good alternatives to Access (1 Viewer)

[jonobugs]

Perhaps this is the wrong forum for posting this, so I apologize in advance if that's the case.

I'm a novice Access user (for a few years now) and I'm wondering if there is a better alternative database program for what I have in mind.

I'm actually very happy with how easy Access has been for to get me up and going. I've been able to create tables, menus, reports, forms, etc. with only a minimum of headaches.

I'm in a VERY small company with no budget for software. I started using Access because we have a copy of Office which included Access. The problem is that it doesn't seem to network well.

We don't have sharepoint, and I'm not even sure how to use it if we did. I tried networking it, but we had to make sure only one person was using it at a time or conflicting database errors occurred.

Also, I would like to be able to work with it at home, so I tried putting it on drobbox or onedrive. It seemed to work, but it would be nice to be able to have a colleague use it who doesn't have a copy of access and would like to edit or send files with his smartphone. (he doesn't have a computer). The last problem is not really that important if it can't be done though.

I've heard about other programs out there such as MYSQL, but my knowledge is very limited and I really don't want to spend a lot of time learning a new program if it turns out not to be a good solution.

Any suggestions?

Cheers!

 

[sneuberg]

I'd check out WordPress. You can get a Web site with it for only a few dollars a month albeit you may have to sign up for a while. In my case three years.

WordPress may not do everything you need even with extensions but you can always extend the Web site yourself with the underlying MYSQL database and PHP. The downside is the time it will take you to learn PHP and MYSQL and the time it takes to develop with it. You will really miss Access.

 

[plog]

Access is more than a database, it's a suite of different functionality (sql engine, reports, forms, VBA scripting etc.). Therefore it has very few alternatives. The only one I've ever heard of is LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/base/), but I've yet to met a person in real-life person who actually uses it.

MySQL isn't an alternative to Access. It's an alternative to part of Access (the sql engine part). It won't create forms, won't help you layout reports and it's scripting isn't as robust as VBA.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Alpha 5 is a brilliant alternative to MS Access.

See here:-
http://www.alphasoftware.com/documentation/pages/search?pattern=Creating+an+Alpha+Five+Database

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[sneuberg]

Alpha 5 is a brilliant alternative to MS Access.

Nice but the prices.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I tried networking it, but we had to make sure only one person was using it at a time or conflicting database errors occurred.

First, my suggestion is that you must not have implemented this in a way to permit sharing. You need to look into using what is called a SPLIT database with a front end and a back end. With the so-called FE/BE split, you can put the shared BE file on the network and allow everyone to copy the common FE to their individual computers. If you do it reasonably and set up permissions correctly, it works like a champ. I've had 10 to 12 users on at the same time without the problems you report.

This forum has a SEARCH function, so start there with searches for "SPLITTING" a database and setting up database sharing. If you have a site domain manager or security person,there is where you would find help in setting up what you want to use.

This is not a trivial exercise, but much of it can be accomplished by a little bit of online research. Access can do a LOT in an in-house network, and do it very well. Word of warning, though... if EVER you have a user trying to access things remotely via an external network, things go downhill pretty fast. We used to laughing call external networks our out-house networks, because our performance for those cases was about like what you would find in any outhouse.

 

[Lightwave]

For the desktop LAN there are NO better alternatives in my opinion than MS Access. And you can put a version on a stick and take it around with you. Which is cheap.

Web enabled databases and you will need to spend some money.

Brazilian outfit Scriptcase

PHP Runner

Nu Builder open source

Nubuilder is hands down the cheapest way of creating an online database system and it costs be about £10 per month for basically unlimited databases. (I have a capacity limit but I don't have enough applications)

There is also something called PHPMaker

http://www.hkvstore.com/phpmaker/

Guess what they all describe themselves as The Best in the world...
Some have options for generating in ASP.net.

I use wordpress but not for data driven applications more for blogging. It is database driven but not in the same user friendly way as MS Access

If you want to take your existing access database and just put it straight on the web then look into access hosting.

Access hosting

 

[jonobugs]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I think I may stick with Access a bit longer and try to split the database as suggested by The Doc Man. After reading a bit more, I realized that I was not networking in the best way. I did try to split the database before but I ended up changing it back because I needed to keep changing things since I was still learning how to do things properly.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I ended up changing it back because I needed to keep changing things since I was still learning how to do things properly.

Look up topics for "Design Master" which is the FE copy that is YOURS but every so often you "freeze" it and spawn off a new production copy. You also need a separate private BE copy that is your development copy limited to the design master's use.

In essence, the design master FE and BE are shadows of the real database. For the BE, you take down the database for a little while (notifying your users, of course) and do any structural updates to the tables and relationships in the BE. Then you spawn your intermediate copy of the FE, use Linked Table Manager to update the links from the private BE to the public BE, and then publish the intermediate as the new FE. You will probably need to look into updating some of the properties by using the File >> Options >> Current Database dialog so that nobody can get in QUITE so easily. But let's be honest. Access is a compromise between usability and stability, so a determined person can bypass your intentions to keep it "clean" - so be sure to make protected backup copies of the FE and regular backups of the production BE just in case someone gets clumsy or frisky or both.

This is eminently possible. Just takes a methodical approach. Good luck, jonbugs, and come back when you have specific questions. (Hint, start a new thread if it is a new topic/question.)

 

[jonobugs]

Awesome, thanks again Doc Man! I'll certainly take a look into that!

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Access networks extremely well. If you can network excel, you can network access.

It's much harder to use well than excel though. You can get good results in excel without code. Most people never use code in excel. You can hardly do anything in access without code. A lot of code is included to prevent people doing things in access.

 

[moke123]

Also, I would like to be able to work with it at home,

this is also possible using remote software such as TeamViewer or GoToMyPC. I often access my office db with TeamViewer from my home laptop and on my Cell Phone.

 

[CJ_London]

have a colleague use it who doesn't have a copy of access and would like to edit or send files with his smartphone. (he doesn't have a computer).

Teamviewer works for this as well although the screen view may be challenging on a small screen - although you can redesign your forms to work on smaller screens. Since this works by connecting to the office pc, he will be running access on that machine as if he is at his desk - so does not need a copy of access.

Personally I use Jump Desktop (when out and about with laptop or iphone) because it better mirrors the touchscreen experience. Others may have caught up but what sold it for me at the time was that to click on a button on a form, in Jump, you just tap the button. In the alternatives you need to drag the mouse over the button, then tap (and the mouse can look pretty small on a smartphone).
https://jumpdesktop.com/

One thing to be aware of, you can only have one remote user connected to the office machine at a time, so if there are two of you, you will need two office machines

 

[jonobugs]

Personally I use Jump Desktop (when out and about with laptop or iphone) because it better mirrors the touchscreen experience. Others may have caught up but what sold it for me at the time was that to click on a button on a form, in Jump, you just tap the button. In the alternatives you need to drag the mouse over the button, then tap (and the mouse can look pretty small on a smartphone).
https://jumpdesktop.com/

One thing to be aware of, you can only have one remote user connected to the office machine at a time, so if there are two of you, you will need two office machines

Wow, never heard of that. I wonder what the lag time would be though. It's very interesting!

 

[jonobugs]

this is also possible using remote software such as TeamViewer or GoToMyPC. I often access my office db with TeamViewer from my home laptop and on my Cell Phone.

Thanks, but those solutions look a bit pricey and it's not my company, so I'm not about to pay the cash myself and I doubt I could convince my boss to buy software for just one employee's convenience.

 

[CJ_London]

I wonder what the lag time would be though

depends on the bandwidth of your connection, but otherwise pretty much the same as if you were sitting at your pc. All that is being transmitted is changes to the screen one way and mouse and keyboard events the other

Regards cost - I think it is a one off cost of $14.99, but you'll need to check terms

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Google screen sharing, https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...esktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp?hl=en chrome remote desktop is free. I have used it from time to time. I found it flaky on my mobile. It was very good on the PC. You could remotely Access a PC from another PC unattended, but you needed to setup your Google account on both machines (I think) it was a while ago that I tried this!

 

[jonobugs]

depends on the bandwidth of your connection, but otherwise pretty much the same as if you were sitting at your pc. All that is being transmitted is changes to the screen one way and mouse and keyboard events the other

Regards cost - I think it is a one off cost of $14.99, but you'll need to check terms

Argh. I tried to download it, but it's only available in the US. I'm living in Japan right now.

 

[sneuberg]

Argh. I tried to download it, but it's only available in the US. I'm living in Japan right now.

I'm curious as to how that works. Are you restricted from the page where the download is or does the web site determine your browser location and disables the download somehow?

 

[jonobugs]

I'm curious as to how that works. Are you restricted from the page where the download is or does the web site determine your browser location and disables the download somehow?

Um ... Nevermind ... I was signed in to a different itunes account which wouldn't allow me to purchase things in Japan. I have that all sorted out now.

As for your question, it doesn't matter where you are, but you are restricted from buying things to the country where your account was set up. That's why I have more than one account since I do try to get stuff from the US. Unfortunately, I am unable to buy things from the US as they won't accept credit cards based on a different physical address.