best software for stand-alone database?

[Kaido]

I need to make small database for work. It needs to be standalone and configurable. I was originally thinking either Excel or Access, but those are out due to what I need. Right now I'm thinking of using SQlite with some sort of custom frontend. Any thoughts?

 

[Drakkon]

how many peopel need to access? how simple of a frontend do you need? will it need to be expandable in the future?
why not just use xml if its going to be that small?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
how many peopel need to access? how simple of a frontend do you need? will it need to be expandable in the future?
why not just use xml if its going to be that small?

Never used XML before. What I'm thinking is basically a simple stand-alone program that I can put on our file server and whoever needs to use it can run it across the network. Like one user at a time, very simple. It's for a somewhat rare line of products that we need to keep track of. So, very light use, standalone. Frontend is not complex at all - just display tables and a few basic searches. No expansion needed in the future.

 

[Thyme]

If I understand correctly, this is something that will be write once, read many?

You have tons of choices on something that simple, so I would use MySQL mainly since it is well documented. If you install a web server on your file server with PHP, you can confiure it with PHPMyAdmin and write the frontend in PHP which is easy to learn if you don't know it already. Alternatively, you can set it up with ODBC and use Access for edits.

If, however, you need users to be able to make changes, then it becomes more complicated. If you are able to get PHP and MySQL on a server, you might be able to get something from hotscripts.com or another scripting site that provides you with an suitable multi-user interface.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Thyme
If I understand correctly, this is something that will be write once, read many?

You have tons of choices on something that simple, so I would use MySQL mainly since it is well documented. If you install a web server on your file server with PHP, you can confiure it with PHPMyAdmin and write the frontend in PHP which is easy to learn if you don't know it already. Alternatively, you can set it up with ODBC and use Access for edits.

If, however, you need users to be able to make changes, then it becomes more complicated. If you are able to get PHP and MySQL on a server, you might be able to get something from hotscripts.com or another scripting site that provides you with an suitable multi-user interface.

Well, the server is old and I don't want to mess with it by installing anything. I just want a simple run-across-the-network app. Access is OK but the company is trying to get away from it.

 

[SeTeS]

Want cheap an easy? Get a copy of Lotus Smartsuite from surpluscomputers for like 17 bucks (even cheaper during frequent sales) per license. The included relational database (Approach) is super easy to use and you can likely teach the semi-saavy users to create/customize their own reports and such.

Uses dbase as its native database format but will work as a frontend for any ODBC capable dbms (sql, etc.).

Networks just fine as well. Been using this for years for standalone apps. Not quite as powerful as access, but a lot quicker for building user friendly front ends.

 

[SinNisTeR]

Best database = PostgreSQL.

 

[Rottie]

Filemaker?

 

[SeTeS]

Filemaker is great (I started out w/ FM on an old B&W Mac way too long ago) but i can't help but consider the cost per seat. FM ain't terribly cheap. That smartsuite deal is hard to beat. NTM you get a whole office suite, jic you need it.