Need help deciding how to store information...

Hello, I have a new question for you guru's out there (don't I always).

I am going to be saving and retrieving long strings, up to 300 characters. My question is this, should I be using a random access file, or a database for this? I need to be able to call on each entry individually at anytime, so a sequential file seems out of the question. I need it to be quick and responsive, as much as possible. The only database software I could use would be Access.

I am leaning towards the random access file, but maybe your experience will direct me another way. I have heard of binary, but never messed with em...is this something to look in to???

Please spell it out to me if you have an answer, this is my first "real" program that I am attempting.
Thanks, hellswraith....

[billrogers]

just a note, i think access has its fields limited to 255 characters in length, so if you go the access route you might have to devise a way to split your string up to fit in the access db.

[grizzly]

Access text fields are limited to 255 characters, but a memo field can store up to 65,535 characters.

How often are you accessing the data, are you looking for long term storage or short term? Can you load the data once at the start of the program into a linked or sequential list and then access as needed? If so, then the (long term) storage means is less important.

Shawn

I have heard of binary, but nevermessed with em...is this something to look in to???

The binary file mode allows you to directly write to a file at a byte-by-byte level.

need more...

The storage will definately be long term. I am trying to build a question/answer type program to help new trainees. It will require multiple "sets" of questions/answers so I am wanting to save these sets in different files of the same file type. The reason for this is I want to be able to have a user just take the set (file) that he/she needs to study from and the program to a different location (there is a potential that the amount of "sets" of questions could possibly get up in the hundreds, but every user will use a unique set for his/her job training, so they wouldn't require all of them). I will have a form where supervisors will be able to add/update/delete questions in the sets.

Now that you know a little more, can you make a better suggestion? I am at the point where I need to code the file storage.

Thanks for the help.

If you are only saving the answers, you can use Binary or Random. If you have 50 questions, you can reserve each 50 rows for the 50 answers. They way, when they answer a question, they can check it by extracting the row number of the question they are on.

[Bestia_Pop]

How do you create a parameter using ADO to update the memo field ?

I have problems setting data-type and/or size.

Examples would be nice...

Thanks

[parksie]

UPDATE table SET field = newdata WHERE id = id_to_change

Also, on DB software, MySQL is free, and can support fields of up to 4294967295 characters. I have been using it for a while now, and it is more stable than Access and faster. It is also stupidly good at web interfaces when using PHP (also free).

[Bestia_Pop]

Thanks parksie... I already have that SQL sentence...

My problem became when I put that SQL sentece in an update query, passing the content of the memo field as a parameter...

Access was ok...

But calling this procedure through ADO, I can't create the parameter...

I would thank you if you have an ADO example with commands and parameters (memo fields related).

Thanks again

[parksie]

Pass the new memo data, but identify it using the primary key, which will shorten it slightly.