Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion

A Simple Database Program? (Or is that an Oxymoron itself?!)

<< < (7/7)

J-Mac:
Jim wrotebut the MSSQL database was installed as a service and is running all the time. This occasionally causes some burps in that PC's system.
--- End quote ---
You know how to prevent SQLServer from starting automatically at startup don't you? Admin>Services, ...
-PPLandry (November 02, 2007, 04:09 PM)
--- End quote ---

Oh sure.  But then when I start it manually in order to read data from the proprietary SmartCard reader, the reader is no longer recognized. I always have to uninstall/reinstall it.  And then re-associate the viewer application with both the card reader and SQL database again. And if that is not performed in a given order then I have to disable it and start again.  (And of course this ancient brain can never remember the correct order.  You'd think I would write it down, but I always seem to think I don't need to do that... Ha!)  Corresponding with the developer is not possible because this program is not meant to be purchased, installed, nor used by individual users, but instead only hospitals with certified sleep disorder centers who have purchased it via a sales representative. So I am "supportless" in that respect.  Also, while I know that they have released updates/upgrades for this software, I can no longer get any of them. Well, I could probably use some smooth "social engineering" and work some magic that way, but I haven't.  ;)  The supplier that sold the stuff to me originally cannot sell this product anymore - it all has to go through a registered Respironics sales agent.

 :(

They sure don't make it easy!

Jim

PPLandry:
Any updates on this Jim? Have you found a good solution? A number of small bugs were fixed relating to this type of use of SQLNotes (and many improvements). So you may want to download a recent version.

My offer still holds to help you set it up.

Cheers, Pierre

J-Mac:
Any updates on this Jim? Have you found a good solution? A number of small bugs were fixed relating to this type of use of SQLNotes (and many improvements). So you may want to download a recent version.

My offer still holds to help you set it up.

Cheers, Pierre
-PPLandry (November 18, 2007, 10:53 PM)
--- End quote ---

Hi Pierre!

I did try a previous version, but I need pretty good documentation to walk me through a database-type application. As I mentioned earlier, I was great 20 years ago with dBase III+ (don't know if you remember that one or not - it was a long time ago!). Then the program was acquired by Borland and they released dBase IV which was menu driven and while it was supposed to be idiot-proof, it also happened to be bug-ridden and most previous users abandoned it for other programs. I was in a different position and didn't have a need to learn a new DB application - so I didn't. When I tried again with Access and kept finding myself in VB editing windows, I realized I was hopelessly lost and just started creating some horrifically complicated Excel spreadsheets (well, at the time they were Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets) with v-lookup and h-lookup tables and then pivot tables, and if one miscue occurred debugging was equally horrendous.

Anyway to shorten this rambling long story - I am hopelessly lost with databases unless there are fairly easy-to-follow written instructions for them. Other programs I can start using intuitively and seem to have no problems at all picking them up and making them hum. Databases - I must have a severe mental block against them!!

I'll download your latest creation and spend a day working with it. In the meantime I have been re-working the spreadsheet I have the documents listed in and adding documents that have arrived or been created by me since I last worked on the spreadsheet. Most of the programs I am looking to use allow importing Excel spreadsheets, so I shouldn't be wasting much time or effort by updating this sheet.

I also am trying to get a subset of these documents into Zoho Creator, as recommended by another member here. I am leery of Zoho for one reason: They have the option to make all documents created or stored there Public, like most online web applications. I once had an entire LiveJournal blog - meant for a smaller group and containing relatively personal information - "accidentally" become public, though my options had it set to be Private. LJ had a server event that made all LiveJournal postings public and did not fix it for about a week. So I am justifiably nervous about keeping anything sensitive on any site like that! Though to be honest their Creator site is pretty nice and easy to set up.

Still, I'll give SQL Notes another go and see if I can get anything working as I need it there!

Thanks again Pierre!

Jim

PPLandry:
Sorry for the delay in responding, it fell through the cracks.

SQLNotes tries to hide the complexities of databases to users. In you case, create a grid, drag-drop the files onto that grid and create a few columns (fields) to comment, categorize. That's it! Version 0.9.20 will be out today [edit] in a few days [/edit] with numerous enhancements and bug-fixes.

In another update I'll add folder monitoring (set it up and forget about it, it will link all files in the folder0 and linking through windows shortcuts. Using shortcuts has the advantages that files can be moved around and the link will be maintained

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page