Jonathan, and off course everybody else.
Thanks for your help.
I would love to get a clone copy.
We don't have filemaker yet but we are thinking about ordering it.
I would love to see your implementation.
Thank you,
You can use my email adres.
Johan,
I have set up a few sheet music and CD/recording archive libraries
using Filemaker Pro (windows and mac + very cross platform friendly)
and can let you have a 'clone' copy of the file (and anyone else on
the list who is interested). This is a copy of the database file but
without any entries, just like you would have to start out.
They are all in v5.5 although Filemaker is now onto v8 I think, but
it'll work fine in any version since 5.5. One file has nearly 10,000
records and filemaker handles it fine, a full A-Z re-ordering takes
only a couple of seconds.
I have it set up with entries (they're called 'fields') for:
Title (of each individual piece, including those within a selection or
suite etc.)
Selection, Show or Film Title (from which it derives)
Composer
Arranger
Publisher
Publication Date
Timing
Selection Contents (So one can view all the numbers within a
collective work)
Format - Radio buttons that you click on to define things like:
Finale File
Printed Score
Reference Score
Published Sheet Music
Published Music Album
Instrumentation - Check boxes for categories:
Orchestral
Concert Band
Choral
Solo Instrumental
Piano
Vocal Score
Category - Check Boxes for:
Album
Fantasy
March
Overture
Selection
Suite
Waltz
Hymn
Fanfare
Plus a field for instrumentation details - there are just so many
variations it is impossible to pidgeon-hole everything into a specific
category.
It also has a 'Loan' section so you can track any music that goes out
of the library.
You can easily customise the database to your requirements and you
don't _have_ to use all the above choices but believe me, it's good to
have them onboard when things expand!
The problem with using a word processor or spreadsheet in difference
to a fully blown database is in the restriction of searching
capabilities and the presentation of the data from within the file.
With filemaker you can have many different 'layouts' for viewing,
printing and presenting your data but it all stays within the same
file, you just move seemlessly from one environment to the other. AND
you can export and import easily (this includes to speadsheets and
other database applications).
You can also set up the layouts so that certain fields are restricted
to viewing or entry, or the user is given a preset choice of entries,
as some of my files are. You can even link fields across different
database files. It is very versatile and I couldn't imagine ever using
anything else, even for the smallest of libraries.
Obviously (the downer), you have to put the data in first, but a
little judicious planning can save days of work at a later stage. But
once entered you can manipulate it any way you wish. Expect it to take
a few sessions to get you head around the program, but isn't that the
case with any good piece of software?
Why not download a trial version and run my file, see what you think.
You'll also have a whole load of other database related files like
address book or contacts, personel records, invoicing, etc., at your
disposal. You can (and should) use it for just about anything where
you need information stored collectively and then presented or
searched upon in different ways. In this way the application can be
used for many quite different tasks.
Jonathan
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