Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#71

Post by benjohnson » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:35 PM UTC

segfaultbuserr wrote: post #8

This is the question I always wanted to ask, I almost wrote an Ask HN... Who use Microsoft Access in 2019?! An obvious case is creating a glorified/enhanced Excel for some specific office tasks, another case is that some applications use ".mdb" backend. But that's all? edit: What I'm interested in is cases of using Access for something other than a specific Excel-like office task - it seems Access is still used for s…

I'll bite: We use MS Access as a thick client for a PostgreSQL database. I appreciate it for is reporting, forms, productive scripting language, and query designer.

What I don't like about it is that Microsoft hasn't really improved it in the last six years - but there isn't anything remotely like it: Xojo, FileMaker,and AirTable are close but not quite there. For us AirTable is a non-starter because you rent it as a service.

If I had someone hold a gun to my head and jump to alternative - it would probably be Lazarus/Borland Delphi

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#72

Post by cc81 » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:39 PM UTC

radcon wrote: post #58

phs318u wrote: post #7

The reason that both Access and Excel use is so prevalent in corporate “shadow IT” land is because there are many parts of the business that have problems for which only a negative or marginal business-case can be made for IT to solve it (given the “get out of bed” costs of most IT departments). It’s a barrier-to-entry problem. Excel and Access are cheap enough and fly under the corporate IT radar (no involvement nee…

I don't disagree, but isn't it a sign of much deeper issues if this "Shadow IT" land exists at your company in the first place? Why is it that experienced programmers can't efficiently solve a problem that a business user can handle in Access? Are they under-staffed? Neck-deep in spaghetti code? Lacking business knowledge and the opportunity to acquire it? Bottle-necked by a lack of business analysts or testers? I he…

Sometimes it is budget or just needing someone to drive it through a heavy process.

It is also not always worth it if you cannot show a real business case. The thing might help you and it might be worth it if you hack something together yourself but if IT is suppose to build something that is available, has support, has disaster recovery, is patched etc. it might no longer be easy to find the business case for it.

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#73

Post by jotakami » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:40 PM UTC

radcon wrote: post #58

phs318u wrote: post #7

The reason that both Access and Excel use is so prevalent in corporate “shadow IT” land is because there are many parts of the business that have problems for which only a negative or marginal business-case can be made for IT to solve it (given the “get out of bed” costs of most IT departments). It’s a barrier-to-entry problem. Excel and Access are cheap enough and fly under the corporate IT radar (no involvement nee…

I don't disagree, but isn't it a sign of much deeper issues if this "Shadow IT" land exists at your company in the first place? Why is it that experienced programmers can't efficiently solve a problem that a business user can handle in Access? Are they under-staffed? Neck-deep in spaghetti code? Lacking business knowledge and the opportunity to acquire it? Bottle-necked by a lack of business analysts or testers? I he…

Because developing software is at least an order of magnitude easier and faster when the developer is the user?

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#74

Post by bradchoate » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC

Would have liked to have read that article, but Medium doesn't want... oh right; "Open Link in Incognito Window". There, I fixed it.

Remind me... why are people publishing on Medium again?

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#75

Post by fencepost » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC

Ahem

"Hypercard"

Is it actually dead yet?

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#76

Post by phkahler » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

One great thing about Access is the graphical query builder. Not only is it easier than writing SQL, you can use it for learning SQL by changing view from graphical to SQL.

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#77

Post by truculent » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:50 PM UTC

SigmundA wrote: post #30

I have a special place in my heart for Access, its where I first started making money writing software and learned SQL and VB. Its where I really felt like I was making something that solved real world problems for people, quickly at that. It was actually amazing how far it could scale, you could put a shared MDB file out on a Novell network share and have 30 concurrent users with no server app at all, users just dou…

> I still think there is a killing to made on a modern day Access "Done Right". DB, Gui framework and printable report generator all in one sharing the same language front to back, top to bottom.

Reminds me of Airtable, Monday, Notion or one of these all-purpose productivity tools

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#78

Post by james_s_tayler » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:52 PM UTC

SigmundA wrote: post #30

I have a special place in my heart for Access, its where I first started making money writing software and learned SQL and VB. Its where I really felt like I was making something that solved real world problems for people, quickly at that. It was actually amazing how far it could scale, you could put a shared MDB file out on a Novell network share and have 30 concurrent users with no server app at all, users just dou…

Isn't Airtable considered like modern day Access?

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#79

Post by mmsimanga » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

alkonaut wrote: post #12

Is there a modern and/or open alternative to this? E.g a SQLite + electron or local web client thing where you could build a simple inventory or similar but you should also be able to scale it to client server when the need occurs 10 years down. Note that any number of cloud startups don’t count as an alternative to access. When these things start it’s as an excel sheet with data that no one will go through the enter…

NSBase[0] markets itself as Access replacement using sqlite as backend. It's built using Lazarus IDE and has lua scripting. It's free and works on Windows, Linux and Mac. I haven't taken it through the ropes to see how good it is.

[0]http://www.nsbase.neuts.fr/en/

Re: Microsoft Access: The Database Software That Won't Die

#80

Post by fencepost » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

tracker1 wrote: post #22

alkonaut wrote: post #12

Is there a modern and/or open alternative to this? E.g a SQLite + electron or local web client thing where you could build a simple inventory or similar but you should also be able to scale it to client server when the need occurs 10 years down. Note that any number of cloud startups don’t count as an alternative to access. When these things start it’s as an excel sheet with data that no one will go through the enter…

I think that Open/Libre-Office have options for this. You can also use Access as a front end for another db (odbc) backend pretty easily. I'd probably do a web app myself, but that's just me. I know a lot of people that cut their programming teeth on Access apps, including distributed ones.

I'd probably do a web app myself

Running on? Wait, you mean I have to get IT to set up a server for me? Who's responsible for maintaining that? Backups? They're going to do that for something used by only 10 people that saves us maybe 20-30 hours a week? How much are they going to charge my department for this?