I work as a volunteer at a local history museum and would like to
setup a means to search multiple databases. We want to be able to
search for a person by first name and last name. Currently, we must
search the databases separately. Do I need to create a script that
sends the search criteria to each database's own script? And then how
do I display the results from all the searches in one printable form?
Thanks in advance!!!
Joe

Joe Bagg <jbagg (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

If you have a bunch of people, with the same information, in different
databases, the best way is to combine the databases. Yes! Combine! Mark
each record as the type of person they are. I presume you've got them
divided into categories like Donor, Volunteer, Board Member, Mailing
List. Just put a Category field in your single database, and mark the
records as they are imported.

Then there is no problem with things like mailings, labels, or searches
or reports. You can also do things like keep consistent and combined
records of donations or attendance at events.

In your current situation, the ONLY way to have a single printable form
is to create a reporting file, import each set of records and print it.
At that point you've nearly got your combined database anyway.

Lynn Allen
---
www.semiotics.com

Thanks Lynn. Perhaps my question needs to be clarified. The databases
are census records, cemetery interments, newspaper articles, property
records and such. Each has unique fields although all have name
fields. The report would indicate in which database the name was found
and the record from that database. We already have a contact
management database for membership, boards, volunteers and the like.

Joe

lynn (AT) NOT-semiotics (DOT) com (Lynn allen) wrote in message news:<1ggym8b.l1xw91cke4qiN%lynn (AT) NOT-semiotics (DOT) com>...