Daylite does that and more because it is a CRM application. The nice thing about it is if you delete Daylite you only lose the links used to relate documents, appointments, people, etc. to each other, not the actual data.
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Filemaker Introduces Bento for Mac
- Thread starter marco114
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It would be sweet as part of iWork, but then they'd need to raise its price. And it wouldn't be called Bento, it would be called "Data" or "Tuples"
Same here. I'd like to at least try the application before writing it off. Based on what I've read about it so far it seems like a glorified flat file manager with access to pools of data that already exist on your Mac. However, what I am looking for is basically a version of MS Access for the Mac that will enable me to quickly import data into related tables and analyse the data contained in them by running queries (GUI created or SQL is fine by me). I don't need forms to enter data and I'm not looking to create database-backed applications. Presently the only choices that seem to exist are the likes of FileMaker Pro (expensive) or mySQL (complex). Bento sounds like it's going in the right direction but also sounds like it's cut FileMaker down too far for it to be useful for me.
However, if they do ever send through the download link then I'll give it a bash and at least try it.
No, it is a fully capable SQLite database.
1) it can be manipulated in the CLI (terminal)
2) it is OAS Scriptable (AppleScript)
3) JDBC drivers are available for SQLite
4) It can be manipulated with Languages like Java, PHP, Perl, ColdFusion, even JavaScript (thru the CLI), etc.-- anything that can use a JDBC driver
5) it can be manipulated with QuartzComposer
6) it can be manipulated with Cocoa apps written with XCode
7) It can be manipulated with any GUI SQL Client that supports SQLite (many are free and cross-platform)
It is lean and fast!
Finally, gPhone supports SQLite... I suspect that Bento will be one way the iPhone adds the ability to customize and manipulate content.
Same Here
Same boat here. Tried 3 times with 2 different Email Addresses. No response.
Can someone post the direct download link? This is ridiculous.
N
Same boat here. Tried 3 times with 2 different Email Addresses. No response.
Can someone post the direct download link? This is ridiculous.
N
I've tried it out and so far I think it is great, in fact, I would go as far as to say it is the missing 'link' to help us (well, me at least) really manage our data. As soon as it is available Filemaker will be getting my 49 bucks. 
with the exception of the included themes being utterly fugly (tho i assume you cam create custom themes - have not gotten that far yet) i really like the easy to use front-end that bento provides to implementing and managing databases. that and the integration out of the box with ical and address book makes this something i will definetly be trying it for a few things i can think of:
-project management such as vendors associated with a project, quotes, files, notable milestones, what invoices are sent out, what is pending, what has been paid, etc...
-managing the classes i teach in terms of students names, contact info, what they have turned in, have not turned in, comments about thier work, grades, etc..
-networking contacts, possible projects to work on, etc...
-project management such as vendors associated with a project, quotes, files, notable milestones, what invoices are sent out, what is pending, what has been paid, etc...
-managing the classes i teach in terms of students names, contact info, what they have turned in, have not turned in, comments about thier work, grades, etc..
-networking contacts, possible projects to work on, etc...
Well I realise I was being a bit grumpy and dismissive, but this makes little sense either.
Bento is for beginners and casual users (i.e.- your Mum).
Your mother is not going to build a full-blown Cocoa app to interface with the thing, that's just a ridiculous suggestion.
I am a FileMaker developer so my point was just that unless I can stream data to and fro Bento's Libraries and Collections from the "serious" databases on the server, it remains as a stand-alone "HyperCard" like product with limited utility to an organisation. At this point, it is a user centric personal data organiser only.
Without FM integration, it's a recipe holder, with FM integration the possibilities are (or could be) endless.
Personally, I think the FM integration will come with the released product as it's a no brainer and I anticipate it being used (eventually) for the same uses you describe above. Today however, it's not even a finished product, let alone a part of iWork, let alone the underpinnings of data manipulation on the iPhone. I will start to get excited when it's released, and also when Apple announces how (or if), it fits into their plans.
I have programmed web and desktop db applications using various SQL dbs (including MS SQL Server, MSAccess, SQLite and FileMaker). I did not write the apps using FM, I just accessed FM databases.
My web programming language of choice is ColdFusion, but that is beside the point.
You can interface FM and and SQLite in any language that supports the JDBC and ODBC drivers.
So, yes, today, you or I can write an app that integrates FM and Bento dbs.
I don't believe that you can do the same with HyperCard (but I haven't looked at that for years).
If "with FM Integration", do you mean that you want to access the db with FM's programming environment? And that lacking that capability it is just a "recipe holder"?
Wouldn't that same logic apply to any dbms: Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL... yadda, yadda, yadda?
I don't mean to be pedantic, but disqualifying Bento as a serious db product just because FM doesn't recognize it, is plain silly!
What other DBMS' have "FM integration"?
Maybe you are using the wrong tool-- I have mentioned several that can access both dbs-- why not use one of these?
Not that it matters anymore now that someone provided a direct link to the download... but I just got the e-mail about 18 hours after signing up.
Its a sweet app for people who have a need for it. It provides a great customizable front end to database tables. Now, if only I could find something I would want to put in a database!!
Same here - took right at 18 hours to receive the e-mail - and I received it twice since I submitted the form twice. Must've been one huge log jam of e-mails all at once.
No Related Records
Well, Bento does allow you to relate data between data Libraries created but it's not what I was looking for. What I wanted to do was relate existing tables of data for the purpose of running queries, i.e. only show records where a given field appears in both tables of data. However, the Bento definition appears to be somewhat different. You can relate a Library to another Library or Collection but what that basically means is that you can link a record in your Library to a record (or records) in the related Library/Collection; you cannot link an existing field to another in a different Collection/Library. Given this Bento is largely useless for my purposes, which is particularly annoying if it is indeed built on a full RDBM engine like SQLite.
Honestly, I get the feeling that to get what I want on the Mac I'm going to have to write the application myself (a terrifying prospect given my programming skills). The advent of Core Data should make this process a lot easier but definitely not a cakewalk.
Well, Bento does allow you to relate data between data Libraries created but it's not what I was looking for. What I wanted to do was relate existing tables of data for the purpose of running queries, i.e. only show records where a given field appears in both tables of data. However, the Bento definition appears to be somewhat different. You can relate a Library to another Library or Collection but what that basically means is that you can link a record in your Library to a record (or records) in the related Library/Collection; you cannot link an existing field to another in a different Collection/Library. Given this Bento is largely useless for my purposes, which is particularly annoying if it is indeed built on a full RDBM engine like SQLite.
Honestly, I get the feeling that to get what I want on the Mac I'm going to have to write the application myself (a terrifying prospect given my programming skills). The advent of Core Data should make this process a lot easier but definitely not a cakewalk.
I like that business projects are now making it way into Apple. I long for the day when MS either developes truely compatible cross platform applications or Apple becomes a major playor in the workforce. I am sick of rebooting my work PC twice or 3 times a day...... How much will this cost, MS Project is over $1,000 per license so my work will not buy us copies, yet they keep sending out the darn files like we can read them
Why not use FastTrack Schedule instead?
There's also OmniPlan that is Mac only, but I think it can import from others. Not sure, though.
The only time that happened was from version 6 to 7. 7 was such a massive architecture improvement over 6 that is was understandable. How can you fail to see the huge improvement of migrating to 7 over 6?
Notes is useful, but their quality control has been spotty as of late. StickyBrain used to be rock solid. Now everytime I have to upgrade SOHO Notes (which is too often) there's always issues.
I'd dump it if there was another notes database that would let me assign notes to the context menu for pasting into other files. All of the other notes products focus on helping you get data into the database, but not out.
yeah i can't get this Bento to do what i want. i'm trying to construct a checkbook database. it worked well enough at the start. i've got a "Transactions" record list for creating little transaction objects, which i then make a related records field inside an "Accounts" list, which is cool because then i can sum stuff. but then i try to get the account record to link back to the Transaction, so that if i create a Transaction in the Account the Transaction knows what account it's supposed to be in. i couldn't get it to work. the "calculation" field looks like it might show some promise. but then i tried to do the "smart collection" command and i broke the app. it won't even open now.
makes me wonder how hard it would be to learn SQLite and get it to work in some cocoa prettiness. probably actually pretty difficult. too bad this Bento thing is just shy of doing what i want it to.
makes me wonder how hard it would be to learn SQLite and get it to work in some cocoa prettiness. probably actually pretty difficult. too bad this Bento thing is just shy of doing what i want it to.
This would be about perfect for my little home based business if I could share databases over my LAN. Sadly, Filemaker is far too expensive fore only 2 computers. I guess I will jhust stick with Address Book and iCal
Interesting...
I am interested in buying Bento and their 'KnowledgeBase' is down for 'update'.
The punchline is: Check back after NOVEMBER!!!
Yeah, I want to buy Bento now... Is FileMaker/Apple dropping Bento? I was a beta tester!
I am interested in buying Bento and their 'KnowledgeBase' is down for 'update'.
The punchline is: Check back after NOVEMBER!!!
Yeah, I want to buy Bento now... Is FileMaker/Apple dropping Bento? I was a beta tester!
Bento 2 just came out this month. It's available at the 
Store or thru www.filemaker.com only for the rest of October.
Store or thru www.filemaker.com only for the rest of October.