beginner database html -newbie looking for where to look

[C-Borg]

thanks for taking the time to check out this message, and TIA for any
help offered. I'm relatively new to web development and I use WYSiWIG
junk mostly. I've a fair understanding of HTML, Visual Basic, and
C++, and almost no database...and I'm not by any means a pro in any of
them. I have my first real life job, and I need to create a page with
a contest sign up page so users can be entered into any database
platform (even a flat file, whatever that is)- does anybody have an
idea on where to start accomplish this task? I can write the VB
script to validate the input and I can make the pages pretty, I just
need to know how to get things going with the communication. I've got
my choice of any database or just flat file or a text file, and I've
got a month and a potential long term job with this company at stake.
Thanks in advance for any help.