Creating a Database

[Guest]

I am the money manager for a Girl Scout troop and need some help creating a
database that would keep track of registration dues (yearly), regular dues
(weekly), when these dues are deposited, check written, with dates, check
numbers and such. I want it to feed into a simple check book register look
report but then have detailed reports by child on how much they have paid and
when. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Allen Browne]

If you have never created a database before, it is going to take you a
couple of years of work (assuming you do this in your spare time) to figure
out how to build the appropriate tables, understand SQL, create forms and
reports, and learn to write the code you need to get the results you want.

The alternative is to leverage the work others have already put into this
kind of thing. One way might be to talk to other Girl Scout troops, and see
what they use. If someone has already written a system for exactlly what you
need, that would be ideal.

If you can't find something, you can get a membership database that handles
much of what you need for just the cost of the documentation explaining how
it works and how to build and maintain it. John Viescas has a book called
"Building Microsoft Access Applications" (published by Microsoft Press,
2005.) It comes with a CD that includes a membership application.

You can even read the relevant chapters of his book on-line to see if it
does what you need before you buy it:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa662176(office.11).aspx

 

[Guest]

Or just buy Quick Books.

If you have never created a database before, it is going to take you a
couple of years of work (assuming you do this in your spare time) to figure
out how to build the appropriate tables, understand SQL, create forms and
reports, and learn to write the code you need to get the results you want.

The alternative is to leverage the work others have already put into this
kind of thing. One way might be to talk to other Girl Scout troops, and see
what they use. If someone has already written a system for exactlly what you
need, that would be ideal.

If you can't find something, you can get a membership database that handles
much of what you need for just the cost of the documentation explaining how
it works and how to build and maintain it. John Viescas has a book called
"Building Microsoft Access Applications" (published by Microsoft Press,
2005.) It comes with a CD that includes a membership application.

You can even read the relevant chapters of his book on-line to see if it
does what you need before you buy it:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa662176(office.11).aspx