Relational Databases and Python

[glinds - Greg Lindstrom]

Greetings-

I am wanting to access a relational database via Python.  Knowing that a
"simple" query such as "Why no "do until" statement" can generate replies
for months, I offer the following:

*	What relational database to use?  I am constructing a routine to
track incident reports for the volunteer fire department I run with.  I also
want to track personnel information, training records, equipment, etc.  It
will be a small to medium database (the databases I work with professionally
run in the terabytes, but we spend millions on software).  I am looking at
MySQL.  Whatever base I use must be free.
*	How to access the database?  I would like to use SQL via ODBC.  I
have attempted to install the mxODBC module, but have run into trouble with
the first step (get and install mxDateTime).  That's not a good sign.  I
would like a simple communication to the  database (else I will write a "C"
routine to do it for me!).  What's out there?
*	With an eye to the future, I would like to write a Web-based system
so that I can offer this system to other volunteer departments in the
county.  We simply cannot afford $2500+ for reporting software (that will
fully outfit 2 firefighters including SCBA (breathing equipment) and PASS (a
safety device)).  Though I have talked with a couple of companies offering a
"volunteer rate", we simply cannot afford to spend that kind of money on
software.  How do I get started writing web apps?  I have good friends at
work telling me that Perl is the way to go; I program both, but am partial
to Python.

Thanks to any and all offering suggestions.

Greg Lindstrom, FF/FR
Vilonia Volunteer Fire Department
Vilonia, Arkansas (that's 30 miles North of Little Rock)