Database software

[ToddG]

I just found out that the program I use for all of my shooting logs AND class scheduling AND student database, Bento (from Filemaker) was discontinued last year. To make matters worse, I've been running v2 and apparently they're up to v4. Gee, I wonder why they discontinued it with loyal customers like me?

My biggest concern is that an OS upgrade will eventually make the app inaccessible. All the data can easily be exported but I've invested a lot of time and effort into the format.

Filemaker has graciously created a $350 upgrade path to Filemaker Pro. Candidly, if it's between that and nothing I'd pay it. But I was wondering if folks had experience with other things, such as Tap Forms, that might be smarter.

While I don't relish the idea of having to start from scratch, given my existing timetable -- starting a new pistol in a couple of months -- at least that part of it can migrate fairly painlessly. I'm assuming things like my student database will migrate even to a Mac Numbers file with little real loss in functionality.

Advice very welcome. Thanks in advance.

[ToddG]

So impatient little fellow that I am, I grabbed Tap Forms and have found it to be pretty nice. The developer provided me with some immediate support through his forum overnight (no idea what part of the world he's in) that even saved me $20 so win-win. I've still got to figure out the interface and it may not end up as pretty-looking as Bento was but it's already imported every single one of my previous databases in as close to the same layout as the new software allows.

Pretty neat program on its own and it will serve as a great endurance test log/range diary.

[BaiHu]

Congrats! It's always a PITA to transfer files, glad it went off without a hitch. Did you sleep at all? :-D

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[ToddG]

Yes, from a little after 1:41 to a little before 5:57. I'd think that's obvious.

[BaiHu]

Obvious? Really? Or maybe you got all amped up on a file transfer high and haven't slept yet and that's why your wearing sunglasses @ 8 in the morning ;-)

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[ToddG]

Obvious? Really?

Well it was obvious to me.

[BaiHu]

Glad you saw the inside of your eyelids before the polarized lenses.

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[ToddG]

Glad you saw the inside of your eyelids before the polarized lenses.

The inside of my eyelids are polarized lenses.

[BaiHu]

Damn! Your future IS bright

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[LHS]

Come on, Todd, you know all the cool kids are running multi-node Oracle RAC databases with automatic failover to another cluster at a disaster recovery location. Exadata, son!