database?

Emmy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 1000 Location: Scotland

Just curious I've got widows XP what programme would I need to set up a database. I was thinking about recording information from the LDS films I have of Sant'Elia.
Am I right in thinking that if you set up a database you can access information by a date, a name or a year.

Once it was complete if You typed in a year all the people born in that year that you had recorded would come up on screen?

I know it worked like that on the old BBC computers Loooong ago! Confused

Emmy

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Emmy,
I love Excel to use for this purpose. I use Excel to keep track of all my town records. You can search for anything you are looking for with Excel's search feature and I can even keep track of how many records I have by year by using Excel's sort feature. Check out my spreadsheet of pubblicazione's for Montalto Uffugo for the year 1876: www.calabriangenealogy...e1876b.xls
You can alreadys save this spreadshet to your hard drive remove all my data and use it for your own. I believe Jim Bianco uses Excel too.
Let me know if I can help.

Emmy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 1000 Location: Scotland

Thanks Cathy
I have used spread sheets but what I was thinking about was slightly different you had to fill in different 'fields' if I remember correctly.
With spreadsheets I know you have to type in a 'formula?' but I just get all mixed up with that when I did 'Balance Sheets' with excel I wouldnt even trust the computer to add it up for me.
Putting the information like you have done in a spreadsheet say eg you wanted tp find all the people born in a certain year how would you access this information.?
Cathy thanks a lot for offering to let me use your spreadsheet if I decide to do this, its much appreciated.
Emmy

rfornal · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: database?

Emmy,

A spreadsheet (Excel) can function the way you want ... formulas and searches are optional portions. The nice thing about a spreadsheet is you have basically unlimited columns and rows with no need to structure what is underneath. The sorting or filtering is just a matter of configuring things properly.

The other side, if you want to put some more effort into it would be a database (Access) ... there are several pre-designed templates that can be used ...

If you need more assistance, please let me know.

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Emmy, if you need help, why not talk to me on Skype about it? I can walk you through as you do it too. That way, if you have questions, you can get an immediate answer. If you want, I can email you a blank spreadsheet with just the columns set up. Let me know. It really is very easy!

Emmy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 1000 Location: Scotland

Thanks Bob and Cathy
I just couldnt think of another name for a database and Bob when you mentioned Access it fianally 'rang a bell' with me, I'd forgotten that I was given a book 'Office Windows XP for Dummies' and I've found a section in it giving instructions how to use Access but its advising to use the 'wizard' to set it up. I've checked the list of prog. I have on my computer and I do have Access Very Happy

My daughter's really keen for me to try this as she thinks it will keep me 'out of mischief'! Shocked

- and I'll be so busy I wont have time to nibble at biscuits etc more likely I'll be doing this neclord

and posting here for help Smile

Emmy

rfornal · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: database?

As I am very experienced with Access, I will assist in any way that I can ... the wizards shoudl give you a reasonable start ...

nuccia · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: database?

Access? Now there is a program I have never used but I would love to learn. I stink at excel too so this might be better. I love using notepad now..I learned a lot from your tutorials on working with it and html and even when I go to my brothers house now (he has no Internet) I use it to create pages.

If you say access is good then I want to try it..Are you going to put anything on the Wiki about it?

rfornal · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:06 am Post subject: Re: database?

Hmmm ... you could talk me into it. I would need some basic information ... what information do you want to track (ie. firstname, middle, last, etc ...).

nuccia · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:23 am Post subject: Re: database?

rfornal wrote:

Hmmm ... you could talk me into it. I would need some basic information ... what information do you want to track (ie. firstname, middle, last, etc ...).

Uhmmm....

YES

How hard do I have to twist your arm??? lol I love your lessons..look want I have done, all with notepad with the help of your lessons..(and don't laugh because I still used tables..but they work)...

www.gentedimaregenealo...irths.html

www.gentedimaregenealo...lties.html

and I'm still working on this one..

www.gentedimaregenealo...fests.html

This one I used a template for and am hoping to make it the front page but I changed the colors from the original. I'm also still working on it though. Mostly in test stages right now.

www.gentedimareitalian...temap.html

What do you think?

rfornal · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:54 pm Post subject: Re: database?

Awesome ... wonderful work, the tables are great!

rfornal · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: database?

On the sub-pages, you might put a link back to the main family page ... small detail, but makes things consistent.

nuccia · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: database?

Yes..I will do that..I didn't really know what I wanted when I started..I jsut knew I would like it when I saw it so now, after nearly XXXX months I have figured it out..lol.

But I want to learn more..i want to learn access. Can I use that instead of tables? I hear tables are not really "the thing" of the internet future..learning all about css and xhtml now.

Other suggestions? Thoughts???

rfornal · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:21 pm Post subject: Re: database?

Tables on web pages are OK to organize information. Tables are not OK when they are used to organize the entire page.

MS Access is used for tracking data, not for designing or managing web pages ... although you could design a series of reports to generate HTML pages from a database.

CSS is definitely something to dig into, but xhtml is not really necessary.

Emmy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Posts: 1000 Location: Scotland

Just to let you know I've managed to set up my database using the wizard it was soooo easy but I've still to work out a few things yet
eg I thought I would have been able to type in a surname (that's one of the 'fields') and all the records with that surname would come up but when I used 'querie' format and typed in the surname all the records showed up but in a different format. So I guess it will have to be 'trial and error' for a while but so far I'm NOT doing this neclord

Emmy