Filemaker 8

[Fairlight]

Is it just me, or did Dan Snyder say:
> choice.  I'm at a PC shop now and even though I already know FileMaker, we
> plan on doing stuff in Access since...
> 1. We already have some Access licenses.
> 2. Several users already had some knowledge and programs in Access.
> 3. Other companies using our ERP system know access & provide sample code
> for hooking into it to add features.
> 4. Our small town has plenty of inexpensive local contractors with Access
> knowledge.

*chuckle*  Sorry, but...not a flame, but an observation:

Countries already have ready supplies of uranium, the knowledge of how to
build a working nuclear bomb is readily available in the public domain,
and there are plenty of fanatics and countries (not mutually exclusive,
unfortunately) willing to make one.

This doesn't make it a Good Idea[tm] to build a nuke.

> I'm not promoting Access, since I don't particularly like it or Microsoft!
> I'm simply stating why we decided to choose it.

The only one that really holds any weight is the preponderance of Access
techs available.  I can understand the logic of the argument to some
extent.  However, consider the quality of many of them.  Many probably
passed the MCSE and that's about it.  Which basically means they knew how
to answer the questions as M$ wanted them answered on the day in question.

That -doesn't- mean they know good database or application design practices.
There are plenty of Ukrainian, Indian, and Russian course-certified
programmers out there flaunting all those A+, MCSE, NET+ and other handy
dandy "qualifications".  That doesn't mean I'd want them working on my
projects.  I've -seen- some of their code, and it wasn't pretty.  Some was
enough to make even a casual hobbyist run screaming in terror.  Seems like
a good amount picked up a "How to learn .+ in 21 Days" book and that was
the extent of their experience.  It's no different domestically.  It's the
same mentality in place:  memorize how this works, but don't bother
understanding the underlying concepts--all you need is the certification.

Access and its techs are like the McDonald's of the db/app industry.
They're plentiful, you can almost always find a McD's nearby and handy, but
it's not actually necessarily -good- for you.  I'd personally shoot for
higher standards.

mark->