From: "Justine B." Date: 2011-02-09T23:05:03+09:00 Subject: Re: Choosing an office suite Phillip Gawlowski wrote in post #980190: > On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 2:55 AM, Hilary Bailey > wrote: >> >> Hi Phillip, >> What I want to create is a database that can measure the performance of >> all entities in a school district. The closest software that exhibits >> some semblance is that of Microsoft Access. Where, as I understand it, >> the input entry of a single data can be housed and then derived, through >> a set of queries, then further analyzed through/by Microsoft Solver >> software. > > That's a feature all relational databases share: You store data, query > the data, and do something with the results. > > However, you don't *need* Access (which is an expensive toy to deploy > software on for a school) for that, but a plain' ol' database. > > Investigate SQLite (excellent for "embedded" databases, since it's > light-weight and can be used from pretty much every programming > language, and is Public Domain) if you want to write software that > ends up on a PC, or whatever is popular on the web: MySQL/MariaDB or > PostgreSQL. > >> The difference with my proposal would be that based on selected >> indicators [which will be dynamically influenced by changed event(s) and >> policy(ies], which would be able to measure success. I have been exposed >> to a statistical software named SPSS and having worked as an economist, >> has influenced my outlook on creating an approach/database/software >> which would indicate in real time, measured results. > > Sounds like a standard use-case for OLAP: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_analytical_processing > >> Mike Stephens recommended Mendix as a possible solution to my woes. Do >> you know of such arena? > > I don't trust tools that claim to write software for you. ;) > > Mind, a visual tool can be very helpful (I like to easily visualize > SQL databases and their key relations, for example), but I'm quite > sure that Mendix itself won't help you in your case: There's no > business process per se in what you want to roll out, and all those > "UML to Software" tools have fallen flat, requiring manual > "optimization". > >> Therefore, I figured that, doing it all by myself may be the best >> solution. However, some of my concerns are: "Why reinvent the wheel?', >> How can I create a sustainable system that does not compromise quality?, >> What curriculum structure should I follow that will meet my needs >> without, straying from my goals? >> >> Therefore, this is my dilemma, which seems to be going in circles. Any >> suggestions. > > Yes. Incorporate a business before too long, and start looking for a > technical co-founder now. What you want to do isn't impossible for a > single person. Said person needs a bit of experience in a lot of > technologies. While you can grab database engines, libraries, etc. off > the shelf, you have to check licensing (Anything GPL licensed will > *force* you to publish your own source code, for example, while the > LGPL doesn't have this problem), learn and deal with a lot of > technologies (databases, client / server computing or web programming, > OLAP, reporting, data entry), which is... well, just a tad much to get > started with a business of any sort. > > And you have a good litmus test for a technical person: Can they and > do they want to teach you to code. :) > > Mind, you should find a technical person you can, push comes to shove, > bind with an NDA either way, simply to buy expertise in rather tough > areas that you shouldn't deal with as a beginner, like application > security (doubly so if you want to launch a website!). > > -- > Phillip Gawlowski > > Though the folk I have met, > (Ah, how soon!) they forget > When I've moved on to some other place, > There may be one or two, > When I've played and passed through, > Who'll remember my song or my face. Mendix doesn't claim to write software for you. In fact, no code is generated; the visual model is the application! You can extend the application with Java if you so choose, but 99% of the time you don't need to. You can build a complete working application (including the data, presentation, and logic layers and security) in just days with one-click deployment. In this case you can use Mendix to setup a view of your data within 5 minutes ... just download a free trial at http://www.mendix.com (Try it Now button). If you wish to view external data, the free database replication widget is available in the app store. Or attend Mendix training (there is one next week in Boston) and they will show you how! http://www.mendix.com/company/events/ -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.