Re: What database shall I use???

Well, Access (or Jet or ODBC, really) can't deal with them as numbers... there isn't a translation in ODBC to convert Number(38), as the max # of digits in a 32-bit signed integer is 15, so it just converts them to a text field.

On Thu, 07 Mar 2002 02:50:40 GMT, "Jim Kennedy" <kennedy-family_at_attbi.com> wrote:

>Also it can't deal with Oracle numbers if they have "too" much precision
>(over 15).
>Jim
>"Glen A Stromquist" <gstromquist_at_nospamyahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:RDqh8.80502$Ym3.13771356_at_news0.telusplanet.net...
>>
>> > <snip>
>> > > although Access still
>> > > can be used for a "front-end" for a SQL Server or Oracle database,
>> which
>> > > IMHO is far to "buggy" for this purpose and there are better
>> alternatives.
>> >
>> > Can you describe some of the (apparently many) bugs encountered when
>> > using Access as a Front-End to a SQL Server database?
>>
>> No, perhaps I should have been clearer, my experience is using it with an
>> Oracle database, which *should* be the same as it is still accessing
>linked
>> tables. Some of the problems with it when connected to Oracle? Suddenly
>> incorrectly interpreting date formats when importing in to a native access
>> table for unknown reasons, suddenly missing columns of data in reports,
>> dropping ODBC connections for no apparent reason, missing some data on
>> reports that show up in the corresponding and identical SQL query, etc....
>>
>> What is/are the
>> > alternative(s) you are proposing and why?
>> >
>> Powerbuilder, VB, Oracle Portal, etc.
>>
>> I'm sure that there *may* be valid reasons for the above problems, and I
>> admit I am no "expert" per se when it comes to heavy-duty access
>> programming, but at least two Access programmers we have on contract are
>> just as mystified as I am with some of the problems we run in to, and our
>> app's that were built in Powerbuilder never have any of these "unexpected"
>> issues pop up.
>>
>> I still like Access if I need to throw something together with just a few
>> tables and need some slick looking forms/graphs/pop-ups for a front end,
>> often in a matter of hours an applet can be built to meet the needs. But
>for
>> proper error handling, data security, auditing etc. for a
>"mission-critical"
>> database, you need something like Oracle or SQL Server IMO. And my
>> experience with it as a front end is anything but positive, so my views
>are
>> tainted there.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
Received on Sun Mar 10 2002 - 21:43:28 CST