Re: Database creation

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• In reply to: melissa: "Database creation"
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Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 13:02:40 -0500

In article <10i9i7265eol80f@corp.supernews.com>, melissa24@aol enlightened us
with...
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Please let me start by saying that I'm new to programming, but I've heard
> from a lot of guys that it's best to create database applications in Java
> because of the cross platform capabilities..
>

Applications, yes, probably. Applications talk to databases. Java is indeed
the best cross-platform solution there is, at least IMHO.

The actual database that the application interfaces with? No, that's not done
in java usually.
You create the database using the DBMS that suits you best. For my large
enterprise applications, I use Oracle. For smaller applications, I'd use
MySQL.

>
> 1. I need just a handfull of tables in a relational database

Why?
What are they for?
You don't have to answer that, it's just food for thought.

> 2. I'd like to have it be very small in terms of all the necessary
> installation and support files, maybe even run on a Palm PDA
> 3. I'd like to be able to export and import data in "comma separated value"
> (CSV) format

Again, why?

> 4. Possibly use a database engine so that if someone needed to open a
> database file in Access, that they could

A database is a database. They all use engines, or DBMS. They don't generally
directly talk to each other without help. That's one of the things Java is
good for.

> 6. I'd like to be able to sort the data returned in a query in some kind of
> a form based report and maybe one that could be printed as well.
>

You should not assume you will be able to install an entire database system
on someone's computer. Especially "little space" or PDA apps.
Rethink what you're doing and how you're going to do it.
If the users need to access a database, can they do it remotely? That is, if
they have an internet connection, can use it, and so on.
If the users can't remote access, you'd better choose something else, such as
a flat file "database" instead of an entire relational DB.

I'd go into more about Access as a solution, but you mentioned cross-
platform, and that is something Access is NOT. Nor is it multi-user. It's
great for very small Windows applications, though, if you can guarantee your
users already have it installed. It's not much good for much else. ;)

There ARE smaller versions of DBMSs specifically to address PDA concerns.
Check out:
http://www.craigsmullins.com/dbt_0799.htm

But you'll notice those versions are designed to talk to the larger versions
as needed.

-- 
--
~kaeli~
A backward poet writes... inverse.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

• Previous message: Don Vaillancourt: "What do you guys think of Hibernate?"
• In reply to: melissa: "Database creation"
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