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General Category => Off the Record => Computer Affairs => Topic started by: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM

Title: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM
What the program should be able to do:

- customize/define what fields I want to capture
- is possible, have different categories of data sets in one database (e.g. people, places, organizations ...)
- allow to crossreference/tag entries

I know I could do all that in Excel, but I don't find Excel works well for administrating data beyond a certain size.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on June 18, 2011, 12:32:24 PM
Take a look at SQLite Manager (http://code.google.com/p/sqlite-manager/).  Its a Firefox plugin.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Syt on June 19, 2011, 06:52:37 AM
Thanks.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Norgy on June 19, 2011, 01:07:01 PM
http://www.firebirdsql.org/ (http://www.firebirdsql.org/)

Firebird is open source and if not fantastic, at least relatively useful.

Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: viper37 on June 20, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM
What the program should be able to do:

- customize/define what fields I want to capture
- is possible, have different categories of data sets in one database (e.g. people, places, organizations ...)
- allow to crossreference/tag entries

I know I could do all that in Excel, but I don't find Excel works well for administrating data beyond a certain size.
Access + http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx)

If you don't have Access in your Office version, it can be bought for a decent price, seperated from the rest, if you dig a little.

Of your could use LibreOffice's database with Microsoft SQL Server Express.  100% free.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Zanza on June 20, 2011, 10:58:40 AM
Quote from: viper37 on June 20, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM
What the program should be able to do:

- customize/define what fields I want to capture
- is possible, have different categories of data sets in one database (e.g. people, places, organizations ...)
- allow to crossreference/tag entries

I know I could do all that in Excel, but I don't find Excel works well for administrating data beyond a certain size.
Access + http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx)

If you don't have Access in your Office version, it can be bought for a decent price, seperated from the rest, if you dig a little.

Of your could use LibreOffice's database with Microsoft SQL Server Express.  100% free.
Installing a server that needs half a gig of RAM all the time and makes Windows start up slower is a bit over the top when all you need is a simple desktop database.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Grey Fox on June 20, 2011, 11:01:07 AM
Quote from: Zanza on June 20, 2011, 10:58:40 AM
Quote from: viper37 on June 20, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM
What the program should be able to do:

- customize/define what fields I want to capture
- is possible, have different categories of data sets in one database (e.g. people, places, organizations ...)
- allow to crossreference/tag entries

I know I could do all that in Excel, but I don't find Excel works well for administrating data beyond a certain size.
Access + http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx)

If you don't have Access in your Office version, it can be bought for a decent price, seperated from the rest, if you dig a little.

Of your could use LibreOffice's database with Microsoft SQL Server Express.  100% free.
Installing a server that needs half a gig of RAM all the time and makes Windows start up slower is a bit over the top when all you need is a simple desktop database.

It's still cheap tho.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: viper37 on June 21, 2011, 08:16:16 AM
Quote from: Zanza on June 20, 2011, 10:58:40 AM
Quote from: viper37 on June 20, 2011, 09:37:01 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 18, 2011, 06:30:29 AM
What the program should be able to do:

- customize/define what fields I want to capture
- is possible, have different categories of data sets in one database (e.g. people, places, organizations ...)
- allow to crossreference/tag entries

I know I could do all that in Excel, but I don't find Excel works well for administrating data beyond a certain size.
Access + http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx)

If you don't have Access in your Office version, it can be bought for a decent price, seperated from the rest, if you dig a little.

Of your could use LibreOffice's database with Microsoft SQL Server Express.  100% free.
Installing a server that needs half a gig of RAM all the time and makes Windows start up slower is a bit over the top when all you need is a simple desktop database.
That's what I use at the office.  It's slower in Vista, ok in Win7 64bit with 8gb ram.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Iormlund on June 21, 2011, 12:43:01 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 20, 2011, 11:01:07 AM
It's still cheap tho.
If that's your main concern, PostgreSQL is much better. Not to mention a LOT more capable.
Title: Re: Good, cheap, customizable database program?
Post by: Grey Fox on June 21, 2011, 01:31:40 PM
Quote from: Iormlund on June 21, 2011, 12:43:01 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on June 20, 2011, 11:01:07 AM
It's still cheap tho.
If that's your main concern, PostgreSQL is much better. Not to mention a LOT more capable.

Yes. Not that I know the program, just that I've seem to be much in love with open source software nowadays.