Database search to retrieve files from web links

The aim of this project is to produce a system that will allow users to access any number of pdf documents from different websites, that have the URLs stored in a database.

The user will load the application and start typing the name of the document they want (e.g. "Maintenance Report"), and the program will only display database items that match the query (e.g. Maintenance Report 2007, Maintenance Report 2008). The user is able to select one of the search results by clicking on it or slecting it with the keyboard, and the user is then prompted whether they want to view the document. If they choose to, the the file is downloaded from the web and saved in a folder on their machine and also opened in their default PDF viewer. If they already have the file in their local folder, the program does not download it, just opens it from the folder.

All that most users needs to be able to do is search and open files, and all they need to see is the name of the file - they do not need to see the other contents of the database, nor should they be able to make any changes.

The database does need to be able to be edited by the administrator though, so a mechanism for adding / removing / editing data must exist (but be hidden from view / unavailable unless needed).

The program will be run on multiple machines, and there needs to be a way to update the database remotely (e.g. the database may be shared over the network, and the program would check if the shared one was newer than its own, and if so would update).

The database would only need to store the name of the file and the link to the file (and presumably an item number or some key field).