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Thread ID: 67415 2006-03-27 00:38:00 Database Advice. Mantis (3703) Press F1
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441074 2006-03-27 00:38:00 I was hoping to help someone build a client database for their work.

We would need it to be able to generate form letters for entries on the database.

Between us we don't much about database software and was hoping that someone could recommend good programs to build a database.

Any suggestions are apreciated.

Thanks.

M. 		Mantis (3703)
441075 2006-03-27 00:52:00 Not really enough information for a good answer but how about

http://www.act.com/

Questions would be :-

Budget?
Where is the client data coming from?
Need more info on form letters?
And many more ..... 		gcarmich (10068)
441076 2006-03-27 00:59:00 and how many data fields and how big a database and whether any related material and more.... Scouse (83)
441077 2006-03-27 01:03:00 and is it a requirement for multiple users to be updating it at the same time ... gcarmich (10068)
441078 2006-03-27 01:07:00 Get Access . Its a MS product, so runs on all windows machines, it is easy to start with but has a huge range of abilities .

It can have multiple users at once, is 'relational' so has multiple tables, and easily does what you want, as well as export ing to Office products etc .

Besides heaps of people can help you use it, and there are lots of DBs around that you could start with . 		netchicken (4843)
441079 2006-03-27 06:00:00 Access is good for five people or less, and databases with a small number of records (less than 10,000) and infrequent access by multiple users at once .

Many DBA's, such as myself, considered Access a "toy" database; I'd have to classify somewhere ranging from "thorn in my side" to "the bane of my existence . "

Case in point, a medical facility used an Access database to track treatments, and nearly killed a patient . It made front-page news locally . Sorry, I can't go into further details .

(And yes, it was directly related to being an Access database; a different database wouldn't have had the same problem . )

Like anything, Access has it's place; just don't use it as a "serious" database . You could do guys like me a favour, and not use it at all . 		kingdragonfly (309)
441080 2006-03-27 06:07:00 I don't really know much about this, but there is mysql and phpmyadmin mejobloggs (264)
441081 2006-03-27 06:55:00 "Access is good for five people or less, and databases with a small number of records (less than 10,000) and infrequent access by multiple users at once . "

I have been running an Access DB for 7 years now tracking student data . It has well over 30,000 records and works quickly and effectively . It is often accessed by several people at the same time . I wouldn't say it was easy to learn how to use, but I imagine others aren't either . The best advice I ever got when building it was - put as few data fields as possible in tables and use queries to sort it all out . M$ haave quite a few templates on their website so they may save you a lot of development . Theres a lot of access forums out there in webland to help as well . 		andy (473)
441082 2006-03-27 07:02:00 I don't really know much about this, but there is mysql and phpmyadminYes, you could use MySQL. You would need to write your own web based front end if there isn't already a product available that does what you need to do.

I think you can also do this sort of thing with Filemaker Pro (http://www.filemaker.com/) as well. 		maccrazy (6741)
441083 2006-03-27 09:10:00 Filemake pro Gaaak!!!!

Let me give you a true story about FMP .
Where I work they needed a DB, really important work . So they took an existing employee and gave him the job .

He taught himself fmp, went on company paid junkets to courses, and went to work, after 4 years of work the db was a single file size of 1gig . It needed its own computer to work on, and that was fast . The db still had issues to such an extent it wasn't up to standard causing us all extra work keeping manual records as well (the DB was meant to replace this) .

After 8 years it STILL wasn't certifiable, (but the staff who used it were) and now they are going to buy a DB in and are looking at systems to purchase .

Cost?

At least $40,000 X 9 years + at least $10,000 in computers .

The worst thing is that if the developer was hit by a bus no one would have a clue how to take over fmp . There is no one around outside of net development that I know of who use it .

Now if it was Access, then there would have been others who could have debugged it or helped . 		netchicken (4843)
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