Best database software?

[mattpearcey]

A project has been highlighted to myself in my company, that will evolve into a major database operation that in essence will be the central database for the company. They ahve asked my opinion about what package to use, bearing in mind that most users will have MS Access (probably 97 version). I personally think it needs something more than Access, and am wondering what opinions you have? Maybe are there packages out there that can have Access interfacing into them? Or would it be best for it to be programmed in something more indepth than access and then a small program for all users be palced on their machines?

Opinions and info please?

Kind regards Thank you for your help already.

Matt Pearcey

 

[Qaroven]

As far as I know Access can connect fairly readily to any number of backends, though in my experience Access 2000 is better at it than Access 97.

What's their budget and/or what database backends do they have available now?

Ben
+61 403 395 052

 

[svanels]

Central Database, many users, increased network trafic, forget about desktop systems like access, paradox, dbase etc.

Start thinking about a client-server system. The options are:

If you like Microsoft:

Database : SQL-server (Microsoft)
interface : VB, VC++, (Microsoft)
Delphi (Borland)

You will need a NT server to run SQL-server


If you got money

Database: Oracle
interface: Oracle Forms
VB, VC++, Delphi
Need some heavy hardware to run Oracle database


If you want a free Database

Database: Interbase (Borland) opensource
interface: Delphi

Hardware, the database can run on a Win98, NT workstation or Linux platform.

There is also MYSQL which runs on linux, but i do not have experience with it.

Allmost all of the programming tools, Delphi, VB, VC++ can interface with the Databases. Microsoft uses ODBC and Borland use the BDE engine with its own drivers.

I personally do not like interfacing with access, because in most cases you copy data from the server to access (double work).

There more options, but I prefer the couple Interbase x Delphi, although you can use VB and VC++ also.

Regards






S. van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[Qaroven]

Access 2000 when linked to SQL Server doesn't have the usual Access problem of needing to grab all the tables a query may want and then filtering - it can actually send just what you want.

However depending of how complex the user interface needs to be I would probably suggest a web frontend. Ben
+61 403 395 052

 

[Terpsfan]

I agree with the gentleman above that Access isn't going to suit your needs for this project. If you are familiar with Access, you've probably worked with Visual Basic. So I'd recommend you go with using SQL Server 7.0 or later as your RDBMS database server and using either Visual Basic or Access 2000 as your front end. What I often do is build the prototype application in Access and then upsize it to SQL Server. The upsizing wizard that comes with Access 2000 is a snap to use and migrates all the tables and relationships to SQL Server and then creates the links to those tables. You can then create forms and reports off of these linked tables from within Access! I'd suggest getting the Sams book on making this happen. I think this is a great solution for your environment. Oracle is too expensive unless you have a humungous database on the internet. Forget about this Interbase.