To answer the question: no. You might be able to import the data from an Access DB, but not the scripts/structure/layout. You'd be better off making a new FM DB, exporting the Access data to Tab-Delimited Text, and importing it to FM.
My dad is a FileMaker developer and has been for years. I don't know a whole lot about them but he does tell me that FileMaker is basically the exact same on the Mac and on Windows. He also says that FileMaker is easy enough to use that a clever individual can make databases on their own. The problem is, they often do, so when he is hired by a company he often has to either scrap or overhaul their old database because it's a thrown-together mess. The other problem is that FileMaker doesn't allow for multi-user applications... there are limitations built into it to prevent you from making a killer database, binding it, and selling it. You can do that but only if it's going to be used on just one computer. Not sure exactly how that works, he just told me that one day.
It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
[quote]Originally posted by jimdad:
<strong>Not even the PC loving computing dept. in our school have a good word to say about Access <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well it's more powerful, but compared to the real big DB systems, it's just awful.
FileMaker Pro is made by FileMaker Inc, which used to be called Claris until Apple got all of Claris's stuff other than FileMaker. Actually I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but it used to be Claris FileMaker Pro and now it's just FileMaker Pro.
Access is more powerful than FM Pro, but I'd say that FM Pro is more useful simply because it's easier to set up and build applications with.
In the grand scheme of things, they're both toys, but we've had terrible problems with Access databases in particular (in other people's products) losing and corrupting data. We've also had some serious performance issues with Access. So we neither use it ourselves nor recommend it for anything. If the database can't even store data reliably, what's the point?
Nevertheless, and alas, there's a huge stable of applications built on Access, and some of them are even sold for money.
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, trolling or not, that's an opinion, not a fact. And I'm not sure what you are basing you opinion on -- why do you think it is better?
I've just finished moving yet another database from that Access to FileMaker Pro. I can't see why anyone in there right mind would use Access with elegant solutions such as FileMaker Pro and the fast and powerful open source SQL variants available.
The only reason that it ever became popular was its inclusion with MS office.
There is no one database program that is perfect for every situation.
I use FileMaker Pro for most projects because it is cross platform (it even has a mobile version for PDAs). It is also easy to set up and more then powerful enough for most jobs.
For web databases I use PosgreSQL or MySQL. That is one of the many reasons I love OSX -- I have an apache web server complete with a MySQL database running all the time on my powerbook to test out my scripts and websites. Talk about a time saver.
The only time I use Access anymore is when I'm trying to port it to something else. Which can be done using ODBC, but it still a lot of work.
If you trying to figure out which database program is best for a particular project we can probably help you if you give us a description of it.
Coming from a PC background I thought everything used a MS Access databases in some way or form...A lot of applications I see have Access as their main database in the background. I actually never really knew what Filemaker was until a little while ago.
But now after looking at Filmaker's website it looks like lots of places don't use Access. I mean, there are a zillion books in hte bookstore on Access and only a few for Filemaker...
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, you're stating a simple opinion.
My opinion is that Access is crap. I have formed my opinion based on having been using it for the past academic year in my computer science coursework.
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
That'll be why its not even part of Office for the Mac? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />
Comments
I can sync FileMaker Pro databases with my plam, so I'm a big FMPro fan...
Non cross platform DB makes no sense really. If I had my druthers I'd be going FMPRO.
[quote]Originally posted by M3D Jack:
<strong>well, can you even run Access databases on a mac? Things that aren't cross platform kill me....
I can sync FileMaker Pro databases with my plam, so I'm a big FMPro fan...</strong><hr></blockquote>
[quote]Originally posted by jimdad:
<strong>Not even the PC loving computing dept. in our school have a good word to say about Access <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
With MAC OS X's stability don't you think a great database software would kick butt?
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well it's more powerful, but compared to the real big DB systems, it's just awful.
In the grand scheme of things, they're both toys, but we've had terrible problems with Access databases in particular (in other people's products) losing and corrupting data. We've also had some serious performance issues with Access. So we neither use it ourselves nor recommend it for anything. If the database can't even store data reliably, what's the point?
Nevertheless, and alas, there's a huge stable of applications built on Access, and some of them are even sold for money.
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, trolling or not, that's an opinion, not a fact. And I'm not sure what you are basing you opinion on -- why do you think it is better?
I've just finished moving yet another database from that Access to FileMaker Pro. I can't see why anyone in there right mind would use Access with elegant solutions such as FileMaker Pro and the fast and powerful open source SQL variants available.
The only reason that it ever became popular was its inclusion with MS office.
I use FileMaker Pro for most projects because it is cross platform (it even has a mobile version for PDAs). It is also easy to set up and more then powerful enough for most jobs.
For web databases I use PosgreSQL or MySQL. That is one of the many reasons I love OSX -- I have an apache web server complete with a MySQL database running all the time on my powerbook to test out my scripts and websites. Talk about a time saver.
The only time I use Access anymore is when I'm trying to port it to something else. Which can be done using ODBC, but it still a lot of work.
If you trying to figure out which database program is best for a particular project we can probably help you if you give us a description of it.
But now after looking at Filmaker's website it looks like lots of places don't use Access. I mean, there are a zillion books in hte bookstore on Access and only a few for Filemaker...
A relative of yours?
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, you're stating a simple opinion.
My opinion is that Access is crap. I have formed my opinion based on having been using it for the past academic year in my computer science coursework.
Amorya
<strong>It appears that your school's PC department is useless. Access is way better than FileMaker Pro. I am not trolling. I am just stating a simple fact.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
That'll be why its not even part of Office for the Mac? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />
If there are people out there who have horror stories about Access I'd like to hear them...