The document discusses using web forms and web services to collect and report user data instead of databases. It describes the author's journey from using FileMaker and Terascript to Ruby on Rails to Google Forms. Web forms provide a way to engage users, collect data, and leverage user-generated content through reports. The author proposes using Cascade, an interface for viewing database records and reports, to output data from web forms to CSV files. Examples are provided of building PHP web services to integrate with Cascade for reporting user data from web forms while addressing considerations like server performance and changing data definitions.

1. Web Forms, or How I
Learned to Stop Worrying
and Love Web Services
Erik Gorka
Reed College
erikg@reed.edu

2. You Can Do That With
Web Services!

4. The Journey
• FileMaker and Terascript
• Lots of databases
• Ruby on Rails
• Resource intensive
• Google Forms
• Problems with the user experience

5. What is a Web Form, Really?
• A way to engage users
• User experience is important
• A way to collect data
• Data collection means data reporting
• User generated content
• Leverage that content

6. Cascade Not Just
for Web Pages
• Assets are database records
• A report is just an index of assets
• Cascade is an interface for looking at data
• Reports can be viewed inside Cascade
• Or can output alternate formats - CSV files
• Most of our users already use Cascade Server

7. Why PHP?
• PHP is common and lightweight
• Hannon Hill provides PHP web service examples:
https://github.com/hannonhill/Webservices-PHP-Sample-
Project

8. Considerations
• Fit PHP applications into college template
• Have a way to see the format of the structured
data for development
• Not everyone who needs reports use Cascade
Server
• Spam!

9. Gotchas
• Server downtime
• Performance
• Changing Data Definitions
• The Recycling Bin

10. Demos
• PHP Configuration Set with Structured Data
• Web Service Asset Reader
• Alumni Mentors
• Student Meetups

11. Q & A

12. Thank you!
• Hannon Hill Github PHP Web Service Examples:
https://github.com/hannonhill/Webservices-PHP-Sample-
Project
• Erik Gorka
erikg@reed.edu