Recommend simple and cheap Mac database software.

September 27, 2004 1:59 PM

Any recommendations for simple and cheap Mac database software?
posted by ajr to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

More info would be helpful... do you need Access-like visual functionality? What do you need to do with it? Would an open-source SQL RDBMS like MySQL work?
posted by SpecialK at 2:12 PM on September 27, 2004

Response by poster: No, this is for a really simple application. Want to create timelines by inputting dates and associated activities. Generally looking to create a simplied version of Casemap, which is not available on the Mac.
posted by ajr at 2:23 PM on September 27, 2004

For something that simple, you should be able to bind your code to Berkeley db quite easily.
posted by majick at 2:45 PM on September 27, 2004

If you have lots of l33t database skills, of course you could build your own application with one of the free SQL variants.

But if you want to get things done, put this in the hands of the people who need to use it, and give ordinary people the ability to alter it as they need to, FileMaker Pro is definitely what you want.
posted by bcwinters at 2:47 PM on September 27, 2004

MySQL comes with Mac OS X, doesn't it? At least it's on mine, and I don't remember installing it myself (although I might have)
posted by wackybrit at 3:12 PM on September 27, 2004

I don't think that MySQL satisfies the need for "simple", even with the various table-building front-ends for it.

I have not used, but have heard good things about Valentina.
posted by adamrice at 4:02 PM on September 27, 2004

Filemaker Pro. It can also be used on Windows.
posted by andrewraff at 5:10 PM on September 27, 2004

I think I misunderstood. When I read 'application' I was thinking he had an application he wanted to development, not 'application' as in.. a use or need ;-) Of course, as far as database servers go for application development.. MySQL is still probably the simplest (except for the amazing SQLite).
posted by wackybrit at 2:04 AM on September 28, 2004