On Tue, Feb 08, 2005 at 04:58:16PM -0500, SOTL wrote:
> Hi All
>
> I need to create a DB as my current usage of a spreadshead for one has
> hit the
> logical max number of entries of over 10,000 [Ten Thousand] entries.
>
> This is an issue that for most of you would be a triviality but is something
> that is above my ability at the current time.
>
> Logically the ideal way to do this would be to buy a book, utilize how
> tos et.
> and use examples. This of course is a fine procedure if the system one is
> using is functional. If the system is not functional then learning what a DB
> is suppose to do and learning that the installation is not functioning
> correctly can be a daunting task. My last experience with attempting to make
> a DB function while not knowing what the DB is suppose to do was to say the
> least not a pleasant experience.
>
> Thus I would appreciate it if someone who has some knowledge of DB
> installation and writing could demonstrate and help me formulate one at one
> of the Linus meetings.
>
> The level of data base I am think of if viewed on a spread sheet should be
> about 5 lines wide and 10 or so lines long of the type:
> NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, TITLE
You should first learn some terminology.
What you're calling a "database" is really a "table". Each _set_ of
items you want to save about a given person you can call a "record" or
(to be more precise) a "tuple". You can also call it a "row", since
tables are often represented to look like a spreadsheet. Each piece of
information about the person (name, address, etc.) could be called a
"field" or "element". When you look at a table the way it looks like a
spreadsheet, each record (person) is a row, and there are columns
running down the page (or screen). Each column represents a different
piece of information about the person. There will be a name column, an
address column, etc. The columns contain, naturally, fields from the
table.
Based on what you've written above, it looks like you need 5 fields or
columns.
A "database" can actually have many tables. You could have a table
called "person" for the information you have above, a table for salary
information, a table for attendance records, etc. All of those tables
together would be related together in a database.
In order for us to be of more help, you're going to have to find out
what database(s) you have installed on your system. Issue the following
commands and take note of the computer's response:
mysql
psql
sqlite
If you get a response like "command not found" for any of these
commands, then you don't have that DBMS (database management system)
installed. If you get any _other_ response, you do have that DBMS
installed. If you have none of these databases installed, then you'll
need to install one or more of them. I'd suggest either MySQL or
PostgreSQL. SQLite is more lightweight, but it has fewer options as far
as building applications around it, and less widespread support.
(Someone suggested using Access on Windows [on a Linux list!]. You can
go this way, if you like. It will be pretty GUI. But I'm assuming you
wish to use a Linux solution, which will be more complicated and less
GUI.)
Paul
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