Microsoft Access on Ipad

[Yiannis_cy]

Hi guys,

i have a client which is a doctor and i am designing a database for him. Ideally he wants to put the database on the secretary's pc and also on his ipad so that when he exams he can enter the values of the patient in the database.

any ideas on how i can achieve this?

thank you

 

[Minkey]

Watch out it's an iPad - Steve Job's will be after you

The major problem you'll have is keeping them synced, you can't run Access on a MAC but theoretically you can use an emulator or maybe Filemaker Go (Apples iPad DB software) and a 'migrator' that can convert Access DB's to Filemaker but again keeping them in sync is going to be tricky, without trying I couldn't say how difficult.

Again you could run an emulator like Parallels but I think it only supports OS X rather than on the iPad O/S which is essentially the same as the iPhones. Oh and even if you try this option you will need a new legal version of Windows and Access to do it.

and sadly the easiest way, using Open Office, I don't think will work as above only available on OS X.

I'm not an Apple drone but I guess your only option is to have a look in the app store to see if there is anything that will work (unless anyone else has any ideas?).

Or he could just buy a tablet PC - problem solved

 

[pbaldy]

Minkey is far more knowledgable about this type of thing than I am, so I'm just throwing out a thought. I know there's a remote desktop app for the iPhone, so if the iPad has a similar OS, maybe it would also be available for the iPad. That might let him remote to his own PC which would be running the Access app (presuming he has a PC available).

 

[dfenton]

I'd say your only option is remote desktop.

Keep in mind, though, that certain things are different on iPad. For instance, one of the main reasons Flash movies cannot be ported to iPad is that so many of the Flash movie players depend on hover for revealing the player controls. Multi-touch devices have no HOVER, so those players couldn't be used even if Flash *were* ported to iPad (which it never will be).

If your Access app uses any featuers that depend on HOVER, you'll be out of luck on iPad.

Personally, I've always thought HOVER effects were mostly cosmetic and useless, but I'm a Luddite curmudgeon.

I would think that an Access app used by a secretary on a computer would need to have its entire interface redesigned to be used on a touch-screen device, both in behavior and organization, but also in terms of sizing of controls onscreen and so forth. It's not that it's a new thing to create an Access app for use with a touch-screen device, it's just that, in general, such apps are used entirely with that type of interface and not in both places.

In general, I'd say an iPad is not a good choice for this.

 

[SOS]

Windows Tablet PC would be much better suited for the process.

 

[Vassago]

Yep, just another reason not to own an Ipad and to buy a much cheaper netbook.

 

[Minkey]

I know there's a remote desktop app for the iPhone, so if the iPad has a similar OS, maybe it would also be available for the iPad. That might let him remote to his own PC which would be running the Access app (presuming he has a PC available).

That's a good idea but slightly amusingly he'll still have to have a Windows PC to make it work maybe sync with his secretary <oh err missus/>

 

[pbaldy]

Well, I operated on the assumption (never a good idea) that there was a network involved, in which case no sync would be necessary (both would be looking at the same data).

"V" is one of my favorite movies, if I haven't said it before.

 

[Yiannis_cy]

thank you for your responses guys

yeah i think a tablet pc would be the best option (for both )

any specific models that you know ??? i only worked on ipad before

pbaldy - yeah its gonna be a network involved in this situation

 

[Yiannis_cy]

Juddadredd - thank you for your suggestions. I actually haven't thought that i would need to redesign anything to work on a touch screen and i actually have no idea how to do that.

so im either gonna find a solution for that or tell him to buy a second pc and make my life way much easier.

redesign the database of course means more $$$

 

[Galaxiom]

For clever lads you lot don't know how to work your way around a problem that you don't already know the solution to...

Your attitude no doubt takes you a long way in this world. For most people they would be telling you to go as far away as possible.

You really think nobody here is aware of web interfaces to databases? All this based on a handful of posters, most with one line suggestions about it being easier to simply buy a Windows tablet PC.

Yes the ASP solution would be nice but personally I would not give you the work if I needed such a task completed because you are so arrogant you would be quite incapable of listening to any other input.

 

[Yiannis_cy]

guys this was meant to be a healthy discussion

chill!

 

[Vassago]

Clearly a spammer just trying to get more business. Well, he's gone now.

 

[darbid]

hey are you still thinking about this and your options?

 

[mcclunyboy]

Does the Doctor want to interrogate the DB as well?

If he/she just required to input data via forms then you could use the access data collection via emails/forms. Quite easy to use as long as they have wireless connections.

Apart from Remote Desktop I can't think of a way to use Access on an Ipad (not an easy way anyway).

 

[search24ma]

Please PM me the same.

 

[Kbatts]

Hi guys,

i have a client which is a doctor and i am designing a database for him. Ideally he wants to put the database on the secretary's pc and also on his ipad so that when he exams he can enter the values of the patient in the database.

any ideas on how i can achieve this?

thank you

Hi, As I am new to iPad I have been browsing and found your forum. I have previously used DDH software to develop small databases for use on my windows CE based telephone for fire safety checking and download to Microsoft Access. Prior to joining you, I had a look at their site and found that PC to iPad synchronsing is available for MS Access. Try the following linking through DDHsoftware. Hopefully you will have some luck. Cheers from Australia

 

[Phivosz]

Yianni, check out Cellica Database on the iTunes Store. Its a free application that allows entering data on the ipad and synchronization with an access database on a PC. Have not tried it myself yet but I believe it supports forms on the ipad.

 

[Access_guy49]

Just as another option.. if they have a server... with a website couldn't you push out some access datapages and have him access the pages via the Ipad's Safari browser??
At least with that option... you have all the software you need already installed on all machines... (this does assume a server.. or windows xpPro Machine)

 

[darbid]

Phivosz - that cellica looks fantastic. It is working in concept like MsAccess/jet does. It looks great.