Relational Database

QuackingPenguin

QuackingPenguin

Banned
Okie dokie.

I do some 'puter stuff for my dad, making out certificates, etc for a preservation society he's in. Anyways. I wanna make a database with a table listing all the members names, with their details & link that to a table with all the certificates, showing who has what, if ya know what i mean.

i KNOW i could make this in Access. problem is, i dont have a wintel box to run access via IIS, so any suggestions on databases for mac? if need-be i will run it from this machine (X.1.3) so the imac (9.2.2) can access it via a browser.

Don't go telling me anything like, USE mySQL with php and cgi because it will make you coffee as well, either, i haven't done any db work outside access, and i dont want to spend 3 months learning it.


thanks

QP

ps. I tried using DB tool in AppleWorks, but i cant figure out how to link tables, and i havent found anywhere to dl FileMakerPro yet, not that i know how to use that either :(
 
Not sure exactly what you want to do. But you can make Excel work like a database. You can't make real pretty VB screens, but it can server as a low level database.

Calliex
 
... but it really isn't that painful learning how to use MySQL - matter of two-three days really. This is mainly because you use SQL to work with it. And once you've learned that, you can use it in most other databases as well (even Access ;-)) ... and as far as PHP is concerned - I learned the basics in a day .. enough to write some pages for my site that accessed a MySQL database and showed the info. Plus, both MySQL and PHP have extensive and easy to follow online documentation. And they're free.

I know you specifically said not to recommend MySQL and PHP, but I seriously think you should take a couple of days to try and get familiar with them. It will look good on your CV if nothing else ;-))))

C
 
Might as well make it complete. I use Postgresql which is easy to install using a package. Similar to mySQL. It is free and not as tough to use and you think. It is time to graduate and learn to use a more mainstream database like mySQL or Postgresql and leave MS and access to the Windoze people.

Calliex
 
It sounds to me like he wants the reporting aspects of MSAccess as well as its DB elements. What a lot of people don't realise is that MSAccess is really two applications in one - the DB Engine, which isn't bad for small projects, and the clunky bloated reporting application.

I like the Excel recommendation - you can turn it into a reasonable relational database with reasonable reporting functionality built into the application.

R.
 
... a relation database expert might feel the urge to hang draw and quarter you for even suggesting that Excel can be used as a relational database - but then we're all fairly open minded in here ;))))))

C
 
There two ways to look at. What he wants to do would be an easy exercise to use to learn how to build/use a relational database such as mySQL or postgresql. The easier quick and dirty way would be to use Excel.

Calliex
 
You can use anything as a relational database pretty much if you don't want to enforce contraints. Excel can be used as an ODBC database without many issues. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it as a good relational database in general, but it will be fine for home use - that is what I meant. I wouldn't recommend MSAccess either though, for that matter, but it has its uses. Rule of thumb - they are OK for single user use, no more.

As much as I hate MSAccess, it does fullfill a niche...functional relational database with some reporting functionality. It is like a virus the way that it infiltrates an organisation's IT strategy and aboliterates it. MSAccess DB does make for good INI files though - much better than text - that is as far as I would recommend it though.

R.
 
Well! there ya go.

I know that PHP, MySQL, i never said i didnt want to know how to do it. i just dont know how long it will take to learn it. (i have two weeks holidays from tafe.. which for you yankees is kinda like uni, but without the professors etc. who actually teach you anything. at tafe, they say: 'You have to do this module. The book is in the library, assessment is on the network. good luck.' hehe. So the only acutal work we normally do is the final assessment.) anyways. so lets say im gonna go with MySQL. Can anyone tell me where to get the tools to make what i need? can i use one of those 'MacSQL'-type apps to access it when finished rather than using PHP & HTTP?

Thanks again guys. But would you PLEASE stop talking about me as if i dont read the frickin thread :p
What he wants to do
Click to expand...
It sounds to me like he wants the reporting aspects
Click to expand...

it's rude :p
 
Well, you can access the MySQL data using almost any programming language (Java, Python, Perl, C, there's even an ObjectiveC port on the go ;) ) and there are various GUIs around that will allow access to it ... your probably best off just having a surf around the web ...

Can't speak for PostgreSQL, but I'm guessing its basically the same situation???

BTW Roger: Saying that Excel is a relation database is like saying C++ is object oriented ... most people will accept it, but the purists will argue the hind legs off a donkey that it isn't (in the former case because, as you rightly pointed out, you can't place constraints, and in the latter case because not everything has to be bound to an object - you can still have global variables/functions, hence encapsulation isn't enfored :) )
But basically I totally agree with you - one should always endeavour to find the right tool for the job. And as plenty of shell scripts have proven - OO isn't always the right way to go, just as using, say, Oracle 9i isn't always the right DB to use ;-)))))


C
 
Ok so im dl mySQL. i never thought i would see the day... well night actually. on a completely unrelated note, WTF is your icon/avatar, LordCoven?

And on a slightly related note. this dl is taking forever. i want ADSL damnit! :(
 
OK.
maybe its just me, but why are there NO notes on installing mysql on X? closest it has is linux, and the first thing it says is use the groupadd command to make a new group, and then a new user with useradd (or is it adduser. we used both at tafe and they worked the same).
problem with that: there is no groupadd or useradd command. or if there is, its playing funny beggars. i will openly admit to be a linux/unix newbie but i also have to say that i HAVE done some stuff in the terminal in redhat. so can someone tell me what the command IS to make groups, and users, and why Apple has funky names for the default groups. Wheel? wtf is that about?

Thanks again guys

QP
 
... and you'll be wanting to have a look at the netinfo stuff if your interested in learning about how OS X handles users/groups and most of the other stuff that other *nix's keep in their /etc folder.
Had me stumped for a while too - I was trying to set up an NFS share from my OS X box ... that's when I stumbled into the whole netinfo hole.

Sorry. Should have said that in a previous post really. My bad.

But I have to admit - I also got a pkg of MySQL to install on OS X - it is so much easier ;-))))

C
 
DEAR GOD!

I think im starting to understand it!
HEHE! i started on it this morning, with this PHP-based thingo that you can use to administer MySQL databases, but i was getting confused, so i went to the source. Ahh, what would we do without the terminal? (and dont say anything, cus i KNOW there are other ways to play with MySQL db's, i dl a heap of apps to do just that, and never used a single one. anyways. its like 8 15pm now, and i have a WORKING php-powered page that can read entries, let you pick from a list of all the entries, and ADD an entry. i know you said it was easy to learn, but sheesh. this is easier than VB!. oh wait. vb is a c*nt. anyways. can anyone point me in the right direction for creating relationships between tables, so i can grab data from two different tables to display together..


Thanks guys, and DUDE WTF!?@ LordCoven & Band. that's you? anyone ever tell you that it looks like one of those wrestler-fags in the 'states??

QP
 
no. that's not something I've ever been accused of ;-))

Now - linking tables. Its not done like in Access. The easiest way to get to grips with it is to simply make two tables:

create table one (
id integer auto_increment primary key,
name varchar(50),
address integer
);

create table two (
id integer auto_increment primary key,
street varchar(50),
state varchar(50),
post_code varchar(10),
);

Then you can insert some data:

insert into two (street, state, post_code) values(
'19 Cherry Drive',
'Utah'
'hfjdskhfd'
);

This should create an entry in table two with an auto number as id - this should be 0.
Then insert into one:

insert into one (name, address) values (
'Bob',
0
);

Now you have 'linked' the first entry in table one to the first entry in table two by the fact that the 'address' entry in one is the same as the 'id' entry in two. You then get at the data like this:

select a.name, b.street, b.state, b.post_code from one a, two b where a.id = 0;

I hope this is reasonably clear?? ;-)

C
 
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