Creating New App -- Which database engine to use?

[clg]

Hello,

 

I am experienced in creating applications in ACCESS but I would now like to move on to VB.Net. I want to create a new application that will be used by many people on many different machine setups. It is a stand alone project -- no servers to deal with. I would like to know which database engine I should use -- Access, MSDE, or SQL?

 

Thank you!

[Nerseus]

What are your requirements for storing data? You say it's a stand-alone project so you would probably go with Access or MSDE. Knowing what you plan on storing would make it easier to make suggestions.

 

SQL Server requires licensing that I don't think your users are going to want to pay for not to mention having to install SQL Server just to use your program.

 

-Nerseus

[clg]

Thank you for replying!

 

I am creating an attendance database for a school system. In my ACCESS version of this program I had tables such as Student Information, Teacher Information, Attendance Data, etc. Basically a data entry form is presented to the user to choose a student(or scan a barcode), enter a date (or accept default date) and record attendance. The data is very simple. The real value of the program is in the many ways that data can be retrieved by the users(reports for specific purposes).

 

It seems that maybe I should be thinking about creating a class that looks like some of my tables. Like a Student Class that has properties such as Lname, Fname, SSN, Student Number, etc. Do you know of any sample programs that show this type of approach along with accessing the data from a database and returning values to that database? I have several books on VB.Net but the ones that refer to databases don't seem to have references to classes and the ones that teach about classes don't mention databases. I am new to this and feel like I am missing something very important!

[Gladimir]

If the school has a license to use Microsoft Access allowing them to view, edit, and modify Access databases in your absence and the absence of your program, then I would stick with the Access engine.

 

If the school will not be able to view the database without your application, in other words they don't have a license to use Access, then I would recommend taking a look at MySQL.

 

I think a good place to start would be Databound Controls. Does that ring a bell?

[clg]

Gladimir,

 

Thanks for replying. I really don't want them to be able to access the database without my program. Does your user have to have an ACCESS license in order for you to use an ACCESS type database to develop the program??

[vincentnl]

I have a a continuation on the question.

 

I am writing a program with a very limited amount of records. It holds, Golfclubs, Golf courses, Holes and Scores. About 5 tables, each about 5 fields.

 

Very simple I would say. I now do it in a database icreated with access 2002, and have 5 dataadapters and a connection with jet 4.0.

 

Question : Is XML an option ? Looking in to it, but do not know what makes it better, and what the disadvantages are. Can you doe queries on a XML database, or just on the dataset you create with it. Or is XML just a front to create the dataset with, based on an actual database?

 

tx

[mikemac1]

We've been building standalone and client/server apps with VB .NET and the Codebase 6.5 database engine from http://www.sequiter.com since VB .NET appeared. This XBase data engine is very fast, stable and easy to program. We use it because it is stable, extraordinarly fast, has good relational functionality and you can easily create tables and datafiles from code. No interface required. Check it out at http://www.sequiter.com or http://www.codebase.com.

 

Mikemac1