Automatic Generation of Web User Interfaces in PHP Using Database Metadata

In this paper, using PHP and the abstraction library ADOdb we aim to study the possibility of using metadata stored in system tables in databases to develop user interface elements. We discuss the significance of using a generic, non DBMS specific database abstraction library. Using PHP and ADOdb promises to be a good candidate to generate Web user interfaces dynamically in contrast to current framework convention approaches. We contrast a strong use of database metadata as an information source with the framework approach´s reliance on convention.