Access? FileMaker? or ???

#1

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

Thanks

#2

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:42:22 -0800, Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

Quote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

A lot depends on what you want to use it for.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

#3

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:11:04 +0200, Steve Hayes
<hayesmstw (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:42:22 -0800, Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

A lot depends on what you want to use it for.

....a few fairly simple database applications mostly for personal use.

1. To keep track of things I own with purchase dates, model numbers,
etc.
2. To keep records of things I consume with ratings like tea.
3. To keep track of online vendors and purchases with ratings.
4. To keep track of service on cars, bikes, smoke alarms, etc.

Things like that.

#4

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:21:47 -0800, Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

Quote:

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:11:04 +0200, Steve Hayes
hayesmstw (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:42:22 -0800, Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

A lot depends on what you want to use it for.

...a few fairly simple database applications mostly for personal use.

1. To keep track of things I own with purchase dates, model numbers,
etc.
2. To keep records of things I consume with ratings like tea.
3. To keep track of online vendors and purchases with ratings.
4. To keep track of service on cars, bikes, smoke alarms, etc.

Do you want to do arithmetic with the results?

A database that I use a lot is askSam. I find it flexible and a lot easier to
use than Access, and probably better unless you want to do a lot of fancy
calculations.

More info at:

http://www.asksam.com/

If you want to do calculations, a spreadsheet might do.

Access and other relational databases are best for applications where you need
to keep data in different tables - like vendors and the products they supply,
for example.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

#5

Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

Quote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

I don't know FileMaker but they have a free trial so you can decide
for yourself. I doubt if anything is less tedious or easier to use
than Access but other products have similar characteristics and
different advantages. For example, OpenOffice Base
<http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html> is very similar to
Access but is free and cross platform. Microsoft have several Express
Editions <http://www.microsoft.com/express/>. They are all free and
aid in developing CRUD programs but they give you a choice of the
underlying language and whether you want a desktop or web application.

#6

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:40:49 GMT, David Segall <david (AT) address (DOT) invalid>
wrote:

Quote:

Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

I don't know FileMaker but they have a free trial so you can decide
for yourself. I doubt if anything is less tedious or easier to use
than Access but other products have similar characteristics and
different advantages. For example, OpenOffice Base
http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html> is very similar to
Access but is free and cross platform. Microsoft have several Express
Editions <http://www.microsoft.com/express/>. They are all free and
aid in developing CRUD programs but they give you a choice of the
underlying language and whether you want a desktop or web application.

I forgot about Open Office. I'll check it out.

I knew that FileMaker had a trial version, but it takes at least
several hours, if not several days. to really get to know a database
program.

I should probably stick with Access, since I already have it, and just
suck it up and learn it. Just a little lazy.

#7

David Segall <david (AT) address (DOT) invalid> wrote:

Quote:

I don't know FileMaker but they have a free trial so you can decide
for yourself. I doubt if anything is less tedious or easier to use
than Access but other products have similar characteristics and
different advantages.

For simple stuff I would agree that all those programs would probably work reasonably
well. And likely meet the original posters requirements.

But one of the areas where Access really shines is the use of VBA to performance
extensive and complex logic. Indeed I spend 80% of my time in Access in VBA. I
very much doubt any of the competitve products come anywhere close to VBA. They
likely do have a macro language which Access also has.

Note though that if you look down at my sig you well see I have a bias. <smile>

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a free, convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

#8

Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

Quote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

See if some of the Access 2007 downloadable templates are close to your requirements.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a free, convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

#9

Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

Quote:

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:40:49 GMT, David Segall <david (AT) address (DOT) invalid
wrote:

Prof Wonmug <wonmug@e.mcc> wrote:

I would appreciate recommendations for a database program.

I would like to write a few fairly simple database applications mostly
for personal use.

I have Access 2007 as part of Office 2007. I have played around with
prior versions a few times, but always found it tedious. I've hard
that FileMaker has almost as much functionality and is a lot easier to
use.

I don't know FileMaker but they have a free trial so you can decide
for yourself. I doubt if anything is less tedious or easier to use
than Access but other products have similar characteristics and
different advantages. For example, OpenOffice Base
http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html> is very similar to
Access but is free and cross platform. Microsoft have several Express
Editions <http://www.microsoft.com/express/>. They are all free and
aid in developing CRUD programs but they give you a choice of the
underlying language and whether you want a desktop or web application.

I forgot about Open Office. I'll check it out.

I knew that FileMaker had a trial version, but it takes at least
several hours, if not several days. to really get to know a database
program.

I should probably stick with Access, since I already have it, and just
suck it up and learn it. Just a little lazy.

Actually, given your list of applications, I think you would probably
be better off with an HTML document rather than a database.

You could create a table (in the non-database meaning of the word)
using your preferred HTML authoring tool. Some columns in your web
page table will also be a link to a web site that contains extra
information. So, for example, clicking on the model number of a
purchase takes you to the manufacturers support site for that model.

My film diary <http://films.profectus.com.au> illustrates the idea and
is the only one of mine that is actually on a web site. Note that
Google can provide a search box that will search only those web pages
linked to my film diary.

#10

On Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:49:31 GMT, "Tony Toews [MVP]"
<ttoews (AT) telusplanet (DOT) net> wrote:

Quote:

David Segall <david (AT) address (DOT) invalid> wrote:

I don't know FileMaker but they have a free trial so you can decide
for yourself. I doubt if anything is less tedious or easier to use
than Access but other products have similar characteristics and
different advantages.

For simple stuff I would agree that all those programs would probably work reasonably
well. And likely meet the original posters requirements.

But one of the areas where Access really shines is the use of VBA to performance
extensive and complex logic. Indeed I spend 80% of my time in Access in VBA. I
very much doubt any of the competitve products come anywhere close to VBA. They
likely do have a macro language which Access also has.

This is an important point. Most of my little applications are not
that complicated from a database perspective, but I do want to do some
calculations on the data. I am familiar with VBA from Word and Excel,
so the learning curve there shouldn't be too bad.

Does Access have a macro language that is different from VBA? I
thought VBA was the macro language. If you need more than that, use
VB.net and have it call Access. No?

Do you know that FileMaker (for example) does not have a macro
language? Their website talks about "scripts".

Quote:

Note though that if you look down at my sig you well see I have a bias. <smile

It's also an expertise.