Create a database...How to get started?

[birthjay]

Hello,

I am a bit of a newbie and am looking for the basics of how to get started creating a database. I just would like to hear from the experts and experience folks on their opinions and experiences. What works best? What is the initial things to do? In other words, just plain ole good advice.

The project I am thinking of doing involves pretty much the usual....Entering data in and querying.

Thanks!

[Pirate]

How do you want to create the new database by code or just using UI in Access ?

[birthjay]

I want to create it using code in VB.NET.

[Pirate]

Apparently , there is no pure .NET code that can create new MS Access database from scratch . Here is a way that can be possible to do in VB.NET .It's interop. though , it's working fine . http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...e+new+database

[dynamic_sysop]

you can create it without a reference , going along the lines of what Pirate created, but using Objects....

[COLOR=BLUE]Dim[/COLOR] obCat [COLOR=BLUE]As Object[/COLOR] = [color=blue]CreateObject[/color]("ADOX.Catalog")
        [COLOR=BLUE]Dim[/COLOR] objTab [COLOR=BLUE]As[/COLOR] [COLOR=BLUE]Object[/COLOR] = [COLOR=BLUE]CreateObject[/color]("ADOX.Table")
        [COLOR=BLUE]Dim[/COLOR] objInd [COLOR=BLUE]As[/COLOR] [COLOR=BLUE]Object[/COLOR] = [COLOR=BLUE]CreateObject[/color]("ADOX.Index")
        [COLOR=BLUE]Try
[/COLOR]            obCat.Create("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & "D:\My.mdb")
            obCat.ActiveConnection = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=D:\My.mdb"
            [COLOR=BLUE]With[/COLOR] objTab
                .Name = "Table1"
                .Columns.Append("NAME", ADOX.DataTypeEnum.adVarWChar, 40)
                .Columns.Append("ADDRESS", ADOX.DataTypeEnum.adVarWChar, 20)
                .Columns.Append("ID", ADOX.DataTypeEnum.adInteger)
                obCat.Tables.Append(objTab)
                .Indexes.Append(objInd)
            [COLOR=BLUE]End[/COLOR] [COLOR=BLUE]With
[/COLOR]        [COLOR=BLUE]Catch[/COLOR] ex [COLOR=BLUE]As[/COLOR] Exception
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
        [COLOR=BLUE]End[/COLOR] [COLOR=BLUE]Try[/COLOR]

[Pirate]

The initial variables in my thread are objects as well .

[dynamic_sysop]

i only saw this....

'a reference to ADOX (Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.x for DDL and Security)
Dim ADOXcatalog As New ADOX.Catalog
Dim ADOXtable As New ADOX.Table
Dim ADOXindex As New ADOX.Index

seems to be needing a reference to the ADOX library that way, just showing a way to do it without a reference ( ie: through vb code ) like this...

Dim obCat As Object = CreateObject("ADOX.Catalog")
Dim objTab As Object = CreateObject("ADOX.Table")
Dim objInd As Object = CreateObject("ADOX.Index")

[Pirate]

CreateObject is just like New method . And actually you are referring (early-binding) the variables ADOX.blah to the newly created obj .

[birthjay]

Thanks......

So.......is it common place to use Microsoft Access as the database? Just for the sake of discussion, are there other ways other than Access?

[Pirate]

Access is common because it's easier , common , easy when distributing your app ...etc . Yes , there are other Databases you can use . One of them is SQL Server database 2000 , Oracle , MySQL , FoxPro ..etc . If you want how to create new SQL Database from scratch , I can give you the link .

[birthjay]

Yes please, I would like to explore all the options.

Thanks!

[Pirate]

This one for SQL Database
and this for MS Access