CFusion vs Oracle vs Visual.net vs Access? Heeelp.
Here is an outline of the project that I about to start. In a nutshell, what I am trying to do is to build a robust internet-based application that will automate the processed outlined below. Optimizing the resources ($) is also an important goal.
Based on that info, can you give some advice as to what tools I can use to create this app.

I have ruled out MS Access and ASP unless I am convinced otherwise.

1. This project requires getting data from some legacy database. As of right now, someone has to log into the system on DOS and go through a series of commands and then dump the output into an Excel spread sheet. There are a couple of third party software packages and one of them is XXXXX Viewer. I have not had a chance to read up on this it (XXXXX Viewer) and I do not know which other application it interfaces with. If it does not interface with any other application, that is OK; uploading from an Excel DB can be automated.

2. That spread sheet is then copied into another Excel spreadsheet and processed using Visual Basic for Application. In the version to be built, there will be a lot of statistical analysis and mathematical modeling. This will require calling libraries form statistical packages. One of the modeling package is GAMS. This package can be accessed thru say a CGI script.

3. Using the processed data, graphs (some need to be in 3-D) are drawn. This application is heavy on charts. Right now since the customer is using Excel, the customer is taking advantage of the Excel's excellent plotting capabilities. If I am to use some application (internet) server (such as Cold Fusion or Oracle Application Server), I need to have a good plotting tool that a user can trigger from a browser. One of the plotting routine I can think of is "Sigma Plot" if an application server does not have a built in plotting routine, of its own. I am assuming (without investigating) that Sigma Plot can be interfaced with an application (internet) server and that Excel cannot.

4. The tool/application must be able to generate reports; this has to do with complying with section 508 (people with disability).

5. This tool/application will interface with XXXX; an internet -based application built using Oracle 9i by some Company. As you know, I cannot consult a competitor.

5. There must be a stratified access to the data in the database; a user will have a combination of (a) read/download and (b) edit. This division uses data that has to be supplied by people from other departments; exchange of data is usually done by phone. Having a web-based tool will make the process much smoother.

6. This tool may have to be XXXXX 508 Compliant.

7. This tool must comply with AFPCA security restrictions. I have not had a chance to read up on what these restrictions are.

As of right now, I do not know whether the (XXXXX) has a spare Oracle or SQL Server 7/2000 license that I can use and whether it has Oracle Application Server or a Cold Fusion Server.

FYI

My division has developed an web-based (mapping) application for the National Guard Bureau. The main components used were Cold Fusion Server (web), SQL Server 7.0 (database), Visio Microstrategy (plotting). If I am to use the NGB application as a model for my new application, I would not need Visio and I would replace, a very expensive tool with a much cheaper plotting tool.

What do you think of Visual Studio. net? Is it a possiblilty? I dont not know much about it but if it can do the job and it is cheap, why not?