free software alternative to Access
Jeff Smith
jsmith at alum.mit.edu
Sun Apr 17 17:18:00 EDT 2005
Not that it's a replacement, but a tool to help in
migrating stuff is mdbtools (http://mdbtools.sf.net). It's
a set of FLOSS tools to extract Access databases into other
db's. Unfortunately, it only deals with the DB, not all
the forms and reports. I admit I'm curious about base,
because Access, for all the problems with the db itself, is
useful for prototyping and getting a quick&dirty DB up.
Unfortunately, it might be too easy - everyone does it,
then expects it to be robust.
There's also libPST
(http://alioth.debian.org/projects/libpst/)for extracting
Outlook mail. Despite what it says, it also handles mh
format mail (separate directories).
I've used both a bit. useful tools for converting existing
stuff, but needs to be joined with other projects for full
usefullness.
jeff
--- Dan Jenkins <dan at rastech.com> wrote:
> Peter Dobratz wrote:
>
> > I'm working with the Greater Nashua Habitat for
> Humanity. We have an
> > annual fundraiser that includes many affiliates from
> New Hampshire and
> > Northeastern Massachusetts. Our current solution to
> take registration
> > information uses a Microsoft Access Database that one
> of our members
> > developed. Although our primary focus is having
> something that gets
> > the job done, I would prefer to use free software where
> possible.
> > It's disappointing to have to tell people that they
> can't use the
> > software we developed because they bought the
> "standard" version of MS
> > Office, which does not include Access. There are ways
> of getting
> > discount prices for software for non-profits, but any
> money we spend
> > on software is money that can't go towards building
> houses.
> >
> > Does anyone know of any free software packages that we
> can use?
> > Basically, we have hikers and teams of hikers that
> raise money. We
> > want to keep track of how much money each hiker
> contributed, and keep
> > their names and addresses, so that we can mail them a
> brochure for
> > next year's hike. Most of the laptops that people own
> or borrow for
> > the event have some version of windows on them. Some
> sort of bootable
> > CD with USB flash drives for the datastore might be
> optimal.
>
> OpenOffice 2.0 beta has a database feature. It is
> available for
> multiplatforms.
>
> > OpenOffice.org always had database frontend tools, but
> in past
> > versions they were very hidden. OpenOffice.org 2.0
> starts to handle
> > databases like any other application, i.e. a new
> database can be
> > created via the "File - New" menu. For novice users
> OpenOffice.org
> > provides a new Table Wizard that allows to create
> database tables
> > without any knowledge of databases and SQL. The new
> embedded Java
> > technology based HSQLDB
> <http://hsqldb.sourceforge.net/> database
> > engine allows to create "database documents". These
> simple database
> > files don't require a backend database server like
> MySQL or Adabas D.
> > All information (table definitions, data, queries,
> forms, reports) is
> > stored in one XML file.
>
> I have not used this feature yet. There are undoubtedly
> many more
> options, but that's the first one that comes to my mind.
>
> --
> Dan Jenkins (dan at rastech.com)
> Rastech Inc., Bedford, NH, USA --- 1-603-206-9951
> *** Technical Support for over a Quarter Century
>
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