front end

[knitwit]

Hi,
We recently purchased SQL Server 2005 and are planning a migration from Oracle. I need to set the front end (forms, reports) for the database. What do I use? If it's Visual Studio, what's the best choice of the different flavors? ie visual basic, c, silverlight.... I already own Crystal reports and am fluent in it. So, it really comes down to the creation of forms for input.
Thanks
Melinda

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Do you have any knowledge of any of the .Net technologies (or their predecessors VB, C(++), Javascript etc)?

It also depends if you want a desktop application or a web based front end.

I generally prefer C# but that's just personal taste really

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
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[knitwit]

My knowledge is old school (goes back to basic, cobol, fortran...) So, you might as well say I don't have experience. I am comfortable with sql plus (Oracle's flavor of sql).

I do want a web based front end. Users in other offices will be using a vpn. It will be an internal application. There will not be any public access.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Hmm, if you're classing yourself as no (I'd say comparable, programming principles haven't really changed, just the syntax and the ease of doing things ) experience then the world is your oyster I suppose.

If you want a web based app then I'd tend to lean to ASP.Net. This is however reliant on the fact you have a verison of Visual Studio, IIS etc to create/run the app.

Hope this helps

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
Black coat, white shoes, black hat, cadillac. The boy's a timebomb!

You can hang outside in the sun all day tossing a ball around, or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters. - Eric Cartman

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[gmmastros]

And if you don't have Visual Studio, you can download: Visual Web Developer Express. It's free.

http://www.microsoft.com/express/vwd/

-George

"The great things about standards is that there are so many to choose from." - Fortune Cookie Wisdom

 

[knitwit]

I downloaded Visual Studio 2008 as a trial version. I rapidly found that I needed to decide on .net, C#.... So, you think that asp.net is the way to go?

The one good thing about a lack of experience on this product is that I can go with what is the best and there are no legacy products to deal with.

One thing I just remembered. We use ESRI gis products (part of the reason we switched to SQL Server). I would like to be able to interact with their product. But that may be a question for them.

So, there's no "forms" software for Sql server when using the web?

 

[jbenson001]

Sql server does not have built in front end software like Oracle does or Access. It is up to you to decide what front-end softare you want to use. From reading your thread, since you have satellite offices, a web based solution would make the most sense.

Do you need .NET? No, you can use what ever you want, but I would highly reccommend it since it is "the latest and greatest" and highly supported. You will be able to easily find answers to your questions and many forums for support. As for what language to use, that is a matter of preference. What ever you can do in one, you can do in the other, it's just a matter of syntax.

 

[JoeAtWork]

I rapidly found that I needed to decide on .net, C#....

C# is one of the possible .NET languages you could use. The other most popular is VB.NET.

And when you do ASP.NET you also can choose which .NET language you would prefer (with C# and VB.NET again being by far the most popular).

 

[HarleyQuinn]

As for the ESRI GIS suite, there should be no problem interacting with them. We use them at work with our applications with no problems.

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
Black coat, white shoes, black hat, cadillac. The boy's a timebomb!

You can hang outside in the sun all day tossing a ball around, or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters. - Eric Cartman

Get the most out of Tek-Tips, read FAQ222-2244: How to get the best answers before post