Specialized, Open Source Databases?

PyTHON71 asks: "I've been asked the head of the Wichita State University Anthropology department to help fix his growing biological anthropology collection database. It's currently in Access (insert boo's and hisses), but he is willing to have it developed in a reliable open source format. Now, there are a lot of university departments out there that need to have specialized work done on a small budget. They can't rely on just any developer, because the developer has to know biological anthropology (in this case) as well as MySQL, etc. And since it's not in the Hacker Code to duplicate work that's already been done, I was wondering what specialized database projects are out there & available for general use (not the data, just the structure)."

Comments

Why?

[LordNimon]

Why does the developer have to know biological anthropology? Can't the developer just work with the scientists to understand the data formats, and create the database for them, and then teach them how to use it?

What about Access?

[GTRacer]

While I don't have a great love of the "Evil Empire" that is MS, what's so bad about Access? It's certainly not perfect, but tell me what Windows-based alternatives exist that will:

* Let me create front-end forms populated and controlled by code and query

* Support relational tables, indexes, complex JOIN queries, aggregate functions, etc.

* Design complex reports with page/section formatting and behind-the-scenes code controls

* Can access ODBC data sources

If you can show me the way, I'll take the first step! I'd love to cut some of the distribution costs here!

GTRacer
- Needs help with gcc + PS2...

Do you really have to have this answered?

[dacarr]

Asking for this beast is like asking for a version of M$ Excel (or, to be fair, Gnumeric) that is specifically designed toward balancing a company's books.

A database is a database. There is no "specialized" database for any purpose, with the possible exception of design for platform (IE, DB/2 for AS400) - you build the structures in the DB program and go. It's what makes apps and engines like MySQL really cool.

If you want a DB that is geared for bio-anthropology, fire up MySQL or PostGreSQL or insert your favorite engine here, build the structure for the DB you need to run, put a pretty face on it for the users, and kick back as it does the rest.

Maybe I'm missing something

[fean]

Here's what I understand:
you already have everything up and running on an access database
you want to use a different database platform

doesn't sound like you need to worry about designing anything, its already there.... especially if you want to go from access to MySQL (or any other of the same family), just build the database structure to match the old one, export to .csv from word, and import to your chosen database... interfacing should be similar, it depends on how you're accessing it (if web based, and you have admin privs on the host machine, you just change the database type in the control panel, google:asp+mysql )...

so unless I've over simplified something, sounds like this is a classic mountain != molehill problem

SQLITE

[ddriver]

It supports almost all sql92, is blazingly fast, it has an ODBC interface and native api's for c and c++, is has a python db api 2.0 compliant interface. It has a really cool and versatile command line tool. It is imbedded though, so if you want to you it as a server you will want to write the implementation. I don't think that it would be too hard though, depending on what you wanted to do with it. I have just started a payables application withit and it looks like it will work out quite well.

Oh, and it is public domain.