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What is VFront

VFront is a free, open source front-end for MySQL or PostgreSQL databases written in PHP and Javascript. With VFront you can create forms for manage your data in AJAX style, different rules and privileges for groups, report in XML,HTML,PDF,statistics and much more. VFront is released under GPL license (version 2.0).

To whom and what VFront is useful

• VFront is useful for companies,brands or organizations, which use MySQL or PostgreSQL, in need of an easy consulting or modyfing access to database by their own employed whithout developing a specific client for that but simply using a web browser.
• Think about VFront as an interface tool for database, similar for some functions to MS access, but taking the lead with an easy access via web.VFront is not a database administration tool like phpMyAdmin and it's not replacing it : interface is for basic user working on data.
• VFront is created for non-expert users capable to work safely on data using an intuitive graphic interface.
• VFront is particularly useful when various and/or several users have to access to database using different privileges: a highly customizable system of groups and privileges makes access possible for various employed to specific tables or views, shows/hides specific fields, sets rules for input validation and keeps under control all the database activities.
• VFront has export data modules, statistics and report management based on xml, xsl and xsl-fo protocols.
• VFront can be useful too for those who, generically, are in need of an easy to install and configure database front-end.

The three VFront rules

Grabbing the paragraph shape from Asimov, we try now to express the general principles we used for developing VFront

1. VFront won't dirty your database, won't create tables or added views to your DB and won't modify data on tables unless you want expressly do it by creating queries. It will create his own discreet rules DB (or a personal schema on PostgreSQL) indeed. It won't seize your DB but let you use it.
2. VFront won't bypass rules set on your DB. Using VFront you can create new more restrictive bond rispect on those you made on your DB (in terms of foreign keys, accettable inputs on fields, etc) and not vice versa.
3. VFront will work as much best, as the definition of your database has been stricter. VFront loves normalization, foreign keys, primary keys (better if numerics), comments on tables and fields, etc... garbage in, garbage out : no escape.

All updates, new versions or contributions will follow these guide lines.

System requirements

Here are listed briefly the general characteristics of the system. For more details see the manuals .

• Apache Web server, version 2.x
• PHP 5.x
• MySQL 5.x, PostgreSQL 7.4 or 8.x (PostgreSQL support is in beta state)
• Linux server (preferably), but can also work correctly under Windows server