Re: [Hampshire] Simple database?
On 14/01/15 11:07, Gordon Scott wrote: Hi Guys, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a simple and simple database for a membership list. An address book with some extra fields for things like "paid until", in this case 'boat', and a notes field. I need a number of fields, so plain table's are a nuisance, though a spreadsheet with frozen columns works OK. I have people on Linux, Mac and Windows, so need cross-platform. There are presently only 116 records and that's unlikely to change a great deal. I could just make something in Ruby or whatever, but there must, surely, already be something out there. I often use xmbase-grok, but it's not cross-platform. Regards, Gordon. Not sure if this will be of any use but I came across the web site the other day and marked it intending to investigate later Tim -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple database?
On 14/01/2015 11:30, Jay Bennie wrote: google's spreadsheet app works well can, but if you want something uber simple I steer clear of Google. They already know far too much! or Create a table in mysql and use the scafolding capability in cakephp to autocreate a CRUD interface. (its quite usable by default) it takes about 20mins, then publish to a web server. (adding a password layer is a few mins of extra work work ... but its all in the tutorials It had occurred that there may be something on WordPress, which the association uses for their website. I'd thought not to put it on a website, but I guess it's not too sensitive and if password protected, etc., it should be OK. -- This message was written elegantly and lucidly, by my own fair hand using a quill pen on hand laid parchment. It was then scanned, OCRed, spiel-chequed, then cat und pastied into this email. If it's now just gibberish, it's the software's fault. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple database?
On 14/01/2015 11:30, Jay Bennie wrote: google's spreadsheet app works well can, but if you want something uber simple I steer clear of Google. They already know far too much! or Create a table in mysql and use the scafolding capability in cakephp to autocreate a CRUD interface. (its quite usable by default) it takes about 20mins, then publish to a web server. (adding a password layer is a few mins of extra work work ... but its all in the tutorials It had occurred that there may be something on WordPress, which the association uses for their website. I'd thought not to put it on a website, but I guess it's not too sensitive and if password protected, etc., it should be OK. -- This message was written elegantly and lucidly, by my own fair hand using a quill pen on hand laid parchment. It was then scanned, OCRed, spiel-chequed, then cat und pastied into this email. If it's now just gibberish, it's the software's fault. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple database?
On 14 Jan 2015, at 11:07, Gordon Scott wrote: > Hi Guys, > > I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a simple and simple > database for a membership list. An address book with some extra fields > for things like "paid until", in this case 'boat', and a notes field. > > I need a number of fields, so plain table's are a nuisance, though a > spreadsheet with frozen columns works OK. > > I have people on Linux, Mac and Windows, so need cross-platform. There > are presently only 116 records and that's unlikely to change a great > deal. > > I could just make something in Ruby or whatever, but there must, surely, > already be something out there. I often use xmbase-grok, but it's not > cross-platform. google's spreadsheet app works well can, but if you want something uber simple or Create a table in mysql and use the scafolding capability in cakephp to autocreate a CRUD interface. (its quite usable by default) it takes about 20mins, then publish to a web server. (adding a password layer is a few mins of extra work work ... but its all in the tutorials :) J > > Regards, > Gordon. > > > -- > Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk > Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire > LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk > -- -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
[Hampshire] Simple database?
Hi Guys, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a simple and simple database for a membership list. An address book with some extra fields for things like "paid until", in this case 'boat', and a notes field. I need a number of fields, so plain table's are a nuisance, though a spreadsheet with frozen columns works OK. I have people on Linux, Mac and Windows, so need cross-platform. There are presently only 116 records and that's unlikely to change a great deal. I could just make something in Ruby or whatever, but there must, surely, already be something out there. I often use xmbase-grok, but it's not cross-platform. Regards, Gordon. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
> I don't know if there really is an answer, but I thought I would put it > out there in case I have missed something. I usually use Xataface for this sort of thing - but if you've set your heart against[1] running a WAMP or LAMP stack, that's a non-starter. Vic. [1] Which decision I would strongly recommend you revisit; it's a really simple thing to do and it gives you many more options... -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
On 15 May 2013 21:44, Tim Brocklehurst wrote: > On Wednesday 15 May 2013 20:57:47 Peter Collins wrote: >> Hi Phil >> >> On 15 May 2013 19:13, Philip Stubbs wrote: >> > My question is, what can I use that will be no more complicated >> > than PHP/HTML, will run on Windows /Cygwin, and be available on Linux >> > too? Ideally for my simple database type app, >> >> Also have you thought about LibreOffice Base? that would be cover on >> Windows and Linux. >> >> Rgds >> >> Peter. > > I would seriously consider running a MySQL DB (standalone, no Apache or PHP) > and then front-ending with Access over ODBC or LibreOffice. > > I recently did an Access front-end and it wasn't too bad. I'm not saying it > was a pleasurable experience, but I got through it without gouging my eyes > out. > > LibreOffice Base was similar the last time I used it. It has a few nice > touches > like being able to change the DB Schema from LOB; And of course, it's cross- > platform, so a little less lock-in. > > Both Access and LOB take a bit of learning, but they are both very capable > packages. > Some time ago, I created an Access Database, with GUI for work, all in Access. It worked OK, was slow and seemed to corrupt data quite often. So, we thought we would move it over to mysql for the backend, and still use the Access GUI. This turned out to be a epic fail, the mysql ODBC drivers (what you need to interface Access GUI to mysql) are buggy as hell, and unworkable in practice. There are all sorts of data types that they fail to convert correctly between access and mysql. All bugs in the mysql ODBC. So, I would strongly recommend NOT to use Access at all, ever, because you will be struggling to move it to something else, if more than one person starts accessing it. Also, when cut and pasting data from Access to Excel and back again, it silently does horrible things like truncate the fields. In the end, I re-implemented it in PHP, Apache and mysql. It is very easy to create simple web forms for input, search and retrieval of the data. I actually cheated, and just took a few of the PHP pages from some existing open source tool like bugzilla, and modified the page layout and behaviour to what I wanted. Now days, you would probably use python instead, and implement a REST interface for Machine to Machine interface for collecting the data from its source. So, don't re-invent the wheel, find an open source tool that does the job say 80% and then just tweek it a bit for your needs. I used bugzilla as a start because it already had all the database access code for input, searches and retrieval. The finished tool I did, with PHP, Apache and mysql is now being accessed by over 200 people from various countries within the same company. Kind Regards James -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
Heh, I just went through this tutorial, that was a doddle! http://www.speqmath.com/tutorials/couchdb_tasklist/index.html On 15 May 2013 21:41, Richard Bensley wrote: > >> I am not a programmer, but I can fudge things when I try. Some simple C >> or Python is not a problem, but I always hit a wall when it comes to UI. >> Seems there is lots of code required to build and operate the interface. So >> really, I want something like Python or PHP, and a really simple UI >> construction like HTML/CSS. >> -- >> > > In that case then what you want is a RESTful interface to a simple > database. > > CouchDB is a tiny document database with an HTTP restful interface and > simple management interface all done in a web browser on your local machine. > > Using any language or tool that can use simple HTTP GET/PUT commands, you > can construct a dataset and read from it. Javascript, Python, Ruby, PHP, > even curl can do this right now for you. > > With CouchDB and Javascript you can create a database with a simple > interface all in HTML. > > Here is a little intro: > http://guide.couchdb.org/draft/tour.html > > here is the RESTful api documentation: > http://wiki.apache.org/couchdb/ > > > OR LibreOffice base, which has it's own database format, you can also > connect to various other databases including SQLite (using an ODBC driver). > > Rich > -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
On Wednesday 15 May 2013 20:57:47 Peter Collins wrote: > Hi Phil > > On 15 May 2013 19:13, Philip Stubbs wrote: > > My question is, what can I use that will be no more complicated > > than PHP/HTML, will run on Windows /Cygwin, and be available on Linux > > too? Ideally for my simple database type app, > > Also have you thought about LibreOffice Base? that would be cover on > Windows and Linux. > > Rgds > > Peter. I would seriously consider running a MySQL DB (standalone, no Apache or PHP) and then front-ending with Access over ODBC or LibreOffice. I recently did an Access front-end and it wasn't too bad. I'm not saying it was a pleasurable experience, but I got through it without gouging my eyes out. LibreOffice Base was similar the last time I used it. It has a few nice touches like being able to change the DB Schema from LOB; And of course, it's cross- platform, so a little less lock-in. Both Access and LOB take a bit of learning, but they are both very capable packages. Cheers, Tim B. -- Hampshire Linux User Group Chairman -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
> > > I am not a programmer, but I can fudge things when I try. Some simple C or > Python is not a problem, but I always hit a wall when it comes to UI. Seems > there is lots of code required to build and operate the interface. So > really, I want something like Python or PHP, and a really simple UI > construction like HTML/CSS. > -- > In that case then what you want is a RESTful interface to a simple database. CouchDB is a tiny document database with an HTTP restful interface and simple management interface all done in a web browser on your local machine. Using any language or tool that can use simple HTTP GET/PUT commands, you can construct a dataset and read from it. Javascript, Python, Ruby, PHP, even curl can do this right now for you. With CouchDB and Javascript you can create a database with a simple interface all in HTML. Here is a little intro: http://guide.couchdb.org/draft/tour.html here is the RESTful api documentation: http://wiki.apache.org/couchdb/ OR LibreOffice base, which has it's own database format, you can also connect to various other databases including SQLite (using an ODBC driver). Rich -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
On 15 May 2013 20:17, Philip Stubbs wrote: > This is a simple single user database similar to what someone may create in > Access to keep some records. What ever you choose, I would highly recommend against Access, simply because it isn't portable. You will be making you data much more difficult to move around and access unless you can ensure otherwise. Cheers, James. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
Hi Phil On 15 May 2013 19:13, Philip Stubbs wrote: > My question is, what can I use that will be no more complicated > than PHP/HTML, will run on Windows /Cygwin, and be available on Linux too? > Ideally for my simple database type app, Also have you thought about LibreOffice Base? that would be cover on Windows and Linux. Rgds Peter. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
Hi Phil On 15 May 2013 19:13, Philip Stubbs wrote: > What I would rather do is use something like Sqlite for the database, and then > create a simple UI with something as simple as PHP/HTML. > Have a look at AutoIt, I haven't used it for a while but I'm sure it will work with SQLite and give you what you want on a Windows platform. http://www.autoitscript.com However this would give you a windows only solution :( Rgds Peter. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
On Wed, 15 May 2013 20:17:15 +0100, phi...@stuphi.co.uk said: > I want something like Python or PHP, and a really simple UI > construction like HTML/CSS. I don't know how well it will fit what you want, but I use http://www.web2py.com/ for database-backed web applications. There's some pretty good tutorials and videos to get you started. -- "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
On 15 May 2013 19:56, Richard Bensley wrote: > As James mentioned you can run the Apache/MySQL/PHP stack on windows. > Which is a great solution. > > Mysql, PHP, and Apache are all cross compiled to run natively on most > platforms. > > WAMP server currently provide the whole stack at 64bits! > http://www.wampserver.com/en/#wampserver-64-bits > It is a good solution, just not what I want. I don't want to have to run and maintain two sophisticated apps, just for one simple db. This is a simple single user database similar to what someone may create in Access to keep some records. What I need to do is keep a record of some tests that I do at work. I could use access, but I don't want to. I could just create a table in Excel or other spreadsheet, but that would be horrible. I am not a programmer, but I can fudge things when I try. Some simple C or Python is not a problem, but I always hit a wall when it comes to UI. Seems there is lots of code required to build and operate the interface. So really, I want something like Python or PHP, and a really simple UI construction like HTML/CSS. I don't know if there really is an answer, but I thought I would put it out there in case I have missed something. -- Philip Stubbs -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
As James mentioned you can run the Apache/MySQL/PHP stack on windows. Which is a great solution. Mysql, PHP, and Apache are all cross compiled to run natively on most platforms. WAMP server currently provide the whole stack at 64bits! http://www.wampserver.com/en/#wampserver-64-bits If that's not do-able. IIS can actually run PHP nowadays. I don't know what database libraries are available for PHP on IIS, but sqlite can be accessed via ODBC. Rich On 15 May 2013 19:13, Philip Stubbs wrote: > In the past, I have created simple apps that store data in a Mysql > database, and are accessed with some simple PHP forms. I found this simple. > intuitive and quite successful. > > Now I have a requirement again for something similar at > work. Unfortunately, we only run Windows. The obvious solution would be to > use Microsoft Access. It will certainly do what I want, but I don't really > want to spend the time learning it. > > Running apache/mysql/php for my own needs seems a bit of a pain. What I > would rather do is use something like Sqlite for the database, and then > create a simple UI with something as simple as PHP/HTML. > > I know that there are a ton of scripting / programming languages that > could be used. My question is, what can I use that will be no more > complicated than PHP/HTML, will run on Windows /Cygwin, and be available on > Linux too? Ideally for my simple database type app, I want no more than one > file for the data, and another for the app. > > Any suggestions? > > -- > Philip Stubbs > > -- > Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk > Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire > LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk > -- > -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
Re: [Hampshire] Simple Database apps
There is a solution to your problems that meets all your requirements, that I can think of; Download Xampp for Windows from the following URL; http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html It is a single installer that installs Apache, MySQL and PHP (and an FTP server) with phpMyAdmin so you have a GUI to manage the MySQL database. Cheers, James. -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
[Hampshire] Simple Database apps
In the past, I have created simple apps that store data in a Mysql database, and are accessed with some simple PHP forms. I found this simple. intuitive and quite successful. Now I have a requirement again for something similar at work. Unfortunately, we only run Windows. The obvious solution would be to use Microsoft Access. It will certainly do what I want, but I don't really want to spend the time learning it. Running apache/mysql/php for my own needs seems a bit of a pain. What I would rather do is use something like Sqlite for the database, and then create a simple UI with something as simple as PHP/HTML. I know that there are a ton of scripting / programming languages that could be used. My question is, what can I use that will be no more complicated than PHP/HTML, will run on Windows /Cygwin, and be available on Linux too? Ideally for my simple database type app, I want no more than one file for the data, and another for the app. Any suggestions? -- Philip Stubbs -- Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk --
