ADP vs MDE/MDB vs VB

[jojones]

Hi all

I am trying to decide on which app to use to develop the front end for a new system I am building.

It is an in-house Accounting package so will be used by Accounts team for GL entry, journalling, data import, reconciliation etc...

It will have SQL Server 2000 back end.

I am very familiar with both Access 97 and 2000 and somewhat familiar with VB 6.0, but not for developing large applications.

I want to know which will be the best front end to use to allow for the following:
Ease of development
Maximum Security (unhackability/unbreakability by users)
Compatibility with SQL Server 2000 (all I am sure) for appending / retrieving. ie working with connections etc...

I hope this makes sense... if so, please help )

Thanks
Jo

 

[PHV]

Probably ADP.

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[BNPMike]

which app to use

Try eg

http://www.oracle.com,

or many many other vendors. Please don't re-invent the wheel.

 

[jojones]

?? Which tool/package/language...

 

[BNPMike]

Just one example is Oracle Financials GL. There are no doubt many other packages you can buy if you spend a bit of time on the Internet. It's a questionable use of your company's money to start building from scratch something that already exists on the open market.

 

[jojones]

Ah I see what you mean now.

We already have an in house accounting package and are redeveloping it to make it more secure,user friendly and to add functionality. Feedback from all the accountants I have worked with is that our system is much more flexible and user friendly than all the accounting packages they have worked with before... Oracle Financials, Sun Accounts etc... whilst still enforcing accounting/business practices.

So, the question I still want answered is what to use as a front end for this package I am going to build...

Thanks
Jo

 

[BNPMike]

I'm not being very helpful here (I rarely am - just a personality defect I have) but usually what you choose is not some abstract best solution but rather the optimal option from a limited set, constrained by cost, availability of resource, etc.

If you haven't got a corporate policy, then perhaps you should sort that out first.

If your question is 'Can Access be used successfuly as a production tool?' then there is no reason why the answer should be 'no'.

If you are already comfortable with Access, then it shouldn't take long to get used to using MS SQL Server either via the Jet or .adp Project interfaces. If you can develop things useful to users quickly and effectively then if even you subsequently throw the whole lot away in favour of Java/J2EE or whatever, it may well have been a very useful exercise.

And you'll get really good support from these forums. Present company excepted...

 

[Ed2020]

Mike's hit the nail on the head.

This isn't just a technical question - there are financial and time elements to consider as well.

If you are already familiar with Access then an MDB frontend connecting to SQL Server via ODBC links or ADO, with data-processing performed primarily in Jet and ADO, is the cheapest, quickest and easiest option to go for. However this is definitely not the best technical solution.

In my opinion the best technical solution is VB (and preferrably .NET rather than VB6, although VB6 is still an option). Security-wise this is probably the optimal solution too. On the other hand in order to implement this properly you will need to invest increased amounts of time in learning your chosen flavour of VB, development times will increase and deployment/post-implementation times may increase as well.

ADPs are a half-way house between the two - you get a development platform you are already familiar with along with some of the advantages of using VB.

In most scenarios you are best off going with the half-way house option (bearing in mind costs and everything else), so I'm going to second the recommendation of ADP.

Of, course ymmv....

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[me2you]

Hi Jojones,

Access should be your best bet for rapid development since you are already familia with it. as for securing your app, creating your front end db with an MDW should do the trick.

Peace,
me2you