MS Access with VB.NET (1 Viewer)

[chad101]

I’m interested in updating my current Access database to a standalone VB app which connects to the MS Access database. Is this a good idea or should I go with SQL Server and VB.Net? Does anyone have a book recommendation for MS Access with VB.NET?

 

[modest]

If you can do SQL Server, that is, if it does not hurt your network performance then you should do it. It is a much better database, as great as Access is for small-scale, desktop, ad hoc databases, it is not as robust as SQL Server or any better designed database.

 

[tehNellie]

I’m interested in updating my current Access database to a standalone VB app which connects to the MS Access database. Is this a good idea or should I go with SQL Server and VB.Net?

It's certainly possible although if you're going to use access as a backend and have no intention of moving to SQL server in the future, why not just use access as the front end as well? It certainly takes a lot of the legwork out of things like form creation, reporting and so on.

As for whether to go with SQL server, how long is a piece of string? If cost isn't an issue or the express version offers the functionality that you need then go for it, it is a much better platform to use for true client/server applications, especially if you want multiple users accessing the same db simultaneously.

One important consideration to bear in mind is that SQL server is not Access with a few whistles and bells tacked on to scale it up a bit, and a passing familiarity of Access wont get you that far in SQL server. A lot of staple features in SQL server simply don't exist at all in Access but if you've got the time and the inclination to learn it, you'll love what you can do in SQL server over what's possible in Access.

 

[boblarson]

And, if you are going to go away from using Access as a front-end, remember you will need to code and account for everything that we take for granted that Access takes care of for us.

 

[chad101]

Well, I made a simple quality database which recorded inspection results. The database evolved over the past two years into a system which logs everything from furnace performance to shipping orders. The database has over 100,000 records now and it’s eating up the system resources on the lab PC. So I want to move this database to our server for plant wide access. But, I will have to use a stand alone application for this. I’m concerned that the database is growing too big for MS Access. Also the report/chart features in MS Access are very generic and I think Crystal Reports would be a nice alternative. .

 

[modest]

You should then use SQL Server for this. Access has a 2GB limit and really has many undocumented issues that should not be used for plantwide operations.

What you might want to do is design a webpage in ASP.Net using VB.Net or C# for the front end, that connects to the SQL Server backend.

If you create reports, CrystalReports is okay, you might want to use something like MicroStrategy.

 

[Banana]

What would anybody say to the idea of migrating to SQL as back-end while keeping Access for RAD front-end?

 

[boblarson]

What would anybody say to the idea of migrating to SQL as back-end while keeping Access for RAD front-end?

I would say I like it and I do it and I've not suffered any problems doing so. But, I would also say that the choice of what you should use can be
1. Necessitated by the type of things you need to accomplish (for example, if you want web based interfaces I would go with ASP.NET instead of Access because Data Pages aren't the greatest for doing things, but if I want to build something very quickly with built-in reporting capabilities, Access can be a great tool. There's more too but I don't like typing a lot.

2. Personal preference based on what you know. If you know Access well and don't know the other tools, then Access is going to be a good way to go until you have the ability to either learn the other, get someone else in your org to do it, or outsource it if you have the money.

 

[Dennisk]

If you are going to use SQL as a backend then why not use an Access project as the front end. You get all the ease of access development plus true client/server technology which you do not necessarily get with an access fe.

 

[modest]

The thing I like about a web-interface is the ability to use it anywhere, with no extra software installed, only a web browser. There is a future, scalability function of web-pages that applications are more difficult to get around. For instance, what if you wanted to do work from home?

If the company installed the information on a Secure web-page, you would not need to install any VPNs or download and install other software. Instead, you would just need to access the page and type in your login/pw.

If you do not see a need for a web-page, or the potential benefits of them, Access Project is a good front-end.