Database connection and what is the best method

Question

Hi - I am new at this, so hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.
looking at a project costing form where specific users need to complete a form with some prepopulated data expense data
The data is in a local Access database at the moment, with plans on moving it to a web sql tables.
Overview
I would like to be able to open a main form, select various criteria
(ie select Project Number)
push button to load data the specific project data
push button to extend reader functionality and save as with a new name based on project number
After review, push button to send PDF to user by email (email address is in the loaded data).
User is able to save data locally on his PC (save capability with the extended reader functions)
When user finished, he can send pdf back to me for data upload to the database
Question 1:
I am looking at the ODBC connection strings and javascript to do this.
Is this possible? If so, what is the best way to do this?
Question 2:
Once the "extend features" has been used, can javascripts be used to load different data or extended the Reader functions can only be done after the data is loaded?
Any help or assistance as to where to look would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

As long as your database provides an ODBC driver then it can be used to access the DB. Please see my answers below for the rest of your queries.
Paul
I would like to be able to open a main form, select various criteria (ie select Project Number) push button to load data the specific project data
<answer> This is doable. There are samples published but note that it will involve some javascript coding to accomplish
push button to extend reader functionality and save as with a new name based on project number
<answer> This woudl have to be done through Acrobat and woudl involve some manual intervention. Do you intend on sending the form with the data connection information to them? I woudl recommend that a separate form be used for this. The data connection may cause problems for them when they open the form (remember that they will not have access to the DB).
After review, push button to send PDF to user by email (email address is in the loaded data).
<answer> not an issue
User is able to save data locally on his PC (save capability with the extended reader functions)
When user finished, he can send pdf back to me for data upload to the database
<answer> The form that they have will not be able to do DB connections so I woudl send back just the data. Then you can import it into your version of the form (that does DB connections) and you can do the update from that.
Question 1:
I am looking at the ODBC connection strings and javascript to do this.
Is this possible? If so, what is the best way to do this?
<comment> I just did a presentation on this topic .....here is the playback recording. It also has samples that show how to do it.
http://adobechats.adobe.acrobat.com/p69655795/
Question 2:
Once the "extend features" has been used, can javascripts be used to load different data or extended the Reader functions can only be done after the data is loaded?
<commment> The RE functionality in Reader will only allow them to save the PDF locally. I do not know how big this project is but if this is only for a few users, then I woudl buy Acrobat for your people (this gives them the ability to do the DB connection as well as RE to allow for the Customer to save the form locally). If this is a large project I woudl go down the LiveCycle Server path and woudl pre-populate the forms on the server. Note that this would be at least a 100K solution whereas the Acrobat woudl be the price of Acrobat times the number of users that you have.
Make sense?