Generic database insert and select code

public class J850sjdbc {

public static String insert(String names, String values) {

java.sql.Connection conn = linktodata();

String todo = ("INSERT into staff " +
"(" + names + ") values (" + values + ")");

try {
java.sql.Statement s = conn.createStatement();
int r = s.executeUpdate (todo);
}
catch (Exception e) {
return ("Oh oops - code 003\n"+e);
}

return (todo);

}

public static String select(String [] fields, String selector) {

java.sql.Connection conn = linktodata();

StringBuffer reply = new StringBuffer("<table border=1>");

String todo = ("SELECT * "+
" from staff " + selector);

try {
java.sql.Statement s = conn.createStatement();
java.sql.ResultSet r = s.executeQuery (todo);
while(r.next()) {
reply.append("<tr>");
for (int i=0;i<fields.length;i++) {
reply.append(tabit(r.getString(fields[i])));
}
reply.append("</tr>");
}
reply.append("</table>");
}
catch (Exception e) {
return ("Oh oops - code 003\n"+e);
}

return (reply.toString());

}

private static String tabit(String box) {
return ("<td>"+box+"</td>");
}

private static java.sql.Connection linktodata () {

java.sql.Connection conn = null;
try {
Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver").newInstance();
}
catch (Exception e) {
return conn;
// return "Oh dear - code 001 and a quarter";
}
try {
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(
"jdbc:mysql://bhajee/J850a?user=jtest&password=");
}
catch (Exception e) {
return conn;
// return "Oh dear - code 001 and a half";
}
return conn;
}
}