Which program to use advise

[Murray]

Hi all, A fairly genertic question. We currently use Excel to keep a record
of all our company documents. If you open the speadsheet it contains a list
of all company, simply click the hyperlink and the relevant document opens.
We are however thinking about using a database to keep all the documents. My
question is simply is the Excel method the best option or the database or
something else ??
Thanks
Murray

 

[Shafiee]

Hi Murray,

What kind of data are you talking about? Going for a database will have all
the advantages of a relational database.... plus if you happen to be a
programmer, you will be able to use the database in applications using ADO.
The simplest and most easily accessible program for creating a database is MS
Access. With MS Access you have the option to upsize your database to SQL
Server as well. But transferring the records to a database will be very time
consuming... and it will cost your company.

Shafiee.

 

[Keme]

Hi all, A fairly genertic question. We currently use Excel to keep a record
of all our company documents. If you open the speadsheet it contains a list
of all company, simply click the hyperlink and the relevant document opens.
We are however thinking about using a database to keep all the documents. My
question is simply is the Excel method the best option or the database or
something else ??
Thanks
Murray

*Advantages of excel solution:*
-Easy to learn
-Always available (Access is not part of all Office distributions)

*Advantages of Access solution:*
-Better filtering and extraction capabilities
-Concurrent access (updating and viewing in real time with several users)
-Capacity for larger tables

To properly learn the basics of Access, expect to use a week full time.
To import your data from excel to an Access table, expect to use 5
minutes (if the cell content is concistent through columns). Steps included:

In Excel:
- Add a column to your Excel table (for Access primary key)
- type 1 for primary key in the first record, and expand the sequence
down the table (drag the handle in the lower right corner of the cell)
- Save with a new name (you don't want to change your original data
until the new solution is working).

In Access:
-Create a new, empty database
-File, external data, import
-Answer the questions. Make sure you select correct column for primary
key, and set the type of the link field to "hyperlink" (default is "text")

 

[Shafiee]

With Access, you'll need a user interface too... you'll have to design forms
and reports, make a switch borad, or add menus. You can do cool things with
Access. Oh yeah... you can import data to Access... and even analyze the
imported data to create a good database. Juse use the Table Analyzer Wizard.
What the table analyzer wizard does is, it separates repitive information
into a separate table, and links both tables with a primary key and foreign
key. You can make a query to view both tables as a single table. This means
that, if you found a mistake in the customer name, or an address, or if the
contacts of a customer changed for example, you can change this information
from one location, without having to change each individual record.

You can do this from Tools -> Analyze -> Table in MS Access.

Shafiee.

 

[Keme]

With Access, you'll need a user interface too... you'll have to design forms
and reports, make a switch borad, or add menus. You can do cool things with
Access. Oh yeah... you can import data to Access... and even analyze the
imported data to create a good database. Juse use the Table Analyzer Wizard.
What the table analyzer wizard does is, it separates repitive information
into a separate table, and links both tables with a primary key and foreign
key. You can make a query to view both tables as a single table. This means

[...]


The original post indicates that the poster needs the basics, and if the
clients use excel sheets now, they will be very comfortable with using
the Access tables, so Murray doesn't *have* to design forms, reports or
navigation structure. They'll be an added bonus when he goes beyond the
basics.

Of course normalizing the relations is useful, but if the redundant
(repetitive) data is inconsistent in the first place (likely with large
tables edited manually), the wizard is not reliable. Learning the SQL
mathematics and relation normalizing are also beyond basics, and "roads
not taken" most of the time. Although unsatisfactory to a DB
professional, that doesn't have to be a problem. Use whatever does the
job. Avoid technology just for technology's own sake.