DB access on a LAN; looking for ideas & suggestions

In the next couple of months, I'm going to have the opportunity to write some management software for the maintenance department where I work. What I want to do is have a main database on a local area network consisting of 4 to 5 machines running Windows NT 4.0. Then have VB user interfaces to enter dept. forms and spit out reports.

My main problem is I'm just now learning about database stuff with VB, and have no idea what the issues and complications are likely to be. And I have no experience at all with LAN's or Windows NT. If anyone can give some information on these topics, maybe just point me in the right direction to what I need to know, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Programming for a database all depends on the database that you plan to use..

If you plan on having just a small database use access its easy to control and has no problems setting up odbc connection to run from 98 or NT....

Also If you a first learning to programmer for a database i suggest using a Jet databar it is easy to program and will set up its self very easily...

If you want some help setting up a odbc connection to a access database or an oracle database drop me a line... I can send you a sample project using sevral methods.

hope this helps

Brooke

Would definitely use MS Access DB format. What I'm wondering is if VB's data control and DAO will provide enough functionality and work on Windows NT in some kind of client/server relationship. If it sounds like I'm not sure what I'm talking about, well, I'm not.

I don't have a clue right now about how the VB programs and database would be set up on the network. Any information (even general overviews) on how this works would be greatly appreciated.

Cool. Thanks.

ADO is the only way to go, i think, use an MS Access database, and connect up to it using ADO, this will save alot of headaches in the long run. the trick is to make an object (class) out of ADODC connection. the connection string looks funny at first, but after a while it grows on you. using ADO will save the hassels of working over a network or on the local machine. i just compleated a compleate program for the college in my town, to track student lab use across campus and generate into reports using Excel.- works real slick.

don't worry about space on a Access database the limit is about 4gb if i rember right.
and if you are new to databases, you might want to think about having some sort of compactor for the database, see as you add and remove record sets the file does not shrink and expande like a text file it just grows with lots of empty space were records used to be.
you might also want to include a way to archive and older database, and start over with a new fresh one, cause the begger they get the longer it takes too search!

just some words of wisdom, from someone who has been there.

if you want some examples just e-mail me: [email protected]