Anybody know of a way to get a relatively simple Access database to be accessible from a Droid? Preferably accessible to multiple Droids but not necessarily concurrently, ie up in the cloud. BTW it needs to be free or very cheap. This is for official business so non profit status can be used. It does not have to be Access but that's the only database I know anything about and it's what I have now.
I doubt you could get an access db to run on an android as access is a windows product and android is a micro Linux product. You could probably get a compact version of mySql to run on it perhaps.
Actually go here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html
You might be able to connect to an Access database using some ODBC magic, but I'm not intimately familiar with the Android API.
Quote from: Larry Mangum on August 30, 2011, 08:24:18 PM
I doubt you could get an access db to run on an android as access is a windows product and android is a micro Linux product. You could probably get a compact version of mySql to run on it perhaps.
Actually go here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html)
English please?
Let me add some further info. It's basically a spreadsheet to track our inventory. It's in Access because I can work it to some degree and wanted to have data validation and set up input forms and run some cute reports. I think I can export to Excel and massage it some and toss it up on Google docs... I am not a database guru and know jack about programing.
Quote from: davidsinn on August 30, 2011, 08:42:57 PM
I think I can export to Excel and massage it some and toss it up on Google docs...
This is actually working better than in Excel. In Excel I can't validate from another sheet but I can in GDocs which will keep the page clean.
Groovy.
Now if I can make it simple enough my non-geek wife can work it then I'm golden.
Quote from: davidsinn on August 30, 2011, 08:37:21 PM
Quote from: Larry Mangum on August 30, 2011, 08:24:18 PM
I doubt you could get an access db to run on an android as access is a windows product and android is a micro Linux product. You could probably get a compact version of mySql to run on it perhaps.
Actually go here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html)
English please?
Short version Android + Access = Mess
Android phones run a Linux operating system. Access is designed for the MS Windows operating system.
Android phones run Java programs. There have been attempts to create Java code to read Access files but the results have been inconsistent as the exact structure of the access .mdb file is not public.
You seem to be looking to share data from a common web based source to one or more android phones. Are you looking only to read the data or create / update (or even delete) it as well?
Is this data already available from a web site?
I've been looking to expand my Java skills into the Android world. I might be willing to do some work with you for the bubble. PM if interested
Quote from: phirons on August 30, 2011, 08:52:22 PM
Quote from: davidsinn on August 30, 2011, 08:37:21 PM
Quote from: Larry Mangum on August 30, 2011, 08:24:18 PM
I doubt you could get an access db to run on an android as access is a windows product and android is a micro Linux product. You could probably get a compact version of mySql to run on it perhaps.
Actually go here: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/database/package-summary.html)
English please?
Short version Android + Access = Mess
Android phones run a Linux operating system. Access is designed for the MS Windows operating system.
That I knew.
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Android phones run Java programs. There have been attempts to create Java code to read Access files but the results have been inconsistent as the exact structure of the access .mdb file is not public.
That doesn't surprise me.
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You seem to be looking to share data from a common web based source to one or more android phones. Are you looking only to read the data or create / update (or even delete) it as well?
I'm looking to have it accessible for read/write to a controlled list of people from a phone or web enabled computer. This saves us from having to update the database after fact to reflect changes that occurred during a meeting.
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Is this data already available from a web site?
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No, What I have at this moment is the database on my PC and I just now converted it to a spreadsheet and and working it in GDocs. It looks promising but the server is hiccuping right now.
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I've been looking to expand my Java skills into the Android world. I might be willing to do some work with you for the bubble. PM if interested
I'll keep that in mind if this experiment fails. You should talk to JC004 about his plans for Droid... ;D
I'd say you're probably better off with a mysql(esque) back end and form-based browser access that is platform agnostic.
If you have specs I might be able to have some friends I know do it on the free or cheap for us. Email me direct if yo are interested.
Quote from: Eclipse on August 30, 2011, 09:51:00 PM
I'd say you're probably better off with a mysql(esque) back end and form-based browser access that is platform agnostic.
If you have specs I might be able to have some friends I know do it on the free or cheap for us. Email me direct if yo are interested.
I know jack about web development. I think I have it knocked out in GDocs. It's not as pretty as what I had before but it appears to work. I've lost the forms and the reports but that's something I can live without to have easier access to the thing. I'll add you as an editor and you can critique it for me. Bear in mind that it is live data in there...I have downloaded it back to my PC but I'll have to redo the validation if I have to send it back up.
Your best bet would be to: (a) Use a real database (like MySQL, Postgre, or SQL Server) and (b) create a web service to access the data. Then you would have concurrent access and everything.
I see it - probably be a few days before I can devote brain-share to it, but I will say that with conditional formatting and cross-referencing tabs,
you could probably come up with something real nice inclusive to a spreadsheet.
Quote from: JeffDG on August 30, 2011, 10:43:10 PM
Your best bet would be to: (a) Use a real database (like MySQL, Postgre, or SQL Server) and (b) create a web service to access the data. Then you would have concurrent access and everything.
That's not really an option because no one in my unit has the skills to do that.