Comments on: Seeking Database Software

Question: Seeking Database Software

Mckoan1 — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:22:50 -0800

Could someone recommend a Database Software package that is less complicated than Microsoft Access. I just need a package for entering customers' addresses and phone numbers and have six or seven fields that can be sort. As you can see, a very simple database; yet one that is effective. Thank you!

By: eatdonuts

eatdonuts — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:33:25 -0800

act?

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:35:41 -0800

Microsoft Excel?

By: drstein

drstein — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:49:18 -0800

FileMaker Pro?

By: airguitar

airguitar — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:00:27 -0800

I just need a package for entering customers' addresses and phone numbers and have six or seven fields that can be sorted.

That's just about all ACT does.

By: mendel

mendel — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:12:41 -0800

It sounds like you want a CRM (Customer Relations Management) application, and not just a database -- as you found with Access, databases are tools with which to build applications more than they are end-user applications themselves.

ACT recommended above is a CRM app, and I've known a lot of sales and marketing types who use Goldmine. Microsoft has their own CRM solution but I've never seen it.

By: SPrintF

SPrintF — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:27:34 -0800

To expand on the Excel suggestion: recent versions have the "Autofilter" feature which turns the "header row" into clickable buttons that can be used to sort and sift the rows. For small, simple databases, it's not a bad start.

By: NortonDC

NortonDC — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:33:03 -0800

Excel is a good suggestion. It can sort by any column in the spreadsheet, and also do tiered sorting (if two columns are the same, the sort among those two by using this other column).

Enter your data in the spreadsheet, then coose "Data" from Excel's top menu, and then choose "Sort..." The little dialog box that pops up will ask which columns(s) to sort by.

By: NortonDC

NortonDC — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:36:29 -0800

Actually, sorting the way SPRintF mentions can make Excel sort only the row you clicked on, which would make it out sync with the other rows and scramble your entire list. Use the sort option in the top menu to be safe.

By: Good Brain

Good Brain — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:50:30 -0800

Microsoft Outlook's contacts?

By: bytemover

bytemover — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 11:18:37 -0800

Filemaker Pro. It comes with several great templates, is incredibly powerful, and yet has a gentle learning curve that can grow as the needs may grow.

By: Sallysings

Sallysings — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:12:00 -0800

I'm a fan of OpenOffice's BASE.

It's much simpler than it looks, has wizards for setting things up, and best of all FREE. (So it doesn't hurt to try it, ya?)

And I'll second the spreadsheet option - if it ever gets too big, you can always export to a CSV file and import it to a better database program.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 15:55:26 -0800

Excel.

By: strawberryviagra

strawberryviagra — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 17:00:39 -0800

Some additional criteria that may be helpful in elaborating your needs:

What platform/s would you be using it on (mac, pc, linux)?
Would it need to be (now or in the future) accessible over a network or the internet?
How many contacts would you likely need to manage (worst case scenario)?
Would you like to be able to perform some additional functions in the future (being able to print address labels, mail merging etc).