Next step up from Access?

[BTilson]

I do database development for a manufacturing company. You'd be surprised at the amount of stuff they need developed. It's a full time, pretty much constant work load. I'm getting to the point to where Access' limitations are hampering my development, since I do a lot of 'multi-user' applications. Some of the DB's I develop have hundreds of thousands of records in them, and given the way Access works, using this across a network slows EVERYONE down tremendously.

So my question is, what is the next step up from Access? I'm looking for an application that "works" the same. Forms, queries, tables, reports, macro's, etc. Access is all that I have experience with, so I'm not too sure of what else is out there.

So if anyone has any suggestions or information, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

Brooks Tilson
Database Development
Tilson Machine, Inc.

 

[alvechurchdata]

You can use Access as the front end to SQL Server but that leaves you with the limitations of the Access environment and poor object orientation. Visual FoxPro gives you stronger features for multiuser work, it's properly object-oriented and is royalty-free. Like Access it can be used as the front end to SQL Server.

More details from Microsoft at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/

or from the Fox cimmunity at

http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~VisualFoxProBulletPoints.

There are also some good Fox forums on Tek-Tips - try posting a question there about the upgrade from Acccess to VFP.

Geoff Franklin

http://www.alvechurchdata.co.uk

 

[lupins46]

There is no other single product comparable with Access in the terms you are talking about here.

You would have to be looking at combinations of products.
In the MS line you would be looking to use SQL Server as the data store and then build the front end using Access, or VB or these days maybe a web front end.

Given your experience with Access, and taking your statements at face value, then you can certainly should look at changing to SQL Server and continuing with Access as your front end (it might be possible to continue using your existing front-end). You can also look at the ADP design tool in Access which is geared specifically to building front-ends to SQL server. However, this is a big change in database design and programming terms, even though you are still using Access. ADP has had 'mixed' reviews amongst developers and my understanding is that MS are losing interest in ADPs( MS really want everyone to commit completely to the .Net technology) but provided you do not have complex requirements it might be viable for you.

 

[lespaul]

or MySQL for the backend (it's a free database!) and then you can use any development language to build a front end. You'll probably pick up VB the quickest since it's the closest to the VB flavor MS uses.

Leslie

Anything worth doing is a lot more difficult than it's worth - Unknown Induhvidual

Essential reading for anyone working with databases: The Fundamentals of Relational Database Design

 

[alvechurchdata]

You'll probably pick up VB the quickest

Very true but I'm a VB MCP but I'd never use VB for a database project. Fox has better database features than VB or dotNet and it will run on PCs which can't take the dotNet framework. In my own work I use Access for the smaller systems, pure FoxPro for the medium size and Fox with SQL Server for the larger ones.

You also have to worry about the uncertain future of VB. The Microsoft Roadmap has Fox supported until 2014.

Geoff Franklin

http://www.alvechurchdata.co.uk

 

[psemianonymous]

I wouldn't be talking about 'roadmaps' and then suggesting they use FoxPro...

...it's pretty obvious that the MSFT 'roadmap' includes future versions of .NET which is primarily C# and VB.NET. Also Microsoft is integrating SQL Server into more of its own products as a backend (the only notable exception being Exchange, which still uses a JET-based database).


So yes, if you want to learn the new (Microsoft) technology, I'd recommend some combination of ASP.NET, SQL Server, and something for your reporting needs (jury's still out in my book as to which to use). This is a much larger investment for your company as they'd have to buy a license (and probably a server) for SQL server, so you'll have to sell this...somehow.


You can use the other Microsoft technologies, but I think they're all going to sit in stasis pretty much eternally. Check out the list of everything you COULD be using:

* Access .MDB
* Access .ADP
* FoxPro
* InfoPath forms
* ASP.NET
* Visual Studio Tools for Office (Word/Excel presently)
* Word/Excel VBA project
* Outlook forms
* Sharepoint web parts/lists/sites
* FrontPage extensions for web-based data entry


I'd like to point out that we're getting new stuff for ASP.NET, Visual Studio Tools for Office, InfoPath and Sharepoint. Everything else is staying pretty much the same.

Have you seen the Office 12 version of Access? Do you know what they changed? (Hint: nothing)




I'm kind of rambling but the point is that despite how well it's working for you, I wouldn't ever recommend anyone pick up either Access (forms+reports) or FoxPro skills because they're deprecated.


Everyone have a fabulous week.

 

[alvechurchdata]

I wouldn't ever recommend anyone pick up either Access (forms+reports) or FoxPro skills because they're deprecated.

By whom? The Microsoft Support Lifecycle page has Access supported until 2013 and Fox until 2014. I agree that neither languages are at the experimental cutting edge but both are stable products and a guaranteed life of nine years is as long as Microsoft are promising for anything.

Geoff Franklin

http://www.alvechurchdata.co.uk