Good morning,

I am just curious about something. Quite often I've heard of people creating entire databases with MySQL. What I've never figured out is, after you created Tables and Queries and all...What do you do for the face of it? In other words, how do you view all you've created? Does MySQL also create Forms and Reports? I am about to see about downloading it and learning it, but just had that one question. AND, If you don't create Forms and stuff with it, what would you use for the front end to MySQL? Presently using A2K3.

thanks
BUD

Morning Bud!
mySQL, along with the likes of SQL Server and DB2 are "just" databases. Their function is to store, manipulate and retreive data.

Microsoft Access however, whilst still classed as a database, has inbuilt tools and a VBA editor in which to create the front-end application.

Did you know that this forum runs on a mySQL database?

If you want to put a pretty face on your database then you can link it in with many different products, Access being one of them.
Other alternatives includes web based front-ends, visual basic, C#, .NET and many more. Each one has it's own strengths and weaknesses but it sounds to me like you'll be going down the Access route

Aaaaanyhow, I hope that answered some of your questions.

As george says : MySQL is only a data store. To provide a front-end to this data store you will have to use a programming language of your choice. All of the modern languages have an interface for it, including PHP, ASP.NET (C#), Java, C++. So I guess at the end of the day it's up to you what you use to connect up to your data store

Bud, as others have said MySQL is 'just' a database, its a mechanism for storing and retrieving data, like MS SQL Server, DB2, Postgres and others its a server product. As you point out its not like Access, but then Access isnt a database product, what it is is a front end tool from generating applications. If you use native Access the backing database is JET as file based database.

You can use MySQL in Access as a data store (although MS arent that keen on it and try to steer you to either JET or SQL Server), MySQL is gaining ground in commercial applications developed using Access or more conventional development environments such as VB,VC, .NET. But probably MySQL's biggest take up is in web development accessed using a scripting language, against there are options ASP, ASP.NET, PHP and others.

Technically I don't think there is much difference between the various server products, yes there are differences between each server, none of them are completely ISO SQL compatible, each have their strengths and weaknesses.

To a certain extent it comes down to what you are working on, what your budget is, and what the customers budget is. If budget is unlimited then then to a certain extent its down to customer credibility.. big businesses like the familiarity of big names (say Oracle, IBM, Microsoft), or it may be down to what they already have in place.. many of the studies talking about RoI make assumptions about the knowledge required to get MySQL up and running from scratch as opposed to finding people already experienced in other server products. Some customers may well turn their noses up on using MySQL or other free / cheap DB's.. it depends on what you want to do

if you want to explore a SQL server db then its a pretty good tool especially if you also download the query browser & administrator from the MySQL site. If you want to 'tart up' your CV, then Id consider using SQL server or DB2 or even Oracle all of which are available as development or 'desktop' configurations.

Thanks George, aschk and Healdm for all your great input. I wasn't really sure about it which is why I asked. For now I will be using A2K3 since I have it but would someday like to use a front end tool that would work good with the web also. Everyone seems to want to make it all webcentric.
One thing, once I create everything in MySQL, do I link it into Access just like I would like tables from within Access with the LinkedTableManager? Or will I have to learn how to code it to make it work? Something out of my reach at present.

Again I thank all of you and you answered my questions very well.

have a nice one,
BUD

btw: Georgev, I didn't know this forum was run on MySQL, way cool.

There are a number of methods - maybe you should raise a discussion in the Access topic?
I only found that out when the site errored and sent an e-mail with "the following details" to the tech squad... Ahem

If you have used SQL Server in Access then you can use MySQL in access. If you haven';t then you have quite a steep learning curve to understand how to use a server back end effectively in Access.. Used properly (disconnected record sets, pass through SQL queries [ie running your SQL directly on the server NOT the local machine] your code controlling the read, update delete operations leverages the power of both tools), using it as attached /linked tables squanders the power of the server product. If you haven't already seek out a really good book on Access development... Personally Id recommend the Access Developers Handbooks from Sybex, they are weighty, expensive but worth every penny in my books

Theres not that much effective difference between MySQL (V5) and the recent releases of SQL server. Yes there are discrepancies, they each have a different way of doing some things, but like most server SQL's they are pretty close to ISO SQL, but you do need to be aware of the differences. some of the differences are quite important.. some are nice features, some are for legacy reasons (thats the way we did it in our first version), and some are just plain daft, almost marketing reasons. If you stick to ISO SQL then your SQL code should be portable..... so you app should be capable of being ported to whatever DB you customer wants / uses / aspires to. But then again if you are developing a web app no doubt you will be abstracting the DB code into a separate class.

Im not sure yet we have reached the stage where web applications can supplant traditional applications (whether they be in Access or development languages like VB, VC, .NET), but we are not far off, especially if you use AJAX on top of the scripting language. If you are thinking of going down the web route consider going down the hybridised Web 2 route using AJAX (a mixture of Javascript running as part of the client and whatever your server scripting language is [unless you have a really good development tool I can thoroughly recommend AJAX development as a mechanism for going mad].

Before you start going down the web route have a good long hard look at what scripting languages are worth what money in the market place. ASP tends to be a Microsoft house (uses SQL server on IIS), whereas PHP tends to be an open source house (use MySQL on Apache). PHP can run in IIS, MySQL can run on Windows, but ASP & SQL server don't run on Linux easily.

One last thing, Ive heard good things about Ruby & Ruby on Rails, I tinkered with it a while ago and just found it too alien for me but it may be worth having a look at

Again thanks a million. That's a lot of food for thought and will have to set aside time do look into it. I do the the Developer series books with Litwin, Getz.......and have learned other Access stuff from that. Until I get going in that direction, I thank you gentlemen for all your assistance.

have a nice one,
BUD