Re: M$ .MDB type lib

[Kevin Forge <forgeltd@pop.netaddress.usa.net>]

Micah Yoder wrote:
> 
> Here's what Linux *really* needs......  a library to manipulate files in
> a similar way to M$ Access.  .MDB files can store tables, queries,
> reports, and a bunch of other junk.  Even better, the whole DB is self
> contained into one file so is easily portable from computer to computer.
> 
> >From my experience in the business world, people *like* Access and .MDB
> files - they are used often in Visual Basic programs.

People don't like the .MDB database format.  The users generally don't
know what it is.  What they like is that MSAccess itself has a simple
interface for defining DBase parameters and that Visual Basic was built
to use an even simpler interface to the same functions.

The Linux Database formats are actually better but configuring even
something as basic as an address book is difficult due to lack of a nice
interface/DB builder.

> What Linux needs:
> 
>  * A shared library that can access database files (we can have our own
> format, but if we can use .MDB so much the better).  I'd recommend C++
> for this so we can use the cool STL for things.  Should be LGPL'd

Yeah would be nice.  However there are all sorts of licensing rigmaroles
and secret backdoors with MS formats that it's really not worth the
effort
for something as potentially static as a DB format.  ( MS *will* change 
.MDB if we build a prog that can read it )
 
>  * A GTK application similar to Access that works with the files.  GPL'd

Now you get to something necessary.  
 
>  * A Perl interface (of course...)

Another pice :)
 
> Perhaps we should set up a project for working on this???

Look around there is probably already a project ( as with the TK thing )
-- 
"Make easy things easy, and hard things possible."
mailto:forgeltd@usa.net  http://independence.dunadan.com/