Database Applications

[frank pirrone]

Joe Pollock wrote:

>

*** few quick comments

>  Thanks.  I value your opinion. I'm looking for overall guidance and
> direction as to what
> tools to use and what approach to take.  To that end, I am providing
> you
> with quite a bit of background information to start with.
>
> Long ago and far away, I studied rdbms' in school when they were very
> new -
> mid '70's.  I was a professional programmer/analyst for 17 years and
> now I
> am desperately trying to become an end user <g>.  Ideally, I want to
> work in
> an environment that does everything for me, but that lets me get in
> and
> change things when it (invariably) doesn't do it the way I want it.
>
> *** sounds like you and Access were made for each other
>
> What I want to do:
>
> Most of what I want to do now are very simple single user (me)
> applications.
> Stuff like cataloging CD's, books, and audio tapes.  Later, I will
> want to
> run a small business with a mail order / web catalog and client
> database.
> Off the shelf for most of it would be great.  I don't like reinventing
>
> wheels.
>
> *** Access will run Web enabled, and can export anything you make.
>
> Right now, I'm studying Holistic Health and I have a list (printed
> only) of
> about 1000 remedies that I need to get into machine readable /
> searchable
> form.  I've designed the basic tables I'll need on paper and set it up
> so I
> can expand it easily to include recommendations to (future) clients
> and
> tracking of what they actually take or buy.  Eventually, I may want to
> build
> a database of herbs as well.  Herbs, etc. are difficult to deal with
> because
> there are so many of them and it's just a ton of memorization - a
> perfect
> application for a database - especially since, if I roll my own, I can
> add
> my own comments and notes, etc. to it.
>
> *** You are nearly done if you have the tables designed.  Access has
> Form Wizards that will make any form you'd like.  Ditto for Queries
> and Reports.
> *** On the other hand, getting printed data into a database really
> sucks.
>
> If I can get this nice enough, I might want to sell it as a limited
> market
> product to other practitioners, so that part would probably have to
> run in
> Windoz and be as stand-alone and inexpensive as possible.  But right
> now, I
> just want to get it to work for me.  Later, I can export the data to
> another
> product etc. if I have to.
>
> *** Initial purchase of Microsoft products is never too expensive.  To
> keep riding the train may drain you, but hell if it's going in the
> right direction...
>
> What I have now:
>
> I am running Windoz 98se and have just installed Access 2000.  I also
> have
> Sybase SQL Anywhere 6.0 still in shrink wrap.
>
> I am also running (dual boot) Red Hat 7.0 which I am about to replace
> with
> Mandrake 8.0.
>
> Under Red Hat, I was able to install mysql, but couldn't figure out
> Postgresql.
>
> When I got mysql installed, I was kind of disappointed because it was
> "just
> a database".  It had no application components to it - like forms,
> reports,
> and programming logic, etc.
>
> ***Mysql works best with a Web browser interface, through pages with
> scripting such as PHP
>
> What I know:
>
> I bought and read Mastering SQL (Linux edition), so I have some
> understanding of what SQL is and does.  I have programmed in many
> languages
> including a bit of C, but not C++.  I understand the basic concepts of
>
> object oriented programming, but have never done any (and don't really
> want
> to learn it if I don't have to.)  Ditto for HTML and web programming.
> In
> the distant past, I had some battles with dBase II and III as well as
> with
> Paradox 3.0 (I didn't win too many of them <g>.)
>
> *** You would not like to do anything I have done, then.  Apache -
> MySQL, PHP, HTML, Web interface...
>
> Thanks for your time.  Any suggestions you may have will be
> appreciated.
>
> *** Learn the little bit needed about Access, and you're off and
> running.
>
> Joe
>
> *** Frank