[pianotech] Microsoft Access info

[William Truitt]

Thanks Nick.  You are a heavy hitter by my standards.  I plan on working on
this over a period of time, not driven by need, so I can have something
fairly bulletproof by the time I start using it.  It will only absolutely be
needed once I need to migrate to a 64 bit Vista computer when my old office
computer dies.  

 

Will

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Nick Gravagne
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 9:39 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Microsoft Access info

 

Hi Will,

 

I have found Access to be a powerful and relatively easy DB to work with.
Both Kerry and William's comments are well put. I have easily imported dBase
and other DBs into Access, but remember to set up your columns and headings
exactly per those of the imported; for example, if column 1 of the imported
reads Street_Name, Access might not accept Street Name (without the
underscore). Also remember that computers count from 0 (zero) rather than 1,
but that end-user S/W may account for this and decide to count from 1.

 

My own string scale program, developed in Visual Basic 6 with an Access
embedded DB , is able to import everything I had saved in PScale, but I had
to make sure that the columns and headings were identical. This may not be
required in the hands of a more skillful practitioner, but it was the only
way I could get things to work.

 

RE elegance I suggest that you set up two DBs, a functional "plain dude" for
quickest use and to get it online ASAP, and a second to play with; i.e., use
the second (what I call the "sketch pad" and which should contain much less
imported data) to try out ideas of elegant "front end" functionality. When
you think you have achieved something pretty cool take the ideas to the
active and working DB, but only then after having saved it with a new name.
And take it one advancement at a time.

 

That is, begin with raw functionality so you have something useful; don't
mess with it until you are fairly sure you won't screw up the plain dude,
and even then save the spiffy one with a new name. Eventually it will all
come together, but avoid making big changes to your working DB until you
have debugged your revised ideas on your sketch pad trial and error DB. 

 

And Kerry is quite right,"database dev on any level (can be) to be both
frustrating and addictive". Be careful and have fun.

 

Nick Gravagne, RPT

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Kerry

I've found database dev on any level to be both frustrating and addictive.
Good luck and have fun.

 

Kerry Kean

www.ohiopianotuner.com <http://www.ohiopianotuner.com/> 

 

  _____  

From: William Monroe [mailto:bill at a440piano.net] 

I found it fairly simple to construct a basic database that served my modest
needs.  Setting up the company, entering fields, etc. - all pretty intuitive
even before the hindsight. ..  I'd say that is the greatest foible of Access
- having a comprehensive enough understanding to make your DB elegant,
rather than just functional.  

 

William R. Monroe


SNIP

 

For those of you using Access, did you find it particularly difficult to
build your databases?  Any foibles I should know about?  The usual - the
good, bad, and ugly.  

 

Thanks in advance for whatever you wish to share.

 

Will Truitt

 

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