help request from a complete rookie

Hi to anyone who reads this. first of all i apologise in advance if the questions i will ask are stupid but i really dont know the answer and i was always told if you dont ask you dont know :)

i have been asked to produce a website for an estate agent ( real estate) i own super suite and use dreamweaver very sparingly over the last year or two.

i understand that i should use both site assist and data assist to create the finished site but i found myself confused at the first hurdle cos i have never done a dynamic site, so, the questions i would like to ask are :

1, do i need to build a seperate database to hold the information on the properties on the books of the estate agaent?
1a if so, which is better to build in access or something else? (i have access but have never used it however i have a subscription with the lovely people at linda.com so i could learn how to use it)
1b, if one has to be made do i build just the bare bones of it containing just the sections i want to feature or do i have to include all details of all the properties

1c if i have to include all the properties details, do i have to update the database each time there is a new property ,once everything is on line and up and running, or can i simply update using the web site which inturn updates the database instead of editing a database on my home machine then uploading another replacemnet data base?

2 the client ideally wants to have a site which mirrors one of the competitors sites which has a public viewing area and also a admin section to insert new details and ammend existing details etc - would i beable to create the same style with these programmes?

3 what is php and coldfusion? i hear the words but dont really know the difference, is it just similar to coke and pepsi as being brand names for the same product or something else?

3a do i need to own a copy of either programme inorder to complete my website. i do intend to upload all to a mainstrean domain hosting company?

3c which is better and by that i mean easier to use?

3d are they stuff that only servers use i dont have to worry apart from making sure the server i use supports the software?

those are my start off questions

i would really appreciate any help anyone can give an embarrassed rookie

1) Yes, you should crate a database to sotr information about the properties that are to be listed.

1a) I would recommend using MySQL.

1b) The complexity of the database depends on the information that you want to display on the website. If the website will only display the bare bones information about a property, there is no need to crate a database that stores all of the property details however, if you plan to display the property details on the website, that infomation will need top be stored in the database.

1c) You can use DataAssist to create administrative pages to insert Update or delete records.

2) Yes, using Site Assist, DataAssist and security assist, you will be able to create public and administrative sections of the site and allow administrators to manage the database.

3) PHP, ColdFusion and ASP Are all Programing languages used to develop dynamic websites.

3a) You do not need to have any of these installed, but it doers help to speed along development.

3b) Go with PHP / MySQL. Moving forward, we will not be supporting the other languages.

3c) Yes, they are used by the server. Before getting started, you should familiarize yourself with Dynamic Site Design. I would recommend the Foundation PHP Series by David Powers:
foundationphp.com/


As well as our Web Development: Before you begin tutorial:
web_dev_begin.pdf