Database developers: Am I nuts???

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  • bartonc
    Recognized Expert Expert
    • Sep 2006
    • 6478
    #1

    Database developers: Am I nuts???

    I am a one-man development team.
    A little over a year ago I began development of an automated data collection application.
    I had already been using MySQL to persist data in very simple applications and chose that RBDMS for this project. The overall hierarchy is not very complex: With the state (of the US) at the top and collected data at the bottom, there are 4 levels in between (report cover sheet data is stored for Agency, Park, Trail and Segment).

    I've built the entire package, from hardware to UI, query to printed page, by my self. Now, just as I am nearing completion (data reports are looking good and cover sheets have been started) [trying to forget that I have to build the installer], my customer has asked my to support one or more zero configuration DBs. I've been connected to the MySQL DB using ODBC for a while now and told the customer that it shouldn't be too much trouble to run on any DB that the could throw my way.

    I've been working with SQLite3 and Access for a day or so and I'm beginning to think that I may be out of my mind?

    Opinions???
    Last edited by bartonc; Oct 15 '07, 07:55 AM.
    Tags: None
    • Scott Price
      Recognized Expert Top Contributor
      • Jul 2007
      • 1384
      #2
      Which part do you want an opinion on? The *out of your mind* part?? :-) Or the other, *less important*, part? LOL

      Seriously, though, what does the customer mean when he/she says that they want you to support zero config db's? In what way do they expect the product to support those db's? Are you talking about building a new UI within those other products, or a new 'back-end' to work with your already built UI?

      Regards,
      Scott

      When all's said and done, more is said than done.

      For some people, it's easier to talk than think.

        Comment

        • MMcCarthy
          Recognized Expert MVP
          • Aug 2006
          • 14387
          #3
          Are you having problems creating odbc connections to the databases?

            Comment

            • bartonc
              Recognized Expert Expert
              • Sep 2006
              • 6478
              #4
              Originally posted by mmccarthy
              Are you having problems creating odbc connections to the databases?
              Nope. That was the easy part. Getting a handle on the nuances between SQL implementations it my current struggle.

                Comment

                • bartonc
                  Recognized Expert Expert
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 6478
                  #5
                  Originally posted by Scott Price
                  Which part do you want an opinion on? The *out of your mind* part?? :-) Or the other, *less important*, part? LOL
                  Yea, this part.
                  Originally posted by Scott Price
                  Seriously, though, what does the customer mean when he/she says that they want you to support zero config db's?
                  I just discovered that JET 4.0 is installed on all XP systems. All the "configurat ion" that is required is naming the data source in the ODBC control panel (assuming that the database exists - which it would). The same is true of SQLite3 after the ODBC driver is registered with the system, just drop the DLL into the app installation folder.
                  Originally posted by Scott Price
                  In what way do they expect the product to support those db's? Are you talking about building a new UI within those other products, or a new 'back-end' to work with your already built UI?
                  I'm building a single app. I picture a Home/Enterprise type of arrangement. The product would ship with the ZCDBs and a recommendation that security and robustness would be increased by installing an enterprise RBDM (MySQL). I'm thinking that I can do this in a single software package. Maybe I'll detect which DB is connected by which queries fail and select from a set of queries based on the result of that (50% thinking, 50% talking, 50% action).
                  Last edited by bartonc; Oct 14 '07, 07:33 AM.

                    Comment

                    • Scott Price
                      Recognized Expert Top Contributor
                      • Jul 2007
                      • 1384
                      #6
                      First of all, let me say that I do not envy you at all!!

                      I'd have to think a bit on the rest of it... *Thinking out loud* Can you configure your install process to capture which version of the DB engine that the end-user chooses? OIC... Hmmm, Zero Configuration would mean the end-user doesn't get to look at/choose from any options.

                      I'd say the customer is more nuts than the developer :-)

                      Regards,
                      Scott

                        Comment

                        • bartonc
                          Recognized Expert Expert
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 6478
                          #7
                          Originally posted by Scott Price
                          First of all, let me say that I do not envy you at all!!

                          I'd have to think a bit on the rest of it... *Thinking out loud* Can you configure your install process to capture which version of the DB engine that the end-user chooses? OIC... Hmmm, Zero Configuration would mean the end-user doesn't get to look at/choose from any options.

                          I'd say the customer is more nuts than the developer :-)

                          Regards,
                          Scott
                          Thanks, Scott. I appreciate the input.

                          And I like your idea: The install process would (once I no longer do it by hand) be allowed to do some configuration.
                          When I speak of "zero config", I'm talking about all the database administration issues: How many users? Passwords. Buffer sizes? Backup!, etc. that are generally dealt with by someone who has at least some idea of what it take to be a DBA.

                            Comment

                            • Scott Price
                              Recognized Expert Top Contributor
                              • Jul 2007
                              • 1384
                              #8
                              Originally posted by bartonc
                              Thanks, Scott. I appreciate the input.

                              And I like your idea: The install process would (once I no longer do it by hand) be allowed to do some configuration.
                              When I speak of "zero config", I'm talking about all the database administration issues: How many users? Passwords. Buffer sizes? Backup!, etc. that are generally dealt with by someone who has at least some idea of what it take to be a DBA.
                              Gotcha.. I was a little confuzzled about what you were meaning by that.

                              Good luck on the rest of it :-)

                              Regards,
                              Scott

                                Comment

                                • bartonc
                                  Recognized Expert Expert
                                  • Sep 2006
                                  • 6478
                                  #9
                                  Originally posted by Scott Price
                                  Gotcha.. I was a little confuzzled about what you were meaning by that.

                                  Good luck on the rest of it :-)

                                  Regards,
                                  Scott
                                  In the heart of it as we speak. Now I remember what my struggle was yesterday:
                                  All the ODBC drivers return slightly different error message formats. So, for now, I'm just throwing the raw message up instead of formatting it nicely.

                                  Hmmm. I'll have to let that one brew a little longer.

                                    Comment

                                    • MMcCarthy
                                      Recognized Expert MVP
                                      • Aug 2006
                                      • 14387
                                      #10
                                      Originally posted by bartonc
                                      In the heart of it as we speak. Now I remember what my struggle was yesterday:
                                      All the ODBC drivers return slightly different error message formats. So, for now, I'm just throwing the raw message up instead of formatting it nicely.

                                      Hmmm. I'll have to let that one brew a little longer.
                                      LOL

                                      No sure how you're going to solve that one. Unless they all use the same error code numbers.

                                        Comment

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