Can anyone recommend a good database app for Mac? I've had a go with Bento but don't really like it. What do you guys think?
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Best database software for Mac?
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It would help if you clarified exactly what you want. Do you want a dedicated database application or do you want a database management system/development system (DBMS) so that you can develop your own applications? If you want the latter, then you should consider:
- FileMaker Pro. This cross-platform DBMS from an Apple subsidiary FileMaker, Inc. is the parent of Bento and is probably the easiest to program DBMS ever.
- 4D. This cross-platform product is one of the first full-featured DBMSes developed for the Mac. 4th Dimension was developed with the intent of being an Apple software product, but Apple passed on it due to pressure from potential competitors.
Free Option
If you don't want to dish out 500 for filemaker than you can get Neo Office for free.
If you don't want to dish out 500 for filemaker than you can get Neo Office for free.
Basically, we want something we can use to store client information, etc and print out each record in a nicely designed/formatted page. The reason I didn't like Bento is that it just literally prints a 'screenprint' of the database form.
If you, or anyone who works with/for you, has any programming experience, I would suggest MySQL and pair that with PHP to create a Intranet application.
I've done FileMaker programming in another life (under OS 7 if that tells you how long ago that was) and while it is much improved, I would still not put it in the same ranks as FoxPro.
MySQL allows you to do a lot of things and PHP has dedicated statements for working with MySQL. All you need then is to configure a internal web server and validate security so it is not visible to the outside world.
This allows all work stations to use the same records for multiple purposes.
I've done FileMaker programming in another life (under OS 7 if that tells you how long ago that was) and while it is much improved, I would still not put it in the same ranks as FoxPro.
MySQL allows you to do a lot of things and PHP has dedicated statements for working with MySQL. All you need then is to configure a internal web server and validate security so it is not visible to the outside world.
This allows all work stations to use the same records for multiple purposes.
Rather than a DBMS, it sounds like you want a contact manager with a few more features than Address Book. Bento has templates for this already. I gather that you believe that Bento's included contact manager templates are cast in stone. However, you or someone on your staff may create your own custom contact manager in Bento. No programming is required.
Best database for Mac
There is no better database than Helix!
Helix is a family of software development tools allowing the rapid development, deployment and management of applications for individuals and groups of users across both local and wide area networks.
The core product is called Helix RADE (Rapid Application Development Environment). It is a powerful, visual tool for programming relational databases and generating applications that use those databases.
The visual nature of Helix RADE makes creating complex solutions fast and intuitive.
There is no better database than Helix!
Helix is a family of software development tools allowing the rapid development, deployment and management of applications for individuals and groups of users across both local and wide area networks.
The core product is called Helix RADE (Rapid Application Development Environment). It is a powerful, visual tool for programming relational databases and generating applications that use those databases.
The visual nature of Helix RADE makes creating complex solutions fast and intuitive.
Yes, I agree with your logic. But a "real" database system is a huge conceptual leap for must users. Getting one's hed around the difference between a simple file manager lake Filemaker and a relational DBMS server like MySQL, PostgreSQL or Oracle. It really requires some one with a Computer science education.
A good compromise is SQLite. Also SQLite is alrady installed on my Macand is used by Core Data.
For most people SQLite is a better option then running a RDBMS Server. Later onece this company gets bigger and needs to share data across departments and nees a three tier, RDBMS backed web server they can move very easy to mySQL or even Oracle. BUt for really small scale stuff like this use what is already installed on the Mac.
FileMaker is a nice app, but it stinks at crunching data and manipulating large amount s of data from multiple tables or in using complex queries- just not FM's forte. Has no real query environment where you can easily add tables and modify joins. Need MS Access unfortunately...there really isn't a good Mac substitute yet.