[KLUG Members] easy DB

[Rusty Yonkers]

> 
> On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 at 12:13:15AM -0400, Andrew Thompson wrote:
> > I disagree. I find it a lot faster and easier to be able to drag
> and
> > drop a field from one table to one in a different table to join
> them,

QBE is pretty nice for doing the build.

> 1. SQL is 100% portable, it is almost the same everywhere.  

> With
> these
> GUIs you have to learn a new GUI wherever you go.

I think that for writing a solution you would have to be able to
create a GUI solution.

> 
> 2. Writing the query myself is faster for me.  I know EXACTLY what

For some it is quicker to write the query.  I think that more
importantly, there will be times in the GUI, if you are using a SQL
backend, you will have to tweak the SQL language to get an efficient
query.  I have seen instances in Access that the SQL statement that
it generates (yes, it generates a SQL query statement behind the
scenes) is not very good and the search can take an inordinate amount
of time to process.  I know of one time that the search when from 45
minutes to about 40 seconds after the person tweaked the SQL for the
query.  

As far as using something like Access is concerned, I think that to
simply do the solution in a single Access file is not wise.  Even if
you are going to use only Access, then you should create one file
with the data tables in it and another with all the forms and
reports.  If you need something that is going to be at all scaleable
or large or production, then I would put the database into something
like MySQL on the backend and use something like Access or
PowerBuilder, or VB, or (name your favorite frontend development
tool) to create the "application".  

I have done a few applications in M$-Access and have always used the
two file solution.  It works well.  You can update the application
without the headache of needing to either kick people off the system
or of needing to import data into the new program.  I am going to
spend some time learning MySQL and use Access for a frontend to it to
see how it works.  

I have a solution that I am having to support right now that is
"written" in FileMaker.  Talk about frustrating! Everything is about
the GUI and their idea of scripting is basically glorified macro
environment - yuk!  I do have to admit though that doing searches in
FileMaker are really nice and I can adjust any of the layouts (forms)
while the system is up and running (that is available by design and
seems to work well).  I am having some real problems with connecting
to it from other programs though and the report writer really sucks! 
You have to create special fields in the database to do calculations
that you want to use in forms and reports, so you have a lot of
fields that don't really hold data on their own. It's really strange.
 If anyone as experience with FileMaker, I could use some advice on
some stuff.


=====
Russell C. Yonkers Jr. 
CNE, MCP, A+, CCNA, Linux+, Server+, Network+ certified
-----------------------------------------
Currently using SuSE 9, Mac OS X, Windows 2000, and WinXP 
And yes I run a network at home with Linux and Windows servers
See my personal website http://www.geocities.com/therustycook
Or my consulting site at http://www.atomicsupergeek.com


		
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