Free simple database program?

C

Chaos Master

Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic components.
I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic stuff to do more
complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web server, or
even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which is not
quite what I want.

[]s
--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Win 98 + LiteStep | I'm falling forever,
Slackware Linux 9.1 | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 
M

Mark Warner

Chaos said:
Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic
components. I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic
stuff to do more complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also
would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web
server, or even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which
is not quite what I want.


No personal experience, but Little Lists has been highly recommended for
what you're describing:

http://www.rkwest.com/downloads.shtml
 
B

Ben Cooper

Chaos Master said:
Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic
components. I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic
stuff to do more complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also
would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web
server, or even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which
is not quite what I want.

My, my... you're just full of contradictions aren't you?
Good luck finding basic, complex query reports.

Oops, almost forgot to mention... Good Luck mastering chaos.

BTW, have you tried Open Office?
http://www.openoffice.org/

You probably haven't, seeing as you're a chaos master and all.
 
J

JunkMonkey

If you are looking for a Freeware equivalent of, say, the simple flat file
database module of Microsoft Works, you are going to be somewhat
disappointed. If you are looking for a freeware equivalent of MS Access,
you are going to be REALLY disappointed.

I hate to say this, but I don't think any of the freeware database
applications are really ready for prime time (i.e. a business level
application). I don't mean to imply they don't work, they do.

In fact, they do a pretty good job of storing data reliably. But I think
they fall down on entering and retrieving data. This boils down to having a
good user interface. Making it EASY to create a report, do a simple query,
etc. And most of them are so BUTT UGLY, that they don't inspire much
confidence in me. To be fair though database programs are darned HARD to
write and even harder to debug.

I would not give any freeware database program that I know of to my wife.
She has very little tolerance for dinking around with a program, and they
all (freeware DB progs) seem to require some continuous "dinking" on the
part of the user. For a person like her, an application needs a consistent,
logical UI along with plenty of wizards and other sorts of hand-holding.
This is an area where freeware falls short. So you need to consider the
personality of the user as well.

I have made sure that she has a current copy of MS Works. (it's sort of
free, it comes with virtually every PC out there) and she is VERY productive
with it, and quite proud of the work she produces with it.
 
E

Eric

Chaos said:
Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic components.
I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic stuff to do more
complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web server, or
even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which is not
quite what I want.

[]s
I found a prog called dbworx, I'm not sure if it has all the
functionality that your looking for, but I thought I would throw it out
there for you to atleast look at. I believe that I got it from
pricelessware.org, or you could google for it.

If you don't have any luck in finding it, follow the instructions on the
bottom of my message and I will see about posting it on a page for you.

GL

Eric
 
M

MightyKitten

Chaos said:
Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic
components. I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic
stuff to do more complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also
would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web
server, or even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which
is not quite what I want.

[]s

Hmmm... since most stock applications don't require more as a single table,
I guess a good flatfile database program will do the trick.

If you don't realy care about a nice input screen then dbworkx
(http://plworx-software.com/), as Eric sugests, might do the tick with ease.

Fot that mattter, you could also take a look at commaworks at
http:/www.jansfreeware.com/
or take a look at Frank S' creations:
http://home.hccnet.nl/s.j.francke/t2t/text2table.htm

If you are more into an acces like solution (as in having input screens),
and your can liver with German menu's and helpfiles (it is not that complex)
I'd suggest windbf http://www.buchenwald.de/software/windbf-e.html .

there is also an Ot solution:
<OT>
Alpha Five is commercialy aviable, but in order to promote their software,
the previous version appears on misc. IT magazine CD's from time to time.
</OT>

Jeroen de Bruijn
 
J

John Corliss

Chaos said:
Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic components.
I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic stuff to do more
complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web server, or
even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which is not
quite what I want.

[]s

You might want to look here:

http://jansfreeware.com/

Under "Software", click on "Database"
 
B

Bob Adkins

Hello people.

The coolest little database program you can buy for really cheap is Lotus
Approach. It's a real sweetheart of a program. You can occasionally find it
practically free

Yea, yea, I know it's O/T, but there's no Freeware database program. :)

Bob

Remove "kins" to reply by e-mail.
 
N

Ninou

Hello people.

Is there any free and simple database program?

I want something that I can use to organize my "stock" of electronic components.
I could do this with Excel as well but I want some basic stuff to do more
complex queries than Excel allows me. Reports also would be a good thing.

I don't have the need for more complex stuff like using it in a Web server, or
even interfacing it to programming languages.

Google for "free database program" gives me mainly MySQL stuff which is not
quite what I want.

[]s
SmartDB V2.3
http://alainlecomte.free.fr/

IBeasy+ 1.1.1
http://nte-socio.univ-lyon2.fr/Marc_Grange/TeleCharger_en.htm
 
J

JunkMonkey

Yeah! Good Call. I forgot about Approach! IBM practically gives away Lotus
SmartSuite any more. (IBM was never very good at marketing, but you have to
admire how it hates to just give up on a product line) I bet you could buy a
complete SS version 9.5 or 9.6 for $20 or $30 US from one of the more
reputable on-line software clearance houses.
 
O

Onno

Is there any free and simple database program?

Budgie 1.6 is a very fast office suite with a database module.
No idea how good their database program is, I haven't tried it.
 
C

Chaos Master

There should be a part of Ben Cooper brain within this message' contents:
My, my... you're just full of contradictions aren't you?
Good luck finding basic, complex query reports.

Ok, ok... you didn't understand:

I want some database that is *simple* to use. No need for SQL, macros, web
stuff, etc.... I once had a nice DB program called Alpha Five but the CD where I
had it was too much scratches and does not work anymore.
BTW, have you tried Open Office?
http://www.openoffice.org/

I will try Open Office but doing a ~60MB download over a dial-up connection will
not be fun. :/

[]s

--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Linux User #349031 : | I'm falling forever,
Slackware / Knoppix | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 
C

Chaos Master

There should be a part of Mark Warner brain within this message' contents:

No personal experience, but Little Lists has been highly recommended for
what you're describing:

http://www.rkwest.com/downloads.shtml

Will try this, thanks.
--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Linux User #349031 : | I'm falling forever,
Slackware / Knoppix | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 
C

Chaos Master

There should be a part of Bob Adkins brain within this message' contents:
Yea, yea, I know it's O/T, but there's no Freeware database program. :)

I found here a CD which had StarOffice (the original version, not OpenOffice)
and it has a decent database program.

[]s
--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Linux User #349031 : | I'm falling forever,
Slackware / Knoppix | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 
J

JunkMonkey

I have the same StarOffice V6 disk. True, it comes with a front-end
application that theoretically connects to any database and a singleuser
crippleware version of Adabas. The idea was that the two together could
reasonably compete for your database needs so well that you wouldn't need MS
Access. This is how Lotus Approach works, its a front-end app and a db2
clone database engine. It's a valid approach to dbms and a well thought out
application should work just fine and it does in Lotus Approach and many
other payware apps.

But not the StarOffice application! There was NO support from Sun or Adabas
and no real instructions on installation and set up. I consider myself
reasonably clever, and I am a Certified Terradata Professional so I do know
something about databases, but I simply could not get either application to
work. Either together or separately. Nor could I get the front end to
connect to other databases. I gave up after a couple of days, I had
satisfied my curiosity, and life is way too short.

Technically StarOffice is payware, there is no excuse for such a sloppy DB
release. I'm glad I got my copy for free.



Chaos Master said:
There should be a part of Bob Adkins brain within this message' contents:
Yea, yea, I know it's O/T, but there's no Freeware database program. :)

I found here a CD which had StarOffice (the original version, not OpenOffice)
and it has a decent database program.

[]s
--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Linux User #349031 : | I'm falling forever,
Slackware / Knoppix | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 
J

John

Chaos Master said:
There should be a part of Bob Adkins brain within this message' contents:
Yea, yea, I know it's O/T, but there's no Freeware database program. :)

I found here a CD which had StarOffice (the original version, not OpenOffice)
and it has a decent database program.

[]s

Here is another .

dbEdit
http://www.arachnoid.com/dbedit/
dbEdit is a very easy-to-use database program.
dbEdit will dial your phone, allow you to edit databases in an easy
way, sort, search, create subset tables, and many other things.

dbEdit is an MDI (Multi-Document Interface) application -- this means
many databases can be open at a time. Records can easily be moved
between databases or between applications, you can conduct multiple
database searches, and custom macros can be written that allow dbEdit
to launch programs and provide them with data.

Oh, I almost forgot the other good news. dbEdit is CareWare -- that
means no money, now or ever. You just have to care.
 
C

Chaos Master

There should be a part of JunkMonkey brain within this message' contents:

Technically StarOffice is payware, there is no excuse for such a sloppy DB
release. I'm glad I got my copy for free.

I have StarOffice 5.1 - when it was still free.

[]s
--
© 2004 Chaos Master | "I'm going under,
Posting from Brazil! | drowning in you
Linux User #349031 : | I'm falling forever,
Slackware / Knoppix | I've got to break through"
---------------------. -- Evanescence, "Going Under"
 

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