Databases used
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Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: Database Discussion
Forum Description: Discussion and chat on database related topics.
URL: https://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=12053
Printed Date: 28 March 2026 at 4:56pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.08 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Databases used
Posted By: theSCIENTIST
Subject: Databases used
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 12:41pm
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The application I'm building will be using WWF as the core, and I'm facing a difficult decision regarding the backend support.
I want it to reach a wide group of people but at the same time I'm inclined not to support MS Access at all (and remove all code related to it), and focus only on MSSQL, because I think that those that still use MS Access will sooner or later upgrade to MSSQL, I need to know your opinions on this matter, as supporting both backends will require a great deal of time, you know adding design to one and then the other is too much. Please vote and be fair. Thx. ------------- :: http://www.mylittlehost.com/ - www.mylittlehost.com |
Replies:
Posted By: Gullanian
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 1:13pm
| If your attempting to market software, always make it as scalable as possible. Don't make MS-SQL the only option, recommend it but also support Access. The more you support, the wider your audience. The code change between the two isn't much anyway most likely. |
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 1:50pm
Thats not always true, I often use quite complex stored procedures in SQL Server and some of those could not be easily rewritting in access. Well at least without making multiple queries |
Gullanian wrote:Posted By: michael
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 3:09pm
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Both of you are right, you need to know your audience. Looking at this forum there are plenty of "kids" that use free hosting and don't see the benefit of using sql server. if you use wwf as the core you might as well use both systems. the main problem is that you need to scale functions, or you will end up with two code sets, as some things are just not possible with access. ------------- http://baumannphoto.com" rel="nofollow - Blog | http://mpgtracker.com" rel="nofollow - MPG Tracker |
Posted By: theSCIENTIST
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 4:09pm
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That's the kind of thing I'm trying to avoind, having to develope scalable code to support both backends, that will take twice as long, not to mention having to debug and test both, I know some people still use Access, but the trend will be to move away from it sooner or later. On the other end, I could be doing a critical mistake by not supporting Access, since I want a wide audience, that's the purpose of starting this poll. ------------- :: http://www.mylittlehost.com/ - www.mylittlehost.com |
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 4:14pm
| I think it all depends on what is more important to this application. performance (if you choose ONE database platform you will be able to optimise it more for that platform) or extensibility which will probably lead to a decrease in performance. It all depends on what the application is |
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 4:16pm
| Also, it depends who the application is aimed at. If it is high end (i.e. aimed at corporate customers and needs to be very scalable) or aimed at the lower end that want a quick and easy to use datasource but are not too worried about scalability. |
Posted By: theSCIENTIST
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 5:32pm
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So far, I'm inclined to drop Access altogether, I know this "kids" who use free hosting to have some fun, but even they will not be "kids" forever and they will not want to just have fun forever, there's going to be a time they start being a bit more serious and then they will move to a proper paid host with MSSQL..
Humm, I think I should focus on MSSQL, but let's run this poll for a few more days. ------------- :: http://www.mylittlehost.com/ - www.mylittlehost.com |
Posted By: michael
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 5:37pm
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Hey I would personally not even start deving a access based app, but that's me. I still would not assume that a lot of people want to move to sql server. access is simple for a lot of people because it's portable. If you want to be on the safe side just make everything odbc compliant and you don't have to worry about the backend, the just define their connection string.
------------- http://baumannphoto.com" rel="nofollow - Blog | http://mpgtracker.com" rel="nofollow - MPG Tracker |
Posted By: Gullanian
Date Posted: 06 October 2004 at 6:26pm
| If they will pay for an access version, sell it. |
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 07 October 2004 at 9:13pm
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It's useful to rememebr that there's no such thing as an access data base. Access is a pc client program that currently uses the Jet 4.0 data base engine. In the past, access has used other data base engines. In the future, access will be using a version of MSDE - aka MSSQL-lite, aka MSDE2005, aka Access/MSDE. You can already use Access with MSSQL/MSDE and MS is working to make the distribution of Access/MSDE data bases within networks closer to the ease of distribution of the current .mdb Access/Jet data bases. They are also engaged in developing better conversion programs from .mdb's to MSDE/MSSQL. Some of what they're doing entails modifying MSSQL server to include some Jet functionality. One issue MS has to work out is licensing for web servers - will they bundle Access/MSDE under whatever name as a freebie, will the hosting company have to have a full mssql license, will Access/MSDE run on the web server or on a separate server as MSSQL does. My thought is that within a couple of years Access/Jet will be going the way of the dinosaur and Pascal Programming. EDIT: But Gullanian's point is like a Smith & Wesson - it beats 4 Aces. ------------- 
Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me. |
Posted By: Gullanian
Date Posted: 07 October 2004 at 9:39pm
| I'm confused, Access DB isn't techically an Access DB? It's an interface to Jet 4? |
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 08 October 2004 at 2:14am
| Yep, thats why in the connection string it uses jet as the provider |
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 08 October 2004 at 3:31am
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Access is just the MS Office program that acts as a gui to a Jet db. Sometime in the near future, MS will be replacing the Jet db with some variation of MSSQL. There have been 4 versions of the Jet db engine, but before Jet there were 3 or 4 other db engines used by Access in it's long life as a product. What most people think of as an Access db (Jet) is sunset technology at MS, but the Access program will be around for a long time with yet another type of database on the back end. -------------
Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me. |
Posted By: theSCIENTIST
Date Posted: 08 October 2004 at 10:43am
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My thoughts exactly, Access/Jet as it currently is, will die pretty soon, and it's not worth the investment in time, also if Access will be MSDEized chances are that it will support all MSSQL specifics, so all MSSQL features will be supported (hope so).
Yeah the good old Pascal, loved it back in the 80's. As far as this poll is concerned, it does not tell the whole story, 5 MSSQL / 0 Access (as of now) - Most people are not voting I suspect, so it's difficult to build a good picture, still, let it run for a few more days. ------------- :: http://www.mylittlehost.com/ - www.mylittlehost.com |