Reply to: Moving On From An Access Database

[WTFH]

Wut!!

Option 1: Quote them for something which is probably overkill, deliver it in 2x the time and 3x the price, only understanding the requirements half way through and it's your fault.


Option 2: Spend a month doing requirements gathering, then start to deliver exactly to their spec. When they realise they haven't told you it all, you get angry with them and do more requirements gathering. Finally you deliver it in 3x the time and 5x the price and they are cross with themselves for getting it wrong.


Remember, this is a forum for pros.

[Contreras]

Before suggesting a solution I would like to understand the requirements more fully.

Wut!!

[_V_]

What is astounding is how MS just sat there and watched the World go to the web, cloud, apps, browser etc and after 10 years of doing nothing with Windows and Office, suddenly realised there was a need to move applications and data away from the desktop fat client.

[Cirrus]

Also

https://www.mendix.com/

[DimPrawn]

This might be worth looking at:

https://www.zoho.com/creator/

Looks very good.

[DimPrawn]

Or another approach I saw at a big bank was to write all the dashboards in Excel and then put calls in the Excel sheets to collect the data from Access.

This is why working in a bank is great. They spend all the money on pay and bonuses and then rely on stuff like this.

[WTFH]

Simon, how many tables do you have in the current Access database?


How many records per table?


Are you looking for a sledgehammer to crack a nut?




Before suggesting a solution I would like to understand the requirements more fully.

[Cirrus]

I'm not advanced enough to use Access, I haven't got beyond excel spreadsheet and dashboards..

Really? Well, why don't you come upstairs and see my QBE grids?

[cojak]

I'm not advanced enough to use Access, I haven't got beyond excel spreadsheet and dashboards..

[Cirrus]

It is multi user and what does the R mean anyway:

It means relational and show me any other database that is more relational.

Anyway don't use Access it's old and crap.

It's wonderful - a favourite of Bill Gates himself. Show me another database environment where you can take two updatable views and create an input/display grid with the tables joined. In under 60 seconds!!!

For that matter, show me another system that allows updatable views with joins, full stop.

I don't know what the OP means by 'hostable'. Access typically runs on a network drive so is accessible to others. If they mean 'can be viewed without having Access installed' then they might consider leaving it in Access. I would have thought there is a downloadable free viewer from MS if the local IT people allow that. Also if they are using an older version of Access they could always have a quick look at Data Access Pages that translate a report into a web page for viewing in a browser. It does a brilliant job but uses something like ActiveX which again is IT Security dependant.

I've looked now and again for an Access replacement but nothing I've seen has the same wonderful QBE interface.

If the OP wants to go the plain programming route then MS SQL Server is probably more sensible than MySQL in a corporate environment. There are various versions. I don't know what they are called because MS are pathological fiddlers and name changers but last I looked there was some small, free version that moves around in a single file (like Access). The benefit of that is if you need to boost you user footprint, your company will very likely have licences and infrastructure to let you grow the application effortlessly.

Or another approach I saw at a big bank was to write all the dashboards in Excel and then put calls in the Excel sheets to collect the data from Access.

[MrMarkyMark]

I don't think there's many new Access systems being written, but there's lots of old one written 10+ years ago out there.

And very glad we are to have them in investment banking.

The external regulators insist they all have to be dismantled and go, for good.
Meanwhile, users are building more....

Thars gold in thar hills

[DimPrawn]

Anyway don't use Access it's old and crap.

I don't think there's many new Access systems being written, but there's lots of old one written 10+ years ago out there.

There's a few tasks here:

1. Identify the new storage. I would choose a free RDBMS. MySQL, PostgreSQL, Firebord maybe, choose one you like, that has some future proofing. You could go to files and spreadsheets, but that seems a retrograde step to me. Find something that has a free tool to migrate the MDB file for you if you can. I would choose SQL Server Express because I'm a MS developer.

2. Choose a web front end framework and language. PHP is popular. ASP.NET MVC if you are a MS fan using C#.

3. Find some snazzy JavaScript frameworks for visualising the data. https://razorflow.com/ http://dashingdemo.herokuapp.com/sample etc

[VectraMan]

I think what SueEllen meant is that Access is not a multi user RDBMS.

It is multi user and what does the R mean anyway:

The most popular definition of an RDBMS is a product that presents a view of data as a collection of rows and columns, even if it is not based strictly upon relational theory.

I assume what Sue Ellen meant is that Access is a development environment for creating database applications, sort of. But the OP didn't say "An Access" he said "An Access Database" - i.e. a database created in Access, which clearly is a database.

Who knows? Anyway don't use Access it's old and crap.

[Fandango]

If you want a jazzy Dashboard and you've got Azure, have a look at PowerBI, easy to knock together something impressive looking

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/...-and-power-bi/

[SpontaneousOrder]

I think what SueEllen meant is that Access is not a multi user RDBMS.

I thought it was referring to the underlying DB engines used in MS products.


Do you need a DB at all? what about a spreadsheet?

And does it need to be relational? I do my accounts on a little mongodb instance so I don't have to worry about schema too much.