Database

[mowens]

I don't have much experience with databases.
We often get asked if we have an existing program for a flat test panel of a certain size and thickness. I would like to create a library where we could store the names of all new and existing flat panels and where users would be able to search for a certain size and receive the names of those that most closely match the search criteria.

What would be the best language to do this with?

Thanks

[YoDoug]

What would be the best language to do this with?

I would say the one you are comfortable with. I would say Python or C# should work well.

[YoDoug]

I personally have not done much programming with datbases. I had one programming class a decade ago that had us create a database, make a for to add entries, and function to retrieve entries to a table. The class used VB.net. I have since switched all my programming to C# because that is what the Okuma API and the ModbusTCP use.

[Tim Johnson]

Microsoft Access is what I use here for all of our machine program numbers, tooling, part numbers, and critical dimension sheets. If you have Office you may already have it on your computer. There should be files you can copy off the software or internet.

[mowens]

I wasn't sure access was still even a thing.

Looks like the latest I have available is 2010.

[Tim Johnson]

My Access is showing (Access 2007 - 2016 file format) so you should be good. When I started my first database Access was a single digit version. I think that was the Part files one.

[TylerBeer]

if you've never worked with databases then programming from scratch is going to have a long learning runway - it's not rocket science, but you'ed be better served with something like Access.


Do you want to control who can look things up? do you want to manage users? Do people have Active Directory logins? etc. etc.

Otherwise you're looking at SQL or MySQL, learning the setup, programming and hosting the front end, and managing users  - pain for the uninitiated.

If windows, your company use on premise or Office 365?

 

[mowens]

I believe we are moving to Office 365.

[TylerBeer]

if that's the case you could set up the database in Azure SQL and use Access as the front end. There's a ton of other apps or languages you could use to build the front end (ie: where people will search or enter data) but if you're already in the MS ecosystem it'll make your life easier if this isn't a big part of your job every day

[Tim Johnson]

Excel.
Nice and easy with no learning curve and marked view only for everyone, to stop 'em tampering!
"Control F" and they can type what they're looking for, or visibly see the next nearest size by scrolling because the screen is full of all the sizes.
Data bases tend to be one "thing" at a time, and you can't see more than the one thing....

On all of our database files we can see somewhere around 20 lines of data on the screen and are able to scroll or search to the data we need.

[Tim Johnson]

Oh Okay...in my defense I said "tend to be"....but on excel, I can see 40 lines
Learning a new SW and building one etc seems TOTALLY overkill to me, for what is a very simple thing Mike wants.

Alright you rat bastard you made me count my database lines. We have 47.