How to Decide When to Use a Database Program

You can use a database program to store, sort, retrieve and display information stored as records. You might select a database program to keep track of addresses, recipes, customers' buying habits, music CDs, or any other collection of items. While you can keep track of records in a word processor, a spreadsheet or even in Personal Information Management software, a database program offers strengths and advantages that the others do not.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• FileMaker
• Microsoft Access

1. Select a database program if you want to keep track of many records. A record is a cluster of information pertaining to a certain topic or item. For example, if you want to keep track of your music CDs, you would create one record for each CD; this record could contain any type of information that you want to include.

2. Choose a database program to look at your records in more than one display view. You might select to view or print your records as a series of individual index cards or as a table showing all your records on the screen.

3. Pick a database to sort your records according to any criteria you specify. You might sort your musical CDs by artists' names, by title in descending or ascending alphabetical order, by date purchased, by genre, or by any other criteria you want.

4. Decide on a database to retrieve information in one or more categories. For example, you might generate a report on the jazz CDs in your collection purchased prior to 1997. The program will display the records that meet those two criteria.

5. Select a database to convert your records to a format that can be used in a Web site database. Many databases have this function.

6. Choose a database for portability. Many database programs allow you to export records to word-processing programs or other applications, where they can be used for other purposes (mail merges, for example).

7. Get a database to keep track of complex relationships between items or records. For example, if you are a storekeeper, you could query your database to learn how many widgets are currently on display, how many are stored in your stockrooms, how many have been sold within a certain time period, and whether it is time to reorder from the wholesaler.

Tips & Warnings

• You'll find many database programs on the market. Microsoft Access and Claris FileMaker Pro are two of the more commonly used applications.

• Although database applications are easy to learn if you are doing simple tasks, the learning curve can be steep for more complex operations. Some people make their livings manipulating complex databases.