Simple relational database program to replace Access
in [Mac Applications]
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From: Sally Thompson on 30 Jan 2006 11:27 I have migrated from an old Windows PC to a new iMac G5, and I have a lot of information in a very old (but working) copy of MS Access on the old PC. I have been looking for a Mac replacement, but am told that the basic database in Appleworks is not a relational one and I do need this function. I have just looked at Filemaker Pro which is relational, but is very expensive and probably over the top for my needs. Being new to a Mac, I don't really know which software is good. Could anyone suggest some others I might look at? Preferably with a free trial so that I could check that it's what I want. The sorts of things I currently use Access for include a (very large) book catalogue, tables of family history searches which inter-relate, addresses which I can run queries on to sort into different reports for mailing labels and address books and so on. -- Sally in Shropshire, UK bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church: http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk
From: matt neuburg on 30 Jan 2006 12:25 Sally Thompson <sallynewsgroup(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > I have migrated from an old Windows PC to a new iMac G5, and I have a lot of > information in a very old (but working) copy of MS Access on the old PC. I > have been looking for a Mac replacement, but am told that the basic database > in Appleworks is not a relational one and I do need this function. I have > just looked at Filemaker Pro which is relational, but is very expensive and > probably over the top for my needs. Being new to a Mac, I don't really know > which software is good. Could anyone suggest some others I might look at? > Preferably with a free trial so that I could check that it's what I want. > > The sorts of things I currently use Access for include a (very large) book > catalogue, tables of family history searches which inter-relate, addresses > which I can run queries on to sort into different reports for mailing labels > and address books and so on. If you're willing to learn SQL and do a little thinking, you can use MySQL or PostgreSQL, which are rock-solid, lightning-fast, truly relational, and free. If the command line scares you, there is a nice free graphical front end to MySQL: <http://cocoamysql.sourceforge.net/> Marc Liyanage's site helps you install either MySQL or PostreSQL: http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/ m. -- matt neuburg, phd = matt(a)tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt/ Tiger - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-customizing.html AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596005571 Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com
From: ard on 30 Jan 2006 13:39 matt neuburg <matt(a)tidbits.com> wrote: > Sally Thompson <sallynewsgroup(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > > <...> Being new to a Mac, I don't really know > > which software is good. Could anyone suggest some others I might look at? > > Preferably with a free trial so that I could check that it's what I want. <http://www.filemakertrial.com> > > The sorts of things I currently use Access for include a (very large) book > > catalogue, tables of family history searches which inter-relate, addresses > > which I can run queries on to sort into different reports for mailing labels > > and address books and so on. > > If you're willing to learn SQL and do a little thinking, you can use > MySQL or PostgreSQL But don't complain about 'Mac' if you don't like *SQL; imho it is more for people that would choose linux as an alternative to PC (assuming that you came from PC and be new to mac that way). If you are in the educational department, it seems FM has offers for about half the business price.FileMaker can be found 'second hand' (new in box, over stock, etc.) version 5.5 in some places for a reasonable price. 5.5 runs under mac os X. FM is about what databases on a mac should look like. IMHO, of course. ard
From: Dave Hinz on 30 Jan 2006 13:47 On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:39:51 +0100, ard <ardpuntjonkeratxs4allpuntnl(a)b.c> wrote: > matt neuburg <matt(a)tidbits.com> wrote: >> If you're willing to learn SQL and do a little thinking, you can use >> MySQL or PostgreSQL > But don't complain about 'Mac' if you don't like *SQL; imho it is more > for people that would choose linux as an alternative to PC (assuming > that you came from PC and be new to mac that way). Um, what? I've read that 3 times and can't work out what your point is. A PC, for instance, is the hardware, so the OS Linux isn't an alternative to a hardware platform. What are you trying to say? > FM is about what databases on a mac should look like. IMHO, of course. Databases "look like" something? I thought the presentation layer is what does the looking-like, and the database is what, you know, stores data.
From: Sally Thompson on 30 Jan 2006 16:57
On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 17:25:22 +0000, matt neuburg wrote (in article <1h9yzq0.1p0oaxy7unszkN%matt(a)tidbits.com>): > Sally Thompson <sallynewsgroup(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > >> I have migrated from an old Windows PC to a new iMac G5, and I have a lot of >> information in a very old (but working) copy of MS Access on the old PC. I >> have been looking for a Mac replacement, but am told that the basic database >> in Appleworks is not a relational one and I do need this function. I have >> just looked at Filemaker Pro which is relational, but is very expensive and >> probably over the top for my needs. Being new to a Mac, I don't really know >> which software is good. Could anyone suggest some others I might look at? >> Preferably with a free trial so that I could check that it's what I want. >> >> The sorts of things I currently use Access for include a (very large) book >> catalogue, tables of family history searches which inter-relate, addresses >> which I can run queries on to sort into different reports for mailing labels >> and address books and so on. > > If you're willing to learn SQL and do a little thinking, you can use > MySQL or PostgreSQL, which are rock-solid, lightning-fast, truly > relational, and free. If the command line scares you, there is a nice > free graphical front end to MySQL: > > <http://cocoamysql.sourceforge.net/> > > Marc Liyanage's site helps you install either MySQL or PostreSQL: > > http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/ Thanks for the links. I'm willing to learn, but not sure of my capabilities <g>. I will look at these tomorrow. -- Sally in Shropshire, UK bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church: http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk |