You could write a REST-based service using C# or Java and run it in a Web Container (IIS, Apache Tomcat). The REST-based retrieve data from the database (potentially using Hibernate or NHibernate so that it will not be necessary to write raw SQL) service would return the requested information to the client in JSON format (which can be parsed a lot faster than XML and JavaScript understands it - it sees it as a type of object). The service could be secured using OAuth authentication to ensure that only clients that you authorize are able to access it.
If you are also using Javasript in the server, like Node.js does, you may be interested in a multi-database ORM, like https://github.com/1602/jugglingdb, that supports redis, mongodb, mysql, sqlite, postgres, and neo4j, through a common API.
I usually use AJAX to fire server side code (php, perl, R) on request and retrieve the results of my queries as json objects.
Tariq, JavaScript will not work with DB access.
If you are OK with a Windows environment, ASP and MS Access pair is phenomenal. Or, ASP and MS SQL. Your ASP code (Active Server Pages) can execute on any MS Windows Server which has IIS installed. There is even a personal version of IIS. However, database is a little trickier with the personal version of IIS.
I just wanted to run this option by you ...
It really depends how you will use Javascript. Javascript is not a client side ONLY language anymore, Node.js is that one example where Javascript is used for server side programming and it actually has database connectivity as well.
A link to database drivers for Node.js: http://nodejsdb.org/
A link to Node.js library itself is: http://nodejs.org/
It is very efficient and optimized for server side programming.
However if you want to use it in client/browser then it has to depend on some server side scripting to link to database like Jave or C# or PHP.
Tariq, I agree with Nauman that nowadays you can use javascript to connect to a database. But you should remember that usually that practice is not recommended because of bad practice and security reasons.
However, you can use Ajax, json and jquery to create an application which connect to any relational database, see for example : http://www.aspsnippets.com/Articles/Make-AJAX-JSON-call-to-ASP.Net-WCF-Service-using-jQuery-and-Javascript.aspx.
Back to few years ago, i came to a point where i modified a chatting application using ajax and php scripting language. Alas i did not have a copy of that application right now. But perhaps you can search similar applications from www.hotscripts.com. Best wishes
As JavaScript is executed on client side and is generally a bad idea to expose the database directly to the user (even if it is read-only), you should create a server side service (use any script or programming language you prefer or know) which will provide a necessary interface between the client (running your JavaScript code) and the database.
A good example is to create an API and communicate with it via AJAX calls. You can send requests with additional information needed for data selection, filtering and sorting. This information can be included in the request's GET or POST (or any other) method (verb) as defined by the HTTP protocol.
Example:
I am using web services and jquey ajax in my asp.net appliocations
I am working with MeteorJS (a reactive and easy to learn JavaScript framework). If you don't want to get involved with Meteor checkout the MEAN stack (mongoDB, Express, Angular, Node.js) I am using the MEAN stack all sorts of tasks.
http://www.amazon.ca/Write-Modern-Apps-MEAN-Stack/dp/0133930157
Using javascript, the best way to do that is coding a web server with node.js (with express module will be easier). The web server will have access to the database (e.g. mongodb) and will comunicate with the browser (client) via http protocol. This technique is called ME(A)N (mongoDB, Express, Angular, Node.js) full stack.