Re: [Sheflug] Access to MySQL

[Matthew Palmer <mjp16 [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 14 Jun 2003, Richard Ibbotson wrote:

> I've been asked to migrate an Access "database" to MySQL.  Not done
> this before and so I can't comment on what might be possible.
> Searched the net with Google but can only find winduhs based software
> that will do the job for me.  I suppose I could use that.
> 
> Anyone know of any GNU/Linux based software that will convert access
> to MySQL ?

Define "convert" exactly, in these circumstances.  There are several levels:

* Data stored in MySQL, existing Access application for front end;

* Data stored in MySQL, Access for front end but migrating to something else
(GNUe, some Webapp, or whatever) over time;

* Data stored in MySQL, new app written, Access go bye-byes.

I'm in an ongoing project to do the second of those options at present.

There are programs which will do a straightforward outload of all data in an
Access DB to a text file filled with MySQL create table/insert statements,
normally written in VB.  Can't think of the one I use off the top of my
head, but I've seriously hacked it from what it originally was.  That solves
the first part of any of the options.

If you're going with option 1, you can do a simple outload, relink all the
tables, install MyODBC on all the windows clients, and collect your cheque. 
For either of the other options, things get a little trickier.  You'll have
to reimplement the front end app some other way - which for any reasonably
sized system is going to be long, hard, slow, and boring.  Chances are it'll
suck to reimplement the existing one completely, since I've never seen an
Access DB which didn't have a large collection of bletcherous usability
problems...

Options in reimplementation are to use a GUI builder like Glade, a DB app
builder like (hack-spit!) Kylix or (yay!) GNU Enterprise, or write a webapp
in your choice of PHP, Perl, Java, or whatever (which is my world at the
moment - PHP webapp to replace Access system).  

Anyway, if you can give a pile more details about what you're doing, I can
provide more details, and if you pester me appropriately, I might remember
to dig up my VBA scripts to do data conversion when I'm at work.


-- 
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Matthew Palmer, Geek In Residence
http://ieee.uow.edu.au/~mjp16


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