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From: Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Retro computer collection management database recommendations sought
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:57:49 +1200
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In article
<1195163374458993638.983494europlus-mcnamaras.id.au@news.sunsite.dk>,
europlus <europlus@mcnamaras.id.au> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I've struggled for some time with trying to flesh out some sort of
> collection-management database system. After a couple of successful
> gatherings at my place and realising I need a better handle on what I have,
> I've decided to start looking into this again.
> 
> I thought I may as well check in on the collective wisdom of you all in an
> attempt to shortcut my efforts - I'm already time-poor, so I really
> shouldn't try to develop something myself, and I'm not a database expert
> (just enough knowledge to be dangerous).
> 
> I'd prefer something in an open-source DBMS with a web front-end that can
> be installed in OS X, but I'm open to a FileMaker Pro solution. MS Access
> and/or other Windows-based solutions won't be viable for me unless there is
> no alternative and I get desperate.
> 
> It will have to be relational and quite flexible about the organisation of
> records.
> 
> For example, I'd like to be able to have components combined to make other
> components. For example, two 5.25" drive "components" combined with a disk
> controller "component" to make a "5.25 disk sub-system", which, in turn, is
> added to an Apple ][ CPU component into a "main system".
> 
> Item attributes might be as varied as serial number, number of pages in a
> book, storage capacity, provenance, condition, problems, picture/s, loan
> info (who, when, etc) - each item would have a "type" attribute which then
> determines which other attributes apply. If it's a book: ISBN, author/s,
> pages, publisher, etc. If it's a disk drive: model, serial number, etc.
> 
> Does anyone have a system such as I describe that they can recommend? I
> won't say price is no object, but I am willing to pay for a solution -
> probably in the order of up to a few hundred at most (for a phenomenal
> system). If I'm paying for a system, though, I'd certainly want to have a
> good amount of info available beforehand and availability of support after
> purchase, even if only e-mail based.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> europlus

That's a fairly specific database design, so I doubt there's anything
ready-made and a custom-made database is usually hideously expensive
(even spread over a couple of people or so) ... more like thousands of
dollars than hundreds. 

With good specifications and examples, I could make a FileMaker Pro
database system at a much more sensible price (or a standalone database
for Windows or Mac OS 8 / 9) that doesn't require owning FileMaker
Pro), but my version of FileMaker is an only old pre-OS X one - newer
versions of FileMaker should convert the documents, but it's would be a
bit messy.

Helpful Harry  :o)