Databases, what can I say? Since getting drawn into computers and programming while using dBase III Plus, I’ve used many a database. Starting with the xBase family of databases (Clipper, FoxPro and others), then on to a mainframe hierarchical database I’d prefer not to name, then onto SQL.

For those who have not heard the term “xBase“, “xBase is the generic term for all programming languages that derive from the original dBASE (Ashton-Tate) programming language and database formats” according to this article in Wikipedia

One database I’ve worked with since version 1.0 was Microsoft Access. It is such an easy to use database it can be addictive in itself. I’ve often had to rewrite applications using Access as a database to use SQL Server. Otherwise Access is a good database management tool.

FileMaker is supposed to be the easiest database to use, but I haven’t had an opportunity to try it.

Then there are the big boys, the “SQL” Servers. Confusingly, only one is called “SQL Server”, and that is Microsoft SQL Server. The others are MySQL, Sybase SQL Anywhere, Oracle, PostgreSQl and DB2 (of course this is far from a complete list).

Naturally a database is preferable to a spreadsheet when the number of rows is more than 65k, or relationships are required.

Posted on July 25th, 2008 by mervyn