Creating a database on Excel/Word??

Comments

• matbur Posts: 70

  Forum Member

  ✭

  28/01/15 - 18:37 #2

  Sorry, I should have added that I need the 'item' field to be easily searchable and maybe sorted by another defining field, if that's possible. Something like:
  
  ITEM | ITEM TYPE | MULTIPLE ENTRY NOTES

  0
• tealady Posts: 26,266

  Forum Member

  ✭✭✭

  28/01/15 - 19:51 #3

  I'm not sure you understand what a database is so you may well have bitten off more than you can chew.
  Excel can proxy as a flat file database. Word is of no use at all.
  If you want a MS product, then there is Access or open source Libre Office that includes Base.
  
  The last 2 will give you a relational database that will allow you to create various tables, maintain them and join tables and extract information.
  
  It's not something that you can just pick up, it needs a lot of understanding and planning. Particularly over what tables to create, what data to hold, what type of data each table will hold, what unique (key) fields you want, how tables are related, how you will get the data in and how you get it out.
  
  From what you have said, you could have
  items table - holds basic details of the item, part number, size, colour, some sort of unique reference
  notes table - holds details of notes - author, date, text
  notes/items lookup table - holds details of items linked to a note
  
  Then from that you could run a query using a graphical interface to get your item list sorted to your requirement.
  
  
  Basic intro here for a flavour http://www.quackit.com/database/tutorial/

  0
• IvanIV Posts: 30,310

  Forum Member

  ✭✭✭

  28/01/15 - 20:10 #4

  MS Access is what I would use, depending on what operations you want to perform on the data Excel might be enough. There is also free express edition of MS SQL Server. That would be a proper database then, put probably a learning curve would be too steep.

  0
• Stig Posts: 12,446

  Forum Member

  ✭✭

  28/01/15 - 20:26 #5

  matbur wrote: »

  Sorry, I should have added that I need the 'item' field to be easily searchable and maybe sorted by another defining field, if that's possible. Something like:
  
  ITEM | ITEM TYPE | MULTIPLE ENTRY NOTES

  
  You can do that with Excel with those column headings. If you 'Format as Table' then you will be able to sort, filter and search per column.

  0
• Maxatoria Posts: 17,980

  Forum Member

  ✭✭

  28/01/15 - 20:43 #6

  Doing stuff in excel etc can be ok when its only a small number of records but when it gets larger you need the proper tools
  
  and spend a bit of time looking at normalising databases as it'll save you loads of time later on

  0
• matbur Posts: 70

  Forum Member

  ✭

  31/01/15 - 11:28 #7

  Thanks for the help and advice - much appreciated. I've just skim read them as I'm away but will have a proper look over the weekend.
  
  Cheers for this!

  0
• LostFool Posts: 90,649

  Forum Member

  ✭✭✭

  31/01/15 - 18:04 #8

  Yes, Excel is fine for a few hundred records in a single table and is easier to get started with than Access or SQL Server if you are just starting out and have no experience. If your "database" does evolve to something more sophisticated then it is fairly easy to migrate to a proper DBMS.

  0
• psionic Posts: 20,188

  Forum Member

  ✭✭✭

  31/01/15 - 21:00 #9

  Another option is the free version of Zoho Creator. If nothing else, it's really good for making prototype databases and trying different ideas out, as its very simple to use.

  0