Inventory Database

[workie2209]

Hi Folks,

 

I have recently taken up a job as voluntary Technical Manager for an Am Dram group that is well established but they dont seem to have a complete inventory of what they have and what works in the group.

 

I am starting with my group of Teckies (young people) to compile this list together. I have a basic (limited) underrstanding of Databases and have after reading a number of posts on here decided to go down this route.

 

What I am looking for is an idea of what fields / tables I should have it this database.

 

ideally I would like to be able to to

 

1. print of a complete inventory report

2. print off a repairs list

3. print of a show kit list of what we need for each show (so that the young people can go find it easily and without coming back every 5 minutes saying where is this.

 

If people can tell me what feilds/tables I would need I should be able to fiddle about and get it designed.

 

If someone else out there has one of these please could I have a copy

[Pete McCrea]

Have a search for Easyjob. The demo version is limited to 30 jobs/projects, but the inventory side is fully functioning. Might save some work...

[peternewman]

I started doing a similar thing, only web based, in Perl a while back, its mostly on a back burner, but I try and do odd its every so often. Pete's EasyJob option is probably the best bet, but otherwise you'll want at least a table for items, a table for repair logs, one for shows and some other tables to link the keys of the former ones. You may also want to consider if you have types of things (I could never think of a nice short way to describe this) and then individual items. So the type would be 5m 15A and then you could have unique ways to identify each one. This depends on if you want to be able to track each one individually, for PAT, location tracking or other purposes, or if you are content just knowing you have 5 of those cables.

 

Other things to consider would be PAT, locations, possibly storing things like serial numbers or insurance values in it, which might help when sorting that kind of thing out. Basically if you can afford the time to enter the data at first, then it probably makes sense to store it, as you can then make use of it in future.

[JDP]

As a bit of an add on without being too computer related. I am looking to do something much the same, but for a slightly different purpose, where Easyjob won't work.

 

Can anyone advise a good operating system for these kinds of databases that do reports, forms etc, and support the ability to 'hide' the programming from an end user? Preferably something Open Source.... have been looking at File Maker, but feel its too expensive to buy...

[dbuckley]

Have a search for Easyjob. The demo version is limited to 30 jobs/projects

Just to make that clear - it is 30 concurrent jobs, which is plenty enough for most bedroom / garage scale operations.

[Bobbsy]

You might also have a look at the Database software that comes as part of OPEN OFFICE. I've been using the word processor and spreadsheet parts of Open Office for about a year now and couldn't be happier. I've only recently started putting together a Database but, so far, that part of the package seems equally good. If you've created any other databases before then you should be able to pick up the Open Office version quickly and easily--and there are some basic templates including the sort of asset register you want already there and ready for your customisation.

 

Certainly worth a look...and, as freeware, the price can be beaten!

 

Bob

[david.elsbury]

the price can be beaten

Can't be beaten, even :blink:

[James S]

For something really basic, Microsoft Access (you might have it as part of an MS Office installation) has a generic "Inventory Control" Database as one of the templates/wizards.

 

Might not be a perfect fit but you could adapt that

[Bobbsy]

the price can be beaten

Can't be beaten, even :blink:

 

I suppose I could offer to pay the OP to take open office to prove my typo accurate....

 

 

...nah, sorry. It was a typo!

 

Bob

[Kevin Ross]

Just out of interest does anyone know if the open office database app supports all of the things that access does? I know it can read access databases but most of the database I program do away with the standard access record system and use a DAO/unbound architecture would these port across?

 

 

 

I still have kicking around an access app I was making to do this very thing but I never had the time to go beyond the basic data structure.

 

 

 

On a side note the most important thing when designing an app is to know the data structure that it will sit on. I personally draw out the scheme and do mock-ups of the screens before committing to code as it saves going back and doing things again later, ohh and avoid any “SELECT *” statements as it can get tricky when you add fields to the tables.

 

 

 

One of my new year’s resolutions is to finish it but don’t hold you breath!

[Tomo]

Just out of interest does anyone know if the open office database app supports all of the things that access does?

Short answer - Yes, but differently. Base actually does more...

 

MS Access uses the Jet database engine and MS Visual Basic for Applications.

 

OpenOffice Base uses the HSQL database engine and Java.

 

Both support ODBC for connection to external data sources, but OO Base has more options for external data, such as native MySQL, direct connection to Jet (for Access DBs) etc.