From: jbritt@...
Date: 2003-01-01T14:35:11+09:00
Subject: Re: Developing a website

> On the database issue and your client's interest in using Access 2000:
>
> As I understand it, Access 2000 is not a database server, its a desktop
> database program and is most suited to a single-user environment
> without "mission critical" data (which could easily be lost if multiple
> users are reading and writing over a network).  Even Microsoft
> recognizes this -- they acknowledge that, in a multi-user (multiple
> readers and writers) environment, Access 2000 is, at best, a desktop
> front-end to a more robust enterprise level database server system.  Of
> course, they recommend MS SQL Server.  If I were choosing, I would pick
> the free open-source, ACID compliant, postgresql.
>
> And there are Ruby tools available to work with postgresql and mysql.
> ;-)

If possible, database interaction should go through an abstraction layer such that swapping out a particular database doesn't break
stuff.  You can start out with Access, and should the day come when it fails to scale, replace it with something better.

I believe the Ruby DBI code (http://ruby-dbi.sourceforge.net/) will let you work with Access via Win32OLE and ADO, or with ODBC.


James