On 9/23/2010 4:29 PM, nigma2020 wrote:

> Now I'm considering whether or not I want to delve very deep into database development, or whether MS Access would suffice. I have a few Access 2003 programs that I worked on with an uncle years back, but I definitely would like to use something with a bit more polish.
>
> I understand HTML, but as a standalone application, I'm not really understanding how much work will go into a Firebird GUI (for clients) I picked up a book on MySQL, figuring it would be similar, but They all seem to be based on the integration with PHP. Should I take this as a sign that developing full-fledged standalone apps with firebird is a whole 'nother ballgame?

You are mixing a number of different things in your thinking.

First, you have database engines. These manage storage of data and need
some sort of front end to be useful. These include Oracle, MS SQL
Server, Firebird, PostgreSQL, mySQL, MS Jet (recently renamed and used
by MS Access).

Some of these are open source, some are proprietary. Some run on many
platforms, some just one. Pick one with as much flexibility as you can.

Second, you have application architecture. Web apps need a web server
(e.g. Apache, MS IIS) and a server-based engine to run the app (e.g.
PHP, Cold Fusion, custom app server, etc). Some of these are open
source, some proprietary. Some have large community support, some less.
All require programming at some level to create your application. All
require some programming attention to ensure the app will run OK on the
web browsers you are targeting. (This is getting easier but is far from
ideal.)

The client for web apps is a browser (MS Internet Explorer, Firefox,
Opera, Safari). Some are open source, some not.

Third, are client-server apps. These are programs that run on the client
machine and access data direct from the database engine (no web server,
no app server). Delphi is the tool of choice for these for running on
Windows clients. MS Access can also create this part using its GUI tools
and that makes it a hybrid product. The relative complexity of
programming these on other platforms is part of what has pushed people
toward web apps.

Finally, there are n-tier apps. These are like either web apps or
client-server apps but they are distinguished by the presence of a
middle server that isolates the client from the database storage engine.
Sometimes this is an app server that directly talks to the client
program. This can also be a web-server based REST interface. Lots of
variation here.

One of the best attributes of n-tier apps is that each piece (client,
app server, storage engine) can be chosen relatively independently of
the others.

IMHO, the best bang for your buck is client-server. It only loses out
when you factor in widely different client platform support (Windows,
Linux, and Mac are all required) or deployment across wide areas where a
single LAN is not the normal operating environment.

--
Cheers! Doug C.
--
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?