Looking for suggestions

[BobC]

My brother has a insurance business that is currently using Paradox
(from Corel) as a database and report generating tool. The program(s)
were written by someone who is no longer available to support
troubleshooting or changes. He is considering on switching to MS
Access, mostly because it seems to be better documented and seems to be
more widely used. He asked me if I could help. I am familiar with
Excel and have used Access in one application in which I also used VB6
to do most of the work (basically an address on phone book application).
I get the impression that Access is probably suited to do most of the
work in a bookkeeping and reporting application. I enjoyed programming
VB6 and may consider using it if that helps.

I am looking to not reinvent all the wheels ... so am looking for
similar examples. The current Paradox routines use about 8-10
databases, 2-3 of which are for data entry. There are 4 or 5 scripts to
create the other databases, which are used primarily for some of the
8-10 various reports that are generated.

Suggestions Appreciated!
Bob

 

[John Vinson]

I get the impression that Access is probably suited to do most of the
work in a bookkeeping and reporting application. I enjoyed programming
VB6 and may consider using it if that helps.

Well... it's not going to be a trivial implementation. Access isn't
any more suited to do bookkeeping than (say) Excel; it's a tool and a
programming environment, but all of the bookkeeping details would need
to be built from scratch (see below). A good knowledge of relational
database theory and proper normalization of tables will be ESSENTIAL.

For bookkeeping, you really might want to look at existing programs
written for that purpose (QuickBooks for example); they have many
years of programming effort to cover all the details. Of course you
don't get a customized interface but the price is much less (in terms
both of money and programming effort)!

I am looking to not reinvent all the wheels ... so am looking for
similar examples. The current Paradox routines use about 8-10
databases, 2-3 of which are for data entry. There are 4 or 5 scripts to
create the other databases, which are used primarily for some of the
8-10 various reports that are generated.

Paradox and Access are both databases, but there the resemblance ends.
You'll be able to import the data from your Paradox databases into
Access tables, but the code and scripts will have to be totally
redesigned: altogether different environments! In fact the tables will
almost surely need to be restructured, since Access is considerably
more "relational" than Paradox.

Good luck. Just don't give him a low estimate... <g>

 

[BobC]

John,

Thanks for you suggestions and insight!
I tried looking at the Paradox reports and scripts. They are not easy
to understand nor follow. I looked for books on the subject, and found
that only a few exist (and they were not in stock); primarily only the
ones that came with the Corel Office suite. Replicating that
functionality which exists in the Paradox software; 'before' any mods
appears to be a challenge in and of itself (as us indicated!).

I have only a very basic understanding of relational databases; any
suggestions on books?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Larry Linson]

You might want to take a look at the site
http://www.databasecreations.com -- they have a product that has been
updated renamed but used to be called "Yes, I Can Run My Business With
Access". If the features you need are included, it's likely to be a good buy
compared to designing, developing, testing, and putting into production
something done from scratch. The advantage it would have over some packaged
products is that it comes with source so you can modify it to fit your
needs.

Access books I recommend are:

Microsoft Access <versionnumber> Step by Step, Microsoft Press, for the rank
novice

Special Edition Using Microsoft Access <versionnumber>, by Roger Jennings,
QUE, starts at the beginning and goes farther toward development than some

Programming Microsoft Access <versionnumber>, by Rick Dobson, Microsoft
Press, to move from power user to developer

Access <versionnumber> Developer's Handbook, by Litwin, Getz, et al, SYBEX,
reference and specific how-to for developers

Relational Database:

Designing Relational Database Systems, by Rebecca Riordan, Microsoft
Press -- explains relational theory, and system design (currently out of
print, so you'd have to search out a used copy somewhere -- Amazon and eBay
are places to begin looking)

There's another RDB Design book that many recommend, by Steve Roman -- but I
am not familiar with it.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[John Vinson]

John,

Thanks for you suggestions and insight!
I tried looking at the Paradox reports and scripts. They are not easy
to understand nor follow. I looked for books on the subject, and found
that only a few exist (and they were not in stock); primarily only the
ones that came with the Corel Office suite.

:-{/

Yep. BTDT, helping clients with Paradox databases or converting them
to Access. The documentation is... well, it's not quite as good as
Access2000's online help (and for regular readers of this newsgroup,
yes, that's a very harsh criticism).

Replicating that
functionality which exists in the Paradox software; 'before' any mods
appears to be a challenge in and of itself (as us indicated!).

I wouldn't even TRY. Start from scratch, and determine the needed
functionality. Translating the code and structure into Access would be
far more work than starting fresh, and would be likely to give a poor
design.

I have only a very basic understanding of relational databases; any
suggestions on books?

Check out the recommendations at

http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/books.htm
http://www.fmsinc.com/toplevel/books.htm


I particularly like _Running Microsoft Access <version>_ by John
Viescas (Microsoft Press), but there are lots of good ones; it may pay
to go to a good bookstore and sit down with a stack and see which fit
your learning style.

 

[M.L. Sco Scofield]

To Larry's list of books, I'd add "Database Design for Mere Mortals" by Michael Hernandez.

--

Sco

M.L. "Sco" Scofield, MCSD, MCP, MSS, Access MVP, A+
Useful Metric Conversion #15 of 19: 5 dialogues = 1 decalogue
Miscellaneous Access and VB "stuff" at www.ScoBiz.com

John,

Thanks for you suggestions and insight!
I tried looking at the Paradox reports and scripts. They are not easy to understand nor follow. I looked for books on the subject,
and found that only a few exist (and they were not in stock); primarily only the ones that came with the Corel Office suite.
Replicating that functionality which exists in the Paradox software; 'before' any mods appears to be a challenge in and of itself
(as us indicated!).

I have only a very basic understanding of relational databases; any suggestions on books?

Thanks,
Bob

John Vinson wrote:

I get the impression that Access is probably suited to do most of the
work in a bookkeeping and reporting application. I enjoyed programming
VB6 and may consider using it if that helps.


Well... it's not going to be a trivial implementation. Access isn't
any more suited to do bookkeeping than (say) Excel; it's a tool and a
programming environment, but all of the bookkeeping details would need
to be built from scratch (see below). A good knowledge of relational
database theory and proper normalization of tables will be ESSENTIAL.

For bookkeeping, you really might want to look at existing programs
written for that purpose (QuickBooks for example); they have many
years of programming effort to cover all the details. Of course you
don't get a customized interface but the price is much less (in terms
both of money and programming effort)!


I am looking to not reinvent all the wheels ... so am looking for
similar examples. The current Paradox routines use about 8-10
databases, 2-3 of which are for data entry. There are 4 or 5 scripts to
create the other databases, which are used primarily for some of the
8-10 various reports that are generated.


Paradox and Access are both databases, but there the resemblance ends.
You'll be able to import the data from your Paradox databases into
Access tables, but the code and scripts will have to be totally
redesigned: altogether different environments! In fact the tables will
almost surely need to be restructured, since Access is considerably
more "relational" than Paradox.

Good luck. Just don't give him a low estimate... <g>