[AccessD] Learning .Net

Drew Wutka DWUTKA at Marlow.com
Tue Jun 23 10:07:21 CDT 2009


I concur, about Oracle and SQL Server. We have both here at work.  While
Oracle is a fine server side database, if I had my choice, I would
develop in SQL Server (or Access) first.  Oracle to SQL Server, in my
view, is similar to Unix to Windows.  There are advantages both ways,
but to favor one or the other is usually due to experience and mindset.

Susan and I wrote an article about using an .mdb behind a website.  It
is a common misconception that an .mdb is 'less stable' then SQL Server.
As a network database, yes, there are issues to overcome.  That is
because an .mdb is a single file, with no server side database engine.
But if the .mdb is on a web server, it actually becomes a single point
of entry db.  It will run faster then a SQL Server (except for full text
indexing), because it requires a fraction of the overhead of a SQL
Server.

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Darryl
Collins
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 6:14 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Learning .Net

"Why SQL Server and not Oracle?????"

aaaakkkkkgh...  For lotsa techie info on why what where and who, Google
" Oracle vs SQL Server"

For me, it is sheer ease of use, and the fact that SQL Server logic
largely makes sense where as Oracle (like the name suggests) seems to
involve elements of faith or belief (or disbelief - IMHO of course).
For example the Oracle NULL seems gibberish to me:

For example:

"Though common sense leads us to conclusion that a basket with one apple
is clearly different from a basket without apples, in Oracle they are
not different. 

So the empty basket is not different from a non-empty one, but then
again, they are also not the same. Putting all that in one sentence, the
empty is not equal to anything, nor different from anything, including
nothing. It is a bit painful, isn't it?

In theory, any binary operation involving NULL will also give NULL, but
even that is not consistent. Add NULL to 1 and you will get NULL, but
concatenate NULL to 'Donald' and you will get 'Donald'. NULL and empty
string, as far as Oracle is concerned, are the same (but then again, not
equal). And, to make things worse, there are EMPTY_CLOB and EMPTY_BLOB.
Clobs and Blobs are strange enough for themselves, but EMPTY versions
exist only to make our life harder." - From
http://www.orafaq.com/node/1023

uh huh... make a lot sense?  I didn't think so...

Besides you can download, install and run SQL Server Express 2008 for
free - and my word, what a fantastic product it is.  Sure it is missing
a few bells and whistles that the enterprise version has, but for most
folks doing database stuff it has plenty of grunt under the hood.  Rock
solid, easy to integrate into existing Excel and Access Front ends and
frankly a joy to use.

It also runs great on low specced PC's.  I have it installed on my Dell
Lattitude D600 which is years old now (2GB RAM on XP Pro), and SQL
Server just sings along. Process data much faster than having an Access
BE - I was suprised, but the speed and stability speak for themselves.

As for Oracle - well, I am note quite a member of the "I Hate Oracle"
club, but one does exist. And the computer science guy I sit next to at
work can give you plenty of reasons why Oracle stinks if you want me to
press him on it. :)

cheers
Darryl.

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