5 ms·

This article about how Microsoft Access won't die got me thinking about creating an open source alternative. I just retired and am looking for a project. I also

This article about how Microsoft Access won't die got me thinking about creating an open source alternative. I just retired and am looking for a project. I also have a history with msft that might be helpful. https://medium.com/young-coder/microsoft-access-the-zombie-database-software-that-wont-die-5b09e389c166 https://medium.com/young-coder/microsoft-access-the-zombie-d...

burmer 7y ago
Yes! scrolled all the way down for this. In the non-tech world, a GUI/form builder + relational database that was extendible through a decent scripting language all in one package would be huge.
taneq 7y ago
If there's a real, useful OSS alternative to Access then let me know. Otherwise you might be onto something!
- mwattsun 7y ago
  Maybe the new "open" Microsoft will put it up on GitHub. Probably not though. I imagine the code base is a mess at this point
grandinj 7y ago
Or you could help fix up Libreoffice Base which badly needs some love
- ta999999171 7y ago
  Can someone explain what's going on with that project?
mamcx 7y ago
This is my pet peeve. I'm already working in a relational language (http://tablam.org http://tablam.org) to use as the core. My dream is to have not only an Access/Excel(in the role of pseudo-table programming) alternative, but one that could work great in a iPad/mobile device. Also, in this space, most "options" are fully on the cloud. Thats cool, but will never be a real challenger to Access or Excel if depend on cloud 100%. I need it to work fully standalone. My first programming language was FoxPro. I know what it look like to "live the dream". One single language and environment and you TRULY code ALL the app: Db, logic, forms, reports, web services, etc. --- BTW: why start with a relational lang? The MAIN power of the dbase/fox family above access was to have a truly tailored language for the task. With office, you MUST work from a paradigm (Access:Relational, Excel:Reactive functional) and become an inferior procedural maybe OO developer (VBA) to finish stuff. The dissonance is heavy.
- clausok 7y ago
  I interviewed with a quant hedge fund in 2004 whose systems where all in FoxPro. They loved it. The general partner of the fund believed that Microsoft had figured out that they could unbundle FoxPro into 3+ components (DB, IDE, Reports...) and sell each separately. It's been a mystery to me why no one, using sqlite as the DB foundation, has attempted a modern-day FoxPro\MsAccess-like tool.
  - mamcx 7y ago
    Using sqlite will be good. This is part of my plan (to build on top of sqlite (better) or lmdb (crazy!). Honestly sqlite, not kid ourselves). P.D: I think for a company like MS FoxPro was not a good business, but it could be very good for a smaller player. Fox have a decent market and was very loved by the community.
- sansnomme 7y ago
  Be very careful if you are going to invent your own programming language. The Eve creators had similar noble goals and ended up burning VC money and achieving nothing.
  - mamcx 7y ago
    This my hobby and at worst, will be the only one to use the lang. I'm well aware of the complications of the endeavor. I procrastinate in start this for more than 10 years!, because I tell myself: This is not for me, and somebody else must do something better. I wish to have some funding but my need are modest, so if i cover my own expenses so i can focus at least half time is good enough...
Ologn 7y ago
There is a LGPL library that I am familiar with that handles it https://jackcess.sourceforge.io https://jackcess.sourceforge.io I have a very bare bones Android app which uses the library https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unwrappedapps.android.unwrappeddb https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unwrappeda... Incidentally my Android app is based off my free software Android project https://github.com/dennis-sheil/android-spreadsheet https://github.com/dennis-sheil/android-spreadsheet
mmonihan 7y ago
Im working on exactly that. Check out ResponseVault.com.

burmer 7y ago

Yes! scrolled all the way down for this. In the non-tech world, a GUI/form builder + relational database that was extendible through a decent scripting language all in one package would be huge.

taneq 7y ago

If there's a real, useful OSS alternative to Access then let me know. Otherwise you might be onto something!

mwattsun 7y ago
Maybe the new "open" Microsoft will put it up on GitHub. Probably not though. I imagine the code base is a mess at this point

grandinj 7y ago

Or you could help fix up Libreoffice Base which badly needs some love

ta999999171 7y ago
Can someone explain what's going on with that project?

mamcx 7y ago

This is my pet peeve. I'm already working in a relational language (http://tablam.org http://tablam.org) to use as the core. My dream is to have not only an Access/Excel(in the role of pseudo-table programming) alternative, but one that could work great in a iPad/mobile device. Also, in this space, most "options" are fully on the cloud. Thats cool, but will never be a real challenger to Access or Excel if depend on cloud 100%. I need it to work fully standalone. My first programming language was FoxPro. I know what it look like to "live the dream". One single language and environment and you TRULY code ALL the app: Db, logic, forms, reports, web services, etc. --- BTW: why start with a relational lang? The MAIN power of the dbase/fox family above access was to have a truly tailored language for the task. With office, you MUST work from a paradigm (Access:Relational, Excel:Reactive functional) and become an inferior procedural maybe OO developer (VBA) to finish stuff. The dissonance is heavy.

clausok 7y ago
I interviewed with a quant hedge fund in 2004 whose systems where all in FoxPro. They loved it. The general partner of the fund believed that Microsoft had figured out that they could unbundle FoxPro into 3+ components (DB, IDE, Reports...) and sell each separately. It's been a mystery to me why no one, using sqlite as the DB foundation, has attempted a modern-day FoxPro\MsAccess-like tool.
- mamcx 7y ago
  Using sqlite will be good. This is part of my plan (to build on top of sqlite (better) or lmdb (crazy!). Honestly sqlite, not kid ourselves). P.D: I think for a company like MS FoxPro was not a good business, but it could be very good for a smaller player. Fox have a decent market and was very loved by the community.
sansnomme 7y ago
Be very careful if you are going to invent your own programming language. The Eve creators had similar noble goals and ended up burning VC money and achieving nothing.
- mamcx 7y ago
  This my hobby and at worst, will be the only one to use the lang. I'm well aware of the complications of the endeavor. I procrastinate in start this for more than 10 years!, because I tell myself: This is not for me, and somebody else must do something better. I wish to have some funding but my need are modest, so if i cover my own expenses so i can focus at least half time is good enough...

Ologn 7y ago

There is a LGPL library that I am familiar with that handles it https://jackcess.sourceforge.io https://jackcess.sourceforge.io I have a very bare bones Android app which uses the library https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unwrappedapps.android.unwrappeddb https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unwrappeda... Incidentally my Android app is based off my free software Android project https://github.com/dennis-sheil/android-spreadsheet https://github.com/dennis-sheil/android-spreadsheet

mmonihan 7y ago

Im working on exactly that. Check out ResponseVault.com.