Premium and Enterprise accounts can add pull down lists, radio buttons, checkboxes, and more to their Web forms..

Q: What kind of data can I publish in my own Web database?

A: eCriteria works with plain-text files and XML, so you can use the export feature of any of your favorite Windows, Mac, or Unix applications to generate data for eCriteria. Our Data Authors publish data from Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, and many more. Some Data Authors even publish data from their PalmPilot PDAs on the Web.

Q: Once I publish my database, how can I maintain it?

A: Every Data Author has her own private data administration area containing data maintenance features. From here, you can create a new database, add/edit/delete records in an existing database, delete a database, or download data. Once published, you have complete and secure control over your database.

Q: How are search results displayed?

A: Search results can be displayed in one of three ways: (1) Table view, (2) Form view, (3) Summary View. Table view shows multiple records on a page, and stretches across horizontally on the page. This is great for members who want to allow people to view the search results in a tabular, spreadsheet-like format. Form view shows one record on a page at a time, and is useful for Web databases with many fields. All the content in scrollable text boxes will be printable and viewable through Form view. Summary View shows multiple records at a time, with only the fields selected by the eCriteria member to show as a "summary." The database user can then click on "View records," which links to a view of the complete record, in form view.

Q: What if I want my data to be private?

A: During the eCriteria authoring process, you can assign a password to your database so that only you and your users can see it. You also have the opportunity to mark your database as private or public. A public database is one that anyone can search. Enterprise accounts have additional security capabilities.

Q: What is XML?

A: Otherwise known as the Extensible Markup Language, XML is a coding system that allows any type of information to be delivered across the World Wide Web. XML offers the prospect of allowing a wide range of applications to be distributed through the Web, and thus will increasingly become a powerful utility for data communications. More and more software applications are able to import and export XML. With a Premium or Enterprise account you can upload XML to eCriteria, or download your database from eCriteria in XML format to your desktop PC.

Q: Do I need to turn on my cookies?

A: Yes, eCriteria requires users to turn on cookies in their Web browser software.

Q: Why should I use eCriteria?

A: By using eCriteria you can "virtualize" your business or personal data and publish it as part of your website. You can also share your data with others. By using eCriteria, you'll save the time and expense of hiring a programmer or web consultant, all without needing to know about databases or programming.

Q: How can I ever thank you for this super service!?

A: Just tell your friends and associates about us and have them publish their data too. We're hoping our members will publish all sorts of interesting and useful databases. If you believe you have an interesting database, please let us know about it: support@eCriteria.net.