IS MySQL BETTER?

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Guest

Hi All,
A friend insists that if I really want to write database programs that will
sell, I should change to MySQL. I do not know anything about MySQL other than
that it is a SQL language. What advantages does it have over Access? Will it
be easy to use as a back end or will I have to find a front end for it?
 
Glint

?Any chance your friend is a .Net programmer? <g>

You can store your data in any back-end... MySQL, SQL-Server, Oracle, DB2,
Excel, MS Access/Jet, ...

But you still need to present the user with a User Interface s/he can easily
understand & use.

Access offers a set of tools you can use to easily connect to most any
back-end data store you pick. And gives you the tools to build a
user-friendly front-end/UI.

Access has a bit of a steep learning curve, though, if you want to create a
user-proof application.

--
Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP


Microsoft IT Academy Program Mentor
http://microsoftitacademy.com/

Microsoft Registered Partner
https://partner.microsoft.com/
 
Thanx Jeff.
I have a bit of understanding of Access. However, I am not sure about the
back ends beyond Access; in other words, which back-ends should I stick with
if I go outside of Access?
 
Sorry, I overlooked your question about .Net programming. No, my friend is
not a .Net programmer. Actually, he has more experience with Oracle. What is
..Net programming about anyway?
 
Glint said:
Thanx Jeff.
I have a bit of understanding of Access. However, I am not sure about the
back ends beyond Access; in other words, which back-ends should I stick
with
if I go outside of Access?
Click to expand...

No particular ones you have to stick with. You can build what is a called a
ADP project in ms-access. when you build a ADP project, then your back end
MUST be sql server. (and, even the table designer, and relationships
designer works!!!..and actually creates the tables for you on sql server).

The other choice (as opposed to adp) is to use odbc, and linked tables. When
you make this choice, then sql server, oracle, Sybase, MySql...or any other
server based system that supports odbc should work quite well with
ms-access.....

So, as for choice in the back end...you quite free to use whatever....
Will it
Click to expand...
be easy to use as a back end or will I have to find a front end for it?

The probem with mysql is that it don't have any tools to build applications
with. You can't build a form, or even save a query....

So, ms-access is not really the database, but is a developers tool to build
interfaces to a database system.
 
Glint said:
Hi All,
A friend insists that if I really want to write database programs that will
sell, I should change to MySQL. I do not know anything about MySQL other than
that it is a SQL language. What advantages does it have over Access? Will it
be easy to use as a back end or will I have to find a front end for it?
Click to expand...

Admittedly I am dwelling on details, but MySQL is not a "SQL language"
(though it may have its own SQL "dialect"). MySQL is a database
platform. Other platforms include Oracle, SQL Server, Jet, etc.

I can't speak much to benefits of one platform over another. Nor am I
sure why your friend suggested this, especially since MySQL is not
exactly widely employed (rebuttals are invited). There was a recent
thread that discussed the ups and downs of pushing Access as a front end
with or without Jet; hopefully someone can provide a link to that.

Do you know "n-tier"?

Access makes a good stab at rolling together three tiers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-tier_(computing)

HTH
 
MySQL is widely used as a backend database on web servers and has been the
dominant database in this market for a few years.

Open Source version is free, with great support from the Open Source
community.

HTH
 
Well, it actually depends on your specific requirements. For all we know, it
could easily be the worse choice or the best choice; the real questions lies
with what you actually need out of a back end.

In my last project, I chose MySQL because it was free and I was working for
a non profit who couldn't afford to burn money into a license for a RDBMS.
There were free editions of MS SQL Server, but I did not want to be stuck
with the limitations (one cpu and 1 GB maximum, IINM). Furthermore, I wanted
native transaction logging & audit trailing which can be written in Access
but already exists in MySQL with me only need to turn it on. It also
satisfied the requirement for remote connections from branch offices (which
there are good solutions such as indirect replicating or terminal services
for example).

So in short, you have to sit down and write out what you require out of your
project, what functionality is absolutely essential to you, and what would be
good but not essential to have, then look up each product and what they have
to offer and select what best meets your requirement.

HTH.
 
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