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

[tomos]

BTW the name will change... any suggestions?

-PPLandry (November 01, 2007, 09:28 AM)

DatNote - only joking really ... but maybe it's not that bad  !!
(where I grew up people say "de pub" or "what's dat" ..)

[tinjaw]

BTW the name will change... any suggestions?

-PPLandry (November 01, 2007, 09:28 AM)

QueryNotes
Data-at-Hand
It'sInThere
It'sInHere

[tomos]

Dante sounds poetic but probably doesnt get any message across..

exists of course
http://www.google.de...amp;client=firefox-a

[J-Mac]

I don't have to install am SQL database app or server?  Are you sure it isn't included in the setup for SQL Notes?

-J-Mac (November 01, 2007, 02:30 AM)

SQL in the name refers to the powerful search/filter that is built-in SQLNotes. The back-end database could be anything. Currrently use JET because it is installed on every PC and it does the job. Plus Office apps can readily link to SQLNotes data without installing a separate ODBC link. (Each grid in SN is visible to any ODBC enabled app -- Word for mail-merge, e-mail-merge, Excel, Access, etc) It is therefore easy to share SN data with users that don't have it.

BTW the name will change... any suggestions?

-PPLandry (November 01, 2007, 09:28 AM)

Thanks PPLandry.  As I mentioned somewhere recently (probably up in this thread a bit), I installed another app a few years ago on my other PC called Encore Pro by Respironics - it's a database utility specific to certain medical equipment - CPAP machines to be precise - and it uses an MSSQL database for storing data. Now the program was designed for hospital/clinic use originally, so maybe what they are doing is not standard on personal PCs, but the MSSQL database was installed as a service and is running all the time. This occasionally causes some burps in that PC's system.  Like other programs or maybe drivers or DLs that cause conflicts with MSSQL. Also, I think I remember some issues involving my changing the behavior of another service to suit some program or another and here the MSSQL server was configured to use that particular service as a dependency. Of course this was all unknown at that time and since Windows is notorious for dropping little cryptic event IDs in the Event Viewer - the kind that are completely rendered in Hex or Binary or whatever the heck it is that Windows does so often.  You wouldn't believe the kind of frustrating troubleshooting I have had to perform - and I'm not exactly conversant in those languages.

Glad to hear that SQLNotes does NOT do anything like that. I think it's just the name of the application - with those scary SQL letters - that had me a little overly cautious.

Needless to say I am wary of programs that install such services that seem to be designed purely for the amusement of the developers, who have a good laugh whenever they think of what I am doing at any given moment... (Hey...D'ya think he has any hair left by now... Hahahahah)!

Which is, by the way, an excellent reason to change the name!!  I notice that most suggestions are leaning toward the "Notes" features.  Since you posted in the other thread about its great database/document tracking or managing capabilities, you may want to name it in a way that encompasses the notes AND data management functions.  Of course that depends on what aspect(s) of the application you prefer to market it as.

DataNotes?

DocuNotes?

NoteTracker?

NoteBase?

Notability?

SuperNotes?

TracNotes?

(OK, OK....someone stop me before it's too late!!)

Thanks again, all!

Jim

[PPLandry]

Jim wrote

but the MSSQL database was installed as a service and is running all the time. This occasionally causes some burps in that PC's system.

You know how to prevent SQLServer from starting automatically at startup don't you? Admin>Services, ...

[J-Mac]

Jim wrote

but the MSSQL database was installed as a service and is running all the time. This occasionally causes some burps in that PC's system.

You know how to prevent SQLServer from starting automatically at startup don't you? Admin>Services, ...

-PPLandry (November 02, 2007, 04:09 PM)

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)

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