Database creation

saoranach

Hi.

I have been searching the internet without much success to try and find guides to developing databases. Either a web based one or just on how to fully exploit microsoft access.

Does anyone know of any websites or books that would be good?

many thanks

Seth Brundle

Use MySQL and not MS Access!
There are loads of tutorials out there to help get you started.

Mad_Max

When you say develop do you want information on the theory side such as ER diagrams/normalization etc or do you want code tutorials?

Yeah i'd also advise not using Access at all. MySql is far more widely used.

Here's a quick tutorial for creating a mysql db.

tiptap

kbannon wrote: »

Use MySQL and not MS Access!
There are loads of tutorials out there to help get you started.

This is just bad advice. You don't know what the intention of the database is going to be used for.
I find it really irritating how people just say use one database over another.

Whats wrong with MS Access ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could turn onto your comment and say "don't use mysql, use SQL server"

saoranach

Thanks for the responses.

The database would be for recording incoming and outcoming goods and environmental conditions.

I want to take the current record system from just being excel spreadsheets to being able to highlight if environmental conditions are below par and if goods are spoiling etc that the database would link it with any other recent similar events or deteriorations in environmental conditions.

In effect so that if someone isnt actually thinking about the data they are inputting the database will be able to help flag it for them.

This would only be used on the one machine.

Would this affect your recommendations?

Thanks

Webmonkey

tiptap wrote:

Whats wrong with MS Access ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slow
Not a Real Database (or DBMS) - SQL Server is
SQL Not fully Supported - Had a lot of problems doing fairly standard Joins
Not very Portable, can't export SQL.

tiptap wrote:

I could turn onto your comment and say "don't use mysql, use SQL server"

Well SQL Server does have advantages over MySQL so that comment could be used at times. You might as well start with the correct DB and try and keep away from MS Access if possible as further down the road you might be regretting the decision

tiptap

saoranach wrote: »

Thanks for the responses.

The database would be for recording incoming and outcoming goods and environmental conditions.

I want to take the current record system from just being excel spreadsheets to being able to highlight if environmental conditions are below par and if goods are spoiling etc that the database would link it with any other recent similar events or deteriorations in environmental conditions.

In effect so that if someone isnt actually thinking about the data they are inputting the database will be able to help flag it for them.

This would only be used on the one machine.

Would this affect your recommendations?

Thanks

This is definetely for M.S Access in my opinion.

tiptap

Webmonkey wrote: »

Slow
Not a Real Database (or DBMS) - SQL Server is
SQL Not fully Supported - Had a lot of problems doing fairly standard Joins
Not very Portable, can't export SQL.




Well SQL Server does have advantages over MySQL so that comment could be used at times. You might as well start with the correct DB and try and keep away from MS Access if possible as further down the road you might be regretting the decision

Webmonkey,

MS Access is slow is it ?
Funny that, I've been developing ms access systems for ten years now so I know it quite well.
I've held 8 million in records in access with absolutely no problem whatsoever. And for the type of project the OP is talking about, it seems perfect.

Evil Phil

In fairness 8 million records isn't a lot. But try 5 concurrent connections to an Access DB and tell us about the performance then. Access is recognised as not being particularly good for a reason: its not particularly good.

Its strange but I've noticed a lot of territorial behaviour lately here on boards.ie within the development domain, its not a good trend.

tiptap

Evil Phil wrote: »

In fairness 8 million records isn't a lot. But try 5 concurrent connections to an Access DB and tell us about the performance then. Access is recognised as not being particularly good for a reason: its not particularly good.

You're right, 8 million records isn't alot. But what people are forgetting here is that access wasn't built as an enterprise type system like others obviously. Yes, mySQL would be more robust and scalable.

I have tried 5 concurrent connections, I have also tried more concurrent connections. And if it's setup properly then it's fine. I agree, if it's just done out of the box so to speak, there will be problems, but if coded and configured correctly, I have had zero problems in that regard.

For you to say it's not particulary good is just a stupid and pathetic remark in my opinion.

Evil Phil wrote: »

Its strange but I've noticed a lot of territorial behaviour lately here on boards.ie within the development domain, its not a good trend.

This has nothing to do with been territorial. I was pissed cause someone made a remark on access was crap basically and to use mySQL when we didn't know any background to the OPs problem or anything, so that, in my mind, is simply bad advice. And after listening to the OP requirements, it's pretty obvious now that mySQL is not the way to go for him.

aidan_walsh

And after listening to the OP requirements, it's pretty obvious now that mySQL is not the way to go for him.

Oh? And how is it unsuitable?

tiptap

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Oh? And how is it unsuitable?

It's only going to be on one machine,
seems like not many records,
will be inputting data, easy front end with ms. access

Ginger

Just a matter of relevancy

Access suffers from a lot of limitations.. such as number of concurrent users it can support (10 Read & 1 write) at a given time and also the size of the database it can handle (IIRC 2GB)

There is also issue with the Jet engine, in the number of concurrent users (255 but stressing that it should only be up to 10 on a file based database).

It doesn't scale, but that doesnt mean you can make it scale by using linked tables and MDE or ADP files for example (which I had the unfortunate to do for a full year! and really really dont want to go back to)

In a single user environment access is just a step up from Excel and thats about it, if you are going any bigger, I would be looking at SQL Server 2005 express edition (which is free) and using Access as an interface rather than the database mechanism.

It is very easy to prototype your database in Access and then port it to the SQL Server versions if the need arises, you will just need to make sure that you put in things like primary keys for example. Not doing this makes the process more difficult.

Hope this helps