VB versus Access Front-End

If the choice is full up to you, go with what is best for you and your requirements. I would choose VB, but that's because I'm more comfortable with it than Access programming. Also, don't forget a web-based front end if you will be required to make many updates throughout the program's lifetime.

Thank you ReverGuy !
I am more comfortable with VB too, but do not want this to be a criteria.
I thought about a Web-based front end, but never did this before (will need some sort of training), do not know if my company has any license (maybe ASP) for this already (and how much this would cost).
If you have any tips on what web-based front-end to use and on how I could "sell" this idea to my employer, I am listening !

Access can be made secure. Also access can use SQL Server as a backend if the consolidated data gets too large. Depending on how well the current Access solutions were programmed, it will probably be less time-consuming and difficult to modify the current solution. After all the forms are already built. And you already have some users who are familair with the current interface. THis will save in traiing time. And Access development is generally pretty fast. If you use Access, get everyone on the same version or use a run-time version and take full-blown Access off all the machines. Make sure that if you use Access, that the data is in one database and the user interface is in another using linked tables. This will keep all the data consolidated.

However, many Access programmers are very poor when it comes to database design. If you are going to have to redo it anyway, then you might go with a vb or web front-end. The web front end is really the way to go if you have the time to redo completely as it makes maintenance much simpler. You change one place and the users have no choice but to use the new version. Managers and salespeople are also often glad to be able to access the data from outside the company. Another consideration is how many users will there be after consolidation. Access can get bogged down with lots of users.

ANother consideration, is that data consolidation will be a complex and painful job. It will be even more complex if you switch database backends. But you will find that no two groups have defined the data exactly the same and and making it fit into one central set of tables is a very time consuming task. No matter what front end you use, allow a very long time to get the data converted.

Questions about posting. See faq183-874

I would prefer working with Visual Basic. In VB you've enough data controls to perform your tasks.
You're talking about VB6. You'd better use VB.NET. VB.NET is the newest version of VB. You can download the compiler at It works with the .NET framework and it's great.
You can also use Visual Studio .Net (the user interface): buy it or...take it from another place (you know what I mean ). But the free compiler would be enough, but I don't prefer. Programming with a user interface (ide) is much easier.
I'm working on several projects in .NET. And sure, I dind't took any course or something else, I just began. It's a wonderfull language.
In VB6 you acces data with ADO, now, in VB.NET it's ADO.NET: easy and efficient!

Think about it, but trust me: use VB.NET. VB6 is ancient and will not be supported in short time.

You can also find enough material to learn from: msdn.microsoft.com, or download the .NET SDK Framework 1.1.

My 2 cents worth.
IF the decision were up to me I would want the following completed (purchased, updated, rebuilt).

1) I would insist on SQL Server 2000. Your data is in various formats to begin with. You should think about standardizing your data to ONE database and stay with it. I would prefer SQL Server over mysql, simply because it integrates with other MS programs and applications much easier than it does with any other db. There is an upsizing wizard in both Access and SQL Server which makes moving data to SQL Server much easier (for the most part).

2)I would want my company to purchase an Upgrade of Visual Studio .Net 2003. All you need is Visual Studio 6. And it's far cheaper than the full version (as in it should cost less than $500). Altho there is a learning curve, the latest version of VB .Net (and C# and J# for that matter) has some nice features for handling data and databases.

Standardizing on data and development makes your life a whole lot easier.

Thank you all for you replies that goes in the direction I like !
So, I will have to "negotiate" a bit ...
I never used SQL server nor MySQL, but Access and Oracle before, so I do not thing this should be to hard for me.
As for VB.net, I was just waiting for the right occasion to "sell" it to my boss.

Well, good luck! If you know Oracle, you might want to try and sell that to the powers that be.

Well, I believe Oracle is much to expensive, and there is no dba to support me (I do no how to create a table etc... but this won't be enough !)
Thanks to all !