Hello all ! First congratz on the nice community built here!

I'm new to all these DB technology but i'm trying to learn some commerce automatization for my family clothe shop. Right now i'm trying to build a simple daily income specifing wich type of payment (cash, CC, etc).
I'm using VB express and a Access DB but i read alot of ppl saying access is limited but no one ever says how much limited it is so i ask what are Access's do and don't??

In the case of switching DBs what are a good one to do this kind of job? I even gave XML a thought but all others i guess i'll have to learn form scrath.

Thanks!! and good new year for everyone!

The reason people say Access is limited is because, as with most things, it does have outer limitations. The problem is that most people have absolutely no idea what those are, and especially when it pertains to websites, how to build an Access database and code a website so that it can work the way it's supposed to. They screw up the database, screw up the code, create some complete piece of crap that couldn't work in any environment, then promptly turn around and blame Access and become anti-Microsoft-flag-waving idiots without realizing that the problems they ended up with were self-created.

A site coded using an Access database for the backend can easily accommodate 200,000 or more page views per month on a shared server. I don't know what the outer limit is for Access yet in this regard, simply because I haven't hit it. But you have to do three things (and at least two of these will take some time):

1) Only create connections to the database and recordset objects to query the database when you absolutely have to.

2) Make sure you close the connection objects and recordset objects (if necessary) and destroy them to free up memory.

I personally have subs that pull off 1) and 2).

3) Don't create reports/queries/forms/things like that within Access, especially with an e-commerce shop since you'll be taking orders and things. Create admin sections to add/delete/modify products and things.

4) Learn ASP (Active Server Pages) or ASP.net. There may or may not be other languages that interact with Access, but since you mentioned that you're using VB Express (whatever that is...never heard of it myself), you'll be more comfortable with one of these two. ASP.net is the newer of the two, but "classic ASP" can work fine, just fine.

For what you're doing (small e-commerce enterprise), you should be more than fine if you build your database correctly and code it correctly. I wouldn't switch it personally, until you get to the point where your business growth requires it...then upsize to SQL Server, spend a few hours fixing relationships and things, and off you go.

Thanks for the advices, the only thing is that i'm planning to do it all offline latter on i'll do some way to pack all the information so one can work from on of two terminals (central, here in my home and the shop's terminal), and still being oflline (or standalone, don't know wich applys here better).

The idea is to create pice by pice a full application controlling stock, cashier (hope this is the right word) and kind of a economic display for the general statistics.

VB stands for visual basic. What tool do you use for controlling Access's DB?? i thought it was VB only... lol

Thanks again for the quick reply !! Probably i wont check until tomorrow or the day after, so happy new year!!

I'm aware that VB stands for Visual Basic: I'm just not sure what "VB Express" (as in the full term) is.

As far as your question is concerned, I approached it from an online point of view because that's the type of board you picked (a web design board). Your question may well be better suited to a Visual Basic Google Group or something like that.

As far as what I use to work with Access...again, ASP/VBScript. But...keep in mind, that's online.

Hello Jeremias -

MySQL/PHP is a better way to go than Access/ASP route. Here's why:

• Data in MySQL can be accessible to more users through the web.
• MySQL can manage a larger database than Access
• MySQL can be obtained for free (open source)
• More people program with PHP, than they do with ASP (see HotScripts.com and compare the number of scrips for PHP available versus those for ASP, for one example)
• PHP learning curve is easier and quicker than ASP
• PHP is supported by more web servers than ASP
• To run ASP programs one needs IIS installed on a Windows platform server, which is not free. PHP programs run on Linux, which is free.
• Microsoft Mentality vs. Open Source: PHP is based on C++ language and the syntax used in PHP is quite similar to C/C++. C/C++ is still considered the best programming language by many programmers. ASP on the other hand has a more Visual Basic kind of syntax that is closely related to only Microsoft products.
• PHP 5, released in July 2004, marks the maturing of PHP. The addition or fine-tuning of numerous object-oriented features brings you a better language in which to build sophisticated Web-based applications.

Here are some article references: ASP vs. PHP; PHP vs. ASP.net

Yours -
Scott

VB Express is a MS free download for coding in VB.NET.

It's the "starter edition" of Visual Studio

Thanks, Hirst. That's what I was after when I asked the question.

Sorry for the missunderstanding, i came straight from google on the main DB section so as unaware of the forum's speciality (now thinking about it, i did posted the question becouse i didn't find anything related...lol)

But thanks for the advices i will check it out specialy since the trend now is cloud networking with the usage of such technic. Thanks ChrisHirst for the explanation.

As far as PHP / APS if asp is closer in syntax to VB, as both said, guess i`ll sitck with it. I always imagined asp as beeing a "outter-worldly" language by the it`s legends LOL.

But beeing a "starter pack", the express editions are much more limited then the regular one?? Or for learning and my application the regular one is overkill?

And one last thing, when i learnt a bit of PHP they tought us using xaamp, does ASP have to use a similar program?

If so VB/ Access is still the best option so far it seems...

thanks again all!

ASP's default syntax is VBScript, and having dabbled in VB (mostly for Access forms), I've found them to be very similar. So you should be fine there, if you know VB.

As far as the express version of software vs. the regular version, that depends on a few factors:

1) What type of "express" version it is (nagware, crippleware, time-limit fully-functional demo, time-limit crippleware demo, etc.) and what additions the regular version offers that the express one doesn't.

2) You. You asked us a question ("Is the regular version overkill for my application?") that ultimately, only you can answer for yourself, since it's your specific application.

If Hirst has heard of it and hasn't posted a rant about how badly it sucks (and so far, both appear to be true), it's probably fine, but don't hold me to that...I haven't used it, and I'm not you. Being you is your job.

ASP doesn't require anything other than a text editor. Theoretically, you could use Notepad to code ASP (that's how I learned, believe it or not)...but I don't recommend it. There are lots of free color-coded text editors out there, and many of them specialize in ASP syntax. You'll cut your time in half, if not more, by using a color-coded text editor.