[Gllug] Access Database to MySQL / PostreSQL

[Bernard Peek]

In message <MABBLCJIFOMLHECCJLJAGEMIEOAA.dan at prankstersproductions.com>, 
Daniel Ahrens <dan at prankstersproductions.com> writes
>Dudez, I'm a newbie to this list and this is my first post. I usually have a
>very extended sense of humour, so please don't misinterpret my posts too
>much. I like dry humour and cynicism. Also, I'm a bit forward sometimes, so
>bear with me. Of course  ur welcome to direct any flames to my personal mail
>box.

Well you're replying to my post and I don't see anything to object to. 
Welcome to the list.

>
>For what it's worth:
>
>PostgreSQL is the superior product because it is fast, efficient but it is
>more difficult to set up because quite frankly, IMHO, it is more difficult
>to hack than MySQL. For non-mission-critical and non-secure data like a
>hobby project I'd use MySQL. If you've been using Access to crunch your data
>I suspect you won't need more than 64 000 records in which case a standalone
>relational database is probably overkill anyway. I'd look at an embedded
>solution.

That's about right, except that you can also use Access as a front-end 
to much larger databases. That could be MySQL or Oracle or SQL Server.

>
>As an IT Manager/DBA you should be able to set up both databases really.

I've got both running on my Linux server here. One day I'll get round to 
installing Oracle too.

>Even as a DBA you should be able to take on the installation role, since
>security is one of the main topics a DBA should (ideally) know backwards.
>Anyway, that is open to interpretation so I won't go into it more.
>PostgreSQL installs nicely on a Windoze box in the cygwin environment. Of
>course u can run it at the same time as your Windoze MySQL installation.

I've found that the Windows implementation of PostgreSQL is a bit flaky, 
but I haven't tried recently.


>
>I didn't know 'resting' was a term applied to unemployed geeks. :) Actors
>use this term to gloss over the fact that nobody wants to hire them. The
>term 'unemployed' in the present IT climate is perfectly respectable, I
>should think, since 'everybody' seems to be in that position.

True. Luckily I have a very understanding bank manager, but he has the 
deeds to my house so he can afford to be understanding.

>
>Have you considered writing your own front ends? They're not that difficult
>to do, if you know how to program.

I could do it but although I have programmed it's not something I do for 
fun. Access makes it very easy to build a new form to try out ideas, or 
to restructure data into a new form. If I was programming professionally 
I might end up good enough to do that in Java. Because of the type of 
work I do it's more likely that someone would pay me to write programs 
in VB. I could write front-ends in VB but Access is easier.

Access is a good tool for power-users who, like me, program when they 
are forced to and not before. There are a lot of power-users out there, 
a lot of them writing complex apps that their IT department doesn't know 
about. It's an important group if you are thinking of moving corporate 
IT to the Linux desktop.

>
>BTW: have you explored MySQL's Control Center?

I'm currently using EMS MySQL Manager which is much better, but it's not 
free. I've got 26 days left of the 30 day evaluation license. If I was 
working I might buy it.




-- 
Bernard Peek
bap at shrdlu.com
www.diversebooks.com: SF & Computing book reviews and more.....

In search of cognoscenti


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