migrating from ms/access to multiplatform with great GUI support
Hi,
I have 3 apps that are operating within ms/access (split beck end) and need to (i) integrate them in a single unique app and (ii) migrate to a web-based environment (i.e. accessible through a browser) or client/server with the database on the back-end. I recognise that I really must quit ms/access as its restrictions on the GUI are starting to really show and its cracking all over (e..g. it launches explorer to accede to a dynamic net page to show GIS stuff, but the inverse path (from explorer back to ms/access is, simply, impossible).
The back-end database is open but I am able to use any common databases, ODBC databases as I will limit both the field types and the functions, but I need to process images (I have been doing it with bought controls).
My first idea is to go with NetBeans or IntelliJ or Azure but I am terribly hesitating. If its desktop based, the final app needs to run on many platforms or then be web-based. Running on IOS/Android would also be a requirement.
can anyone help?
(in total I gave roughly 300 forms and 150 reports and about 450 columns... (not counting roughly 200 queries over 150 tables).
Can anyone help to coach me on a convenient path?
all hints will be cheerfully accepted
joao
PS I am able to pay for a licensed platform. My current MS/Access "bloat" came from the extraordinary EE sopport...
I have 3 apps that are operating within ms/access (split beck end) and need to (i) integrate them in a single unique app and (ii) migrate to a web-based environment (i.e. accessible through a browser) or client/server with the database on the back-end. I recognise that I really must quit ms/access as its restrictions on the GUI are starting to really show and its cracking all over (e..g. it launches explorer to accede to a dynamic net page to show GIS stuff, but the inverse path (from explorer back to ms/access is, simply, impossible).
The back-end database is open but I am able to use any common databases, ODBC databases as I will limit both the field types and the functions, but I need to process images (I have been doing it with bought controls).
My first idea is to go with NetBeans or IntelliJ or Azure but I am terribly hesitating. If its desktop based, the final app needs to run on many platforms or then be web-based. Running on IOS/Android would also be a requirement.
can anyone help?
(in total I gave roughly 300 forms and 150 reports and about 450 columns... (not counting roughly 200 queries over 150 tables).
Can anyone help to coach me on a convenient path?
all hints will be cheerfully accepted
joao
PS I am able to pay for a licensed platform. My current MS/Access "bloat" came from the extraordinary EE sopport...
John Tsioumpris
If you share some more details about what your current application is doing and your current workflow you should get better support
ASKER
Ok
App 1 is a mixed workflow and document management system that needs to be properly integrated into app 2.
On this app, the user logs in and then can generate tasks, file documents and manage deliverables' based projects. The system supports two major document types (non-managed - e.g. vídeos, photos, and PDFs, and #managed", e.g. contracts, paying orders, etc. as we need to control some financials)
App 2 is a complex system containing the characterisation of villages and populations in Africa, a simulator for human development, a detailed characterisation of all significant points (water supply, churches, etc.) and interface to GIS showing on a web browser, the points, to which documents and workflow may be associated.
App3 contains images for staff that we want to manage and, finally,
App4 contains and manages video cameras sourcing monitoring data
I am a fast developer on MS/ACCESS (who isn't) but its real limits are there and its also becoming painfully slow.
I think that, although the user base is not great, a better approach would be a web-based solution that looks easier to maintain, and everyone is telling me that desktop is "dead"
I also think that desktop would be faster as, in Africa, the internet is slower and only real data would be transferred. It also looks a bit faster to learn and develop.
I have found a great approach from LIVECODE (all platforms and HTML5)but, unfortunately, support from EE is nill. And I do count on this support on the learning curve.
I think that is all I can describe by now...
App 1 is a mixed workflow and document management system that needs to be properly integrated into app 2.
On this app, the user logs in and then can generate tasks, file documents and manage deliverables' based projects. The system supports two major document types (non-managed - e.g. vídeos, photos, and PDFs, and #managed", e.g. contracts, paying orders, etc. as we need to control some financials)
App 2 is a complex system containing the characterisation of villages and populations in Africa, a simulator for human development, a detailed characterisation of all significant points (water supply, churches, etc.) and interface to GIS showing on a web browser, the points, to which documents and workflow may be associated.
App3 contains images for staff that we want to manage and, finally,
App4 contains and manages video cameras sourcing monitoring data
I am a fast developer on MS/ACCESS (who isn't) but its real limits are there and its also becoming painfully slow.
I think that, although the user base is not great, a better approach would be a web-based solution that looks easier to maintain, and everyone is telling me that desktop is "dead"
I also think that desktop would be faster as, in Africa, the internet is slower and only real data would be transferred. It also looks a bit faster to learn and develop.
I have found a great approach from LIVECODE (all platforms and HTML5)but, unfortunately, support from EE is nill. And I do count on this support on the learning curve.
I think that is all I can describe by now...
Well from your description i hate to say it but probably you are heading to an iceberg...you want a mega application that miraculously will "consume" your current application and turn it in web based solution that will function as you want...i am afraid that web development is not my strong point but i do know that just transferring from one platform will not solve all your problems..just replacing them with new..probably more difficult to solve.
Lets put it in another way...much smaller applications in Access (FE/BE) are struggling just to move the BE to a more robust database solution either LAN based or WAN (internet) based take your pick if its SQL,MySQL,Azure......guess
IMHO opinion there 2 roads...either you "dump" everything hire a group of skillful developers and just rewrite everything ...probably 6-12 months minimum...or you continue with Access..fix most of its issues and plan ahead for first changing its BE...then moving the "logic" to external .dlls (.NET with COM interfacing)..and then start designing the web forms to accommodate the functionality you need and finally connecting all the pieces...my guess would be around 2-3 years...and all that assuming that you are a master in Web development...
Lets put it in another way...much smaller applications in Access (FE/BE) are struggling just to move the BE to a more robust database solution either LAN based or WAN (internet) based take your pick if its SQL,MySQL,Azure......guess
IMHO opinion there 2 roads...either you "dump" everything hire a group of skillful developers and just rewrite everything ...probably 6-12 months minimum...or you continue with Access..fix most of its issues and plan ahead for first changing its BE...then moving the "logic" to external .dlls (.NET with COM interfacing)..and then start designing the web forms to accommodate the functionality you need and finally connecting all the pieces...my guess would be around 2-3 years...and all that assuming that you are a master in Web development...
ASKER
Ok. Thanks. Anyway, we are progressing. If I understand correctly, your heart points to web-based and not desktop. This is very important to me as this a real fork and right now. It also eases up the development decisions.
From what I have read, I understand that if I adopt Azure, I will have ms/access online, hosted by Microsoft and a strong BE database. Supposedly, forms are readily transferable and the problem will reside on the components I have bought that are not usable on a web environment. Maybe there are out there some available (vídeo, image and barcode OCX.
So, a path could be to migrate to ms/access online to get a bulk convert and start cleaning up the code and the tables.... What do you think?
From what I have read, I understand that if I adopt Azure, I will have ms/access online, hosted by Microsoft and a strong BE database. Supposedly, forms are readily transferable and the problem will reside on the components I have bought that are not usable on a web environment. Maybe there are out there some available (vídeo, image and barcode OCX.
So, a path could be to migrate to ms/access online to get a bulk convert and start cleaning up the code and the tables.... What do you think?
The only "quick" online solution for Access is to rent a VPS and move your solution to it....you will accessing it via RDS..for everything else we are talking for months/years of development...
As for my "heart" is to make a good list of Pros/Cons...get estimates of time/money (e.g a skillful developer in every country should cost you around 2-3 times the average salary) and decide.
Azure is just a VPS service pretty much like Amazon and thousands others...probably I got you misdirected because when i mentioned the case about BE move i was meaning a VPS running SQL on Azure (or whatever) or Azure SQL (essentially MSSQL)
As for my "heart" is to make a good list of Pros/Cons...get estimates of time/money (e.g a skillful developer in every country should cost you around 2-3 times the average salary) and decide.
Azure is just a VPS service pretty much like Amazon and thousands others...probably I got you misdirected because when i mentioned the case about BE move i was meaning a VPS running SQL on Azure (or whatever) or Azure SQL (essentially MSSQL)
ASKER
Ah
Ok. That could do the work. Hosting the BE outside and get just the FE on the desktops, virtualising an external drive. also ms/access online, just learned, is dropped by Microsoft - it is a dead end.
Thanks for the help so far.-I was hoping that you could have a hint on a development IDE/framework, e.g. Netbeans or anything else that could help and for which I could get some easier design GUI such as access and that could put me on the fast lane
Ok. That could do the work. Hosting the BE outside and get just the FE on the desktops, virtualising an external drive. also ms/access online, just learned, is dropped by Microsoft - it is a dead end.
Thanks for the help so far.-I was hoping that you could have a hint on a development IDE/framework, e.g. Netbeans or anything else that could help and for which I could get some easier design GUI such as access and that could put me on the fast lane
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ASKER
Thanks a lot for the help. I do now have a path. I can go with Visual Studio for a Mac and start with it. I did use it many years ago (VB end C# and got a lot of help by buying some plugins which I will be looking forward to get some speed---.