Which DB Should I use?

[BraveDave]

Hey guys.
I\'m building an app for a store, using VB6.
The app will include products on the store, list of clients, providers and so on..
The app should run on one or more computers (no more than five).
I\'m looking for the perfect DB for this kind of app.
Generally, I would use Access, as I used to till now, but the ADODC control, the time it takes to update values, insert new ones etc. and the fact that it is a little bit to automatic made me look for another DB.
My perfect DB would be one the will simply run with SQL commands, and not like ACCESS, in which I have to use the recordset and the ADODC commands, link the diffrent text fields and all.. a DB in which I Insert the data by an SQL command, pull it out and place it myself wherever I want to.
Do you have in mind a certain DB for the job? It shouldn\'t be a \'server side\' DB like MySQL or MS SQL Server, and it must be updatble by a few computers simultaneously.
Thank you very much,
Dave.

 

[gmmastros]

I would recommend using MSDE. MSDE uses the same database engine as SQL Server. It can accomodate databases up to 2 gigabytes and 'roughly' 5 concurrent connections.

MSDE is free to distribute, free to download, and can easily be upgraded to sql server by detaching the database from MSDE and attaching it to SQL Server. You do not need to install MSDE on a server. You could install MSDE on one of the workstations and access it from the other work stations. The computer that has MSDE installed on it should have plenty of ram (512 megs at least), but that's it.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/msde/downloads/default.mspx

-George

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. - Fortune cookie wisdom

 

[fredericofonseca]

And get away from ADODC. search tek-tips and

http://www.deja.com

for threads on BOUND vs UNBOUND controls to see why.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[BraveDave]

First of all, thank you two, you really helped me.
Second, and htis is mainly for fredericofonseca, what other conrol do you recommend to use but ADODC?

 

[fredericofonseca]

Easy.

Use code. e.g. use ADODB componentes (connection, command and recordset objects), and populate all your form fields with code instead of using bound controls.


this will give you a control over how and when your database is updated that is not available with bound controls without even more code to work around it's limitations.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[imterpsfan3]

Actually MSDE supports a lot more than 5 concurrent users. If you watch your connections, you can get up to 50.

If you only have a few concurrent users, no reason you can't use Access as your database and the ADODC control or data environment designer. There is a misconception that "real" applications don't use these controls. For a small application, this can reduce the amount and complexity of your coding by quite a bit.

Unbound applications are more suitable for applications with more than a few simultaneous users. Unbound applications are also more suitable for what are called "3 tier applications". The amount of coding you have to consider for an unbound application is quite larger than for a bound application, because you have to handle all the selecting, updating of records, etc as well as concurrency control.

But if you really want to use the unbound model, then I would use something like MSDE, bringing data into the form with disconnected recordsets and updating the records with command objects w/stored procedures. This way you only tie up the connection for a short time. I'd also investigate using transactions in your application. However, this gets tricky when you are dealing with master/detail forms.

 

[BraveDave]

Thank you all.
Using ADODC control in an \'UnBound\' mode was the method I\'ve used so far on that project, but I was sure it wasn\'t a standart method, and that I\'ve made up a way the will evantually won\'t work as good as I thought.
It\'s good to know that people use this method and that it is not \'bad coding\'.
Thanks a bunch,
Dave.