I am thinking you will have to create a script that will tell drupal that you have all those records there. For editing them you may have to create a separate module depending on how complex your records are (i.e. text only or attachments,etc).

This might help you out a bit

http://bensangeorge.com/2009/06/drupal-bits-migrat...

Doing something like what you are doing is pretty common. Let me ask you a few questions before I dive in with a recommendation.

Is all this info in a database already? If so, what kind?

Does the existing database setup need to remain the same? Are there any other applications working with it?

The database currently does not exist. However, I would like to use Drupal as a front-end for a database (i.e. I could use it to enter information and modify records). The database need not be complicated. It is a simple database catalog - nothing relational other than categories to which certain documents belong.

Thanks for getting back with me.

This sounds very simple. In drupal you can create a new content type to hold your data. If you need any additional fields you can add them using CCK and you can categorize the data by creating a taxonomy type and adding the different categories as taxonomy terms. When you create the taxonomy type you can associate it with the content type you created.

Then you can go into the user permissions settings and make sure that anonymous and logged in users can view the data but not edit,create or delete it.

If you are familiar with drupal the above is not hard to do, but if you are not then just keep updating this thread and we'll help you through it.

Oh, forgot to add this:

You can create lists of the data (i.e. a list of all the categories and how many items in each category) using the view2 module.

This was the approach I was considering. I need to get more familiar with taxonomy. Care to explain it to me in some detail? Or point to me some resources that explain it any way you may recommend?

One final question: can you tell me where the raw data is stored for each node that is created? That would be helpful. I would like to be able to have maximum control over backing up this data and that would be helpful.

Thanks...

I just installed drupal in a sandbox so I will try to create you a screencast tonight if I have time.

That would be radical. Appreciate the guidance.

Drupal stores each item/webpage as a node. So when you add new content it creates a new node and will create an entry in the node table that lists what kind of node it is (blog, static page, etc), when it was created, when it was last edited, etc but it doesn't include any of the content of the node. Node content (such as the text in the body) is stored in the node_revisions table.

If you want me to make a screencast showing this in phpmyadmin just let me know.

I am uploading the screencast to blip.tv right now so it should be there soon.

http://samplett.blip.tv/

I hope it makes sense I went through it pretty quick and it still took 8 minutes :)

You can watch the video here

http://blip.tv/file/2364113

Thanks again - I take a look this weekend and give you feedback.