MS Access

[Derek Neighbors]

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On Sat, 2003-06-07 at 08:00, Bryce C wrote:
> Sorry but I haven't found anything. Instead, I reccomend using a real
> database like, MySQL (http://www.mysql.com). It's a true SQL database
> with tons of features but still easy to use. You'd probably want

I must interject that while MySQL is MUCH nicer than Access, it still
falls just short of being a 'true SQL database'.  This appears to be
changing as they have just bought the rights to repackage SAP-DB under
the MySQL name, to gain the missing features they lack.

> front-end stuff too so I reccomend you start learning PHP
> (http://www.php.net). It's syntax is nearly indistinguishable from C++
> but it's much easier to learn.

PHP is horribly large gap from MS Access.  It is all well and good to
right applications, but someone using Access as a way of entering,
manipulating data would have a _huge_ learning curve to even get a
result set back out of MySQL with PHP. (imho)

> As for bridging the gap between, I think that you can export your Access
> tables etc to CSV and then just write a quick PHP thing to import that
> to a MySQL database, or just find someone who's already done it.
> http://php.resourceindex.com has a large number of full scripts and
> classes you can use.

If you go with Postgres (and Im sure MySQL has it as well) there are
'tools' that will actually do all the converting for you.  No need to go
to csv and manually make tables.  The program will actually create all
the tables and populate them from your mdb.

> Other reasons for choosing MySQL are that it's open source and it's
> cross-platform. Even WinBLOWS, with the right ODBC driver can access and
> use MySQL.

More importantly MySQL as well as many other databases (Firebird,
Postgres, SAP-DB, etc) are Free Software as well.  You get a lot more
than the source code with them.  You actually get the right to study,
modify change plus a whole lot more.

> Where do I get off saying all this? Way long ago, I was trying to learn
> Access, 97 in fact, and the part I had trouble with was the stupid VB
> crap it used, it being a "good" M$ product but then I was introduced to
> gnu/linux and consequently, Apache, PHP, MySQL, and now a whole plethora
> of other things. Needless to say, I quickly abandoned the evil crap I
> had been stuck using and started converting others to a more stable OS.
> Unfortunately, linux desktop wasn't very big at the time, KDE1/2 blech,
> and so only now have I had more success but, I digress.

MS Access is DEFINITELY evil.  It degrades VERY quickly.  So an
application that works great with just you using it, when you add that
second user and double the number of rows in the tables starts to go
south fast.

> MySQL and PHP are the way to go.

MySQL is a nice product (even though I wouldnt call it a true SQL
database), it is MUCH nicer than MS Access and it will only get better.=20
PHP is a great product, but I'm not sure it provides the easiest
transition for an MS Access user.

You could convert to postgres and try PG Access (an access clone use
Postgres).  I havent personally used it, so I can give it thumbs ups or
down, but its probably going to help you transition better than jumping
straight into php code.


--=20
Derek Neighbors
GNU Enterprise
http://www.gnuenterprise.org
derek@gnue.org

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