This document describes a tool called WDB, which is an interface between the World Wide Web and SQL based relational databases.
WDB was written at the Space Telescope -- European Coordinating Facility, to make the science data archive of observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope available to the European astronomers.
WDB allowed the ST--ECF to make a huge database, like the HST archive, available to a large number of users with relatively little effort. without having to worry about porting -- or even writing -- client software.
WDB has been available on the Internet as free software since September 1994, and are now being used by research institutes and commercial sites all over the world. The WDB mailing list counts more than 130 different sites, and it has been downloaded by a lot more.
WDB has a World Wide Web homepage at 'http://arch-http.hq.eso.org/wdb/wdb', where the WDB script, all documentation, news and updates always are available. The WDB software is provided as free software, but if you decide to use WDB a postcard or an email is appreciated. Also, I'm maintaining an e-mail mailing list for announcements of new versions etc., please mail me at bfrasmus@eso.org to subscribe.