On 2014/06/03 18:40, c...@isbd.net wrote:
RSmith <rsm...@rsweb.co.za> wrote:
Your requirement is unrealistic. You do not want to install anything that makes this happen for you, yet you want very complex
abilities.
MS Access provides *exactly* what I want 'out of the box' a
grid view of the database table that is editable in place. What I see
as 'complex' is all the database adminstration bits that I
specifically don't want.
OK, I know Access is a huge application but the grid editing form is
the *default* way to edit data.
Yes but the bit you seem to not account for is that MS Access is a *Huge* app with a couple million lines of code underneath all
that "easy to use" and "default" gridview that edits data. The fact that it is all transparent to you does not make it any less
heavy. Moreover, if you are happy to install an MS-Access type App then there should be no problem, but you asked for something that
does not need any installs. This is like saying "I would like to fly to France, but please, no aeroplanes" and when I say "well
that's not realistic", you retort with "but it's so easy in a Boeing..." - to which I have to reply "Yeah I know, because it is an
aeroplane and that is what aeroplanes do..." - you can't have it both ways.
Usually, presenting a very "clean" interface to a user requiring no other
interface goodies means that you need to do a lot of the
thinking for them - user simplicity means programming complicatedness,
Er no, I'm just asking for no other function than the ability to enter
and edit data. What I want to be rid of is all of the ability that
most applications provide for creating tables, creating and editing
queries, changing tables, etc. etc.
Again, the "ability to enter and edit data" pre-supposes a lot of user interfacing and Insert and update queries, How do we know
which row the user is editing, does the query provide the key. Is the user's input violating a subrange bound or maybe a check
constraint or a data type constraint or possibly even a foreign key or Index uniqueness constraint? Is this new value an update or a
new row, if it is an update, do we have a unique reference to the row or not, do we have a primary key, is the primary key editable
or do we hide it? Do we update after every value cell that was edited, if so we lose the ability to "undo" changes, is that ok? or
do we update the entire row after it is edited, if so we need some kind of button/event on which to do it - does this add unwanted
complexity? All this happens nicely for you in the back of an MS Access app (or any of the myriad DB editors out there) but they all
are rather hefty and the LAMP system is a great example of how clunky it can get to do all of the above in a web app. Of course if
your requirements can safely disregard all the above it could be very streamlined and easy to use, but we have to understand what
abilities we lose in the process.
I already have a 'LAMP' system, i.e. a web server (with several apps
running on it), database, PHP, etc. I don't mind installing things
but I don't want to have to 're-invent the wheel'.
I understand, but you are either re-inventing the wheel, or using an existing wheel. One takes time, the other requires an install,
there is no middle road.
Both places where I want to run this are Linux boxes so a desktop application would be fine, however I have yet to see a desktop
API that makes it easy to do this.
I agree, but for reasons mentioned above, it isn't easy and anyone who usually starts out making an easy editor ends up making a
complex one. By that I mean that there are a myriad SQL editors out there, many for linux desktops too, but each of them will allow
you all kinds of editing and design function, lots more than you you want.
A very simple to use interface can be programmed with C# maybe which I am sure would have pre-made data grids. The dev system I use
for Linux which definitely has all the bells and whistles and you can probably hack together the exact thing you mention in about 30
minutes is called Lazarus which is a kind of "Delphi for Linux" type thing which support most DBs natively (or easily addable) with
grids and data connections/adaptors, but if I were you would go for a dev system I know well. Is there one you know well? A simple
Google on it might find us some DB Grid type controls already made by someone (probably for use in some clever DB manager, but which
you can re-appropriate in a more simplistic app). Kevin's Gtk suggestion sounds like a plan that can be both relatively easy to
implement /and/ easy to use, if you are familiar with that dev system and the intended users are not complete ignoramii.
_______________________________________________
sqlite-users mailing list
sqlite-users@sqlite.org
http://sqlite.org:8080/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sqlite-users
