System-wide backend database?

[MacVault]

I'm not a developer so bare with me... I've just been thinking though that with our digital lives coming together on the computer more and more things are being digitized. So my question is would it be feasable/benificial/etc for an operating system - OS X for example - to have some kind of open-format, built-in, back-end database to link/keep track of all this data. For example, say I want my Personal Finance Manager (oops - no good ones on the Mac) to link transactions to PDF receipts, etc, and also to entries in my address book that relate to the transaction, or to media files in iTunes, etc. And be able to go the other way from the PDF/media/address book record, etc to the transaction, etc. This is just a basic example.

Basically I'm thinking there should be an easier way for the user to associate/relate data with other data/objects on the computer, or even out on the internet.

Is this already in the system?
Should I just shut up and get a day job?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Mac OS X has Core Data, a framework that could be used to build such a database. Spotlight also has its own database, as does iTunes, but none of these databases are connected to one another directly. This would be a really cool idea, though - for one, it would make Spotlight hugely more powerful.

 

[MacVault]

Is the concept I described in my original post kind of like what WinFS was suppose to be?

It really seems like any piece of data on a computer or records in a database should have the ability to be more easily linked, referenced, with multiple relationships, etc, across apps, networks, etc. Organizing stuff just in folders just does not cut it now days.

Seems like this should be a no brainer. Any chance Leopard will have something like this? Doesn't Tiger already have some kind of SQLite/XML services built in? Why doesn't Apple build in some master-database-type-thing into OS X to keep track of photos, music, videos, email, addresses, calendars, files, etc, etc, etc, and allow users and devs an easy way to utilize/exploit this to really create some cool new ways in which to use a computer and organize our digital lives????

Is CoreData what I'm looking for here???

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Is the concept I described in my original post kind of like what WinFS was suppose to be?

It really seems like any piece of data on a computer or records in a database should have the ability to be more easily linked, referenced, with multiple relationships, etc, across apps, networks, etc. Organizing stuff just in folders just does not cut it now days.

Seems like this should be a no brainer. Any chance Leopard will have something like this? Doesn't Tiger already have some kind of SQLite built in? Why doesn't Apple build in some master-database-type-thing into OS X to keep track of photos, music, videos, email, addresses, calendars, files, etc, etc, etc, and allow users and devs an easy way to utilize/exploit this to really create some cool new ways in which to use a computer and organize our digital lives????

Yup, it sure is like WinFS, except the implementation is slightly different. I agree with you - it would help both users and developers organize stuff. Yes, Mac OS X does indeed have a built-in database engine, though I'm not sure if it's SQLite or not. All Apple would need to do is fuse global file system notifications, Spotlight, and this database engine, and presto! One global back-end database, and far simpler than WinFS to boot

 

[WildPalms]

Doesn't MYOB cater for your personal finance manager needs?

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

the REAL answer here is called "FileMakerPro". It already has all the capabilities the OP asked for, but it does it as an application instead of an OS Service. Be WARNED though, the initial learning curve for FMP is very steep, but once you become accustomed to it and have it setup the way you want it, you will NEVER want to use anything else......

If apple could integrate FCP functionality with core data plus ZFS (which may already be in the works), then that would be THE ultimate solution..... the back-end part already exists

Forget about WFS. As it stands now, it sux and is dead in the water, polluted by all of M$'s typical bloat, all-emcompassing uber-crap swiss-cheese code, and OS/Registry interdependancies......

In other words, more of the same ole sh*t from MonkeyBoy Inc.

 

[MacVault]

the REAL answer here is called "FileMakerPro". It already has all the capabilities the OP asked for, but it does it as an application instead of an OS Service. Be WARNED though, the initial learning curve for FMP is very steep, but once you become accustomed to it and have it setup the way you want it, you will NEVER want to use anything else......

If apple could integrate FCP functionality with core data plus ZFS (which may already be in the works), then that would be THE ultimate solution..... the back-end part already exists

Forget about WFS. As it stands now, it sux and is dead in the water, polluted by all of M$'s typical bloat, all-emcompassing uber-crap swiss-cheese code, and OS/Registry interdependancies......

In other words, more of the same ole sh*t from MonkeyBoy Inc.

Yea, I use to use FileMaker Pro in web development back in the Lasso/WebSTAR days. But I'd like this concept at the OS level, not an application level.

You mention FCP. What is that? Final Cut Pro?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Yea, I use to use FileMaker Pro in web development back in the Lasso/WebSTAR days. But I'd like this concept at the OS level, not an application level.

You mention FCP. What is that? Final Cut Pro?

I believe SmurfBoxMasta meant FMP (FileMaker Pro), not FCP.

 

[MacVault]

SQLite... what is light about it?

Just wondering what the Light part really means in Mac OS X's SQLite??? How limited is SQLite compared to regular full-blown SQL???