🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello,

I'm hoping to get some expert advice.  The company I'm consulting for is
planning to produce a 

CD-ROM-based database search application.  They would like the application
to follow these loose 

guidelines:

1.  The user should be able to pop the CD-ROM into the drive, run a minimal
installation program 

(the first time), point his/her web browser to a document or application
file on the CD-ROM and 

run the app.

2.  The application should allow the user to define search criteria to run
an SQL query on the 

database contained on the CD-ROM, and return results, all within the web
browser.

3.  The application should not rely on an Intenet server.  (i.e. the user
invokes the application 

in the browser by typing in the actual path, rather than a virtual
directory.)  

4.  The application should run on Windows 95 or NT.  16-bit OS
compatibility is desirable, but 

not necessary.  Same for cross-platform compatibility (Mac, OS/2, Unix).

I'm assuming that the only options I have are Java or ActiveX, but I'm just
now getting into 

these areas, so I'm not too familiar with all the potential of either of
these approaches.  Can 

anyone steer me in the right direction?  What are the pros and cons of
these two approaches in 

light of the problem I'm trying to address?  Any help would be greatly
appreciated.  Thank you.

Mark