Access on Mac

anthlover · 10-03-2012, 09:20 PM

Have a user who is going all Mac well as much as possible. They do have a VM with XP, Office apps, etc.

They have one DB in Access.mdb. Nothing too fancy but it has a little front end for entering and viewing the data. Not unlike filemaker, etc.

Can not really find a one for one App that can read the .mdb access file as is.

Of course we can export the data to excel or another DB format, but the goal was to preserve the original functionality. I thought perhaps Libre office but I do not see how to import the data, unless like the old days of access where I had to make a container and then import data, but I do not see a way to just open/import into libre.

Excel chokes unless I export first. Filemaker opens with a lot funny characters,nothing usable.

fracai · 10-04-2012, 12:56 PM

If they're using a VM for Office (which have direct Mac ports), why not use the VM for Access as well? At the least I'd think they'd switch to Mac Office, iWork, or LibreOffice for everything else and just use the VM for Access.

I frequently see Filemaker Pro suggested as a replacement for Access. And this thread has some other suggestions.

onceagain · 10-04-2012, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthlover


	Have a user who is going all Mac well as much as possible. They do have a VM with XP, Office apps, etc. They have one DB in Access.mdb. Nothing too fancy but it has a little front end for entering and viewing the data. Not unlike filemaker, etc. Can not really find a one for one App that can read the .mdb access file as is. Of course we can export the data to excel or another DB format, but the goal was to preserve the original functionality. I thought perhaps Libre office but I do not see how to import the data, unless like the old days of access where I had to make a container and then import data, but I do not see a way to just open/import into libre. Excel chokes unless I export first. Filemaker opens with a lot funny characters,nothing usable.

I don't think you're going to be successful with this. You can spend a lot of time on it, but I don't think it will help. If you want the original functionality, without re-writing, I think you're stuck with using Access in a VM.

It's really too bad Access isn't available for the Mac. I could make a lot of money with it if it were. I also wish there were "something" that you could easily do that kind of application programming with that let you use "whatever" (PostgreSQL in particular) as the back-end. If there is, I have not found it. I end up using JavaScript, PHP and a web browser for a lot of stuff that I could use an "Access-Like" environment for.

NaOH · 10-04-2012, 03:41 PM

I haven't used it myself, but my understanding is that the Base component of OpenOffice can handle Access files.

http://www.openoffice.org/product/index.html

onceagain · 10-04-2012, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaOH


	I haven't used it myself, but my understanding is that the Base component of OpenOffice can handle Access files. http://www.openoffice.org/product/index.html

But what about the application that runs the files?

anthlover · 10-04-2012, 08:23 PM

I tried OpenOffice. Actually Libre Office. It did not seem to offer a way to open the file. I did not try Neooffice but its the same under the hood.. Try it for fun. I did find some viewer/converters but thats not a complete solution. Thx.

Filemaker Pro and Its Mobile counterparts have always been the mac equivalent but do not seem to be able to really deal with the files as they stand.

Found this wiki while re-downloading neo from the machine I happen to be on:

http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.p..._Database_Tips

Survey says no

NaOH · 10-04-2012, 08:47 PM

Sorry, anthlover. I had it in my head that LibreOffice and Open Office were similar but not based off the same code. I should have checked to confirm.

anthlover · 10-04-2012, 09:59 PM

No worries. I actually thought the "family of non ms office" apps could handle MS Access too, but they can only handle DBs, not MS Access files directly.

As you know Open Office (Sun/Oracle) was the original current free office. Neooffice was the main mac variant. Now Libre Office seems to be the most active off shoot across all platforms. Though Neooffice Continues its stalwart place on the mac being the closest to a native suite (taking advantage of the most mac os technology).

The core code for all of them remains more more or less the same.

AHunter3 · 10-05-2012, 02:04 AM

You describe your Access database as "nothing too fancy". I doubt that it would take terribly long to rebuild it in FileMaker. You can export the actual data so there's no need to rekey all your data. Just the structure.

Admittedly, "nothing too fancy" as posited by one person may differ from what someone else might have meant by that phrase. Are you talking "I've got 3-4 total tables with simple relational connections, most of the data entry and interface is all from one screen, then there are a couple of reports"? Or is it more like "I've only got 17 unique tables and no more than a couple dozen scripts and of course 7-8 different screens per table plus, you know, maybe 18 reports and at least 6 of those are the same report with minor variations, and nine levels of privileges for 30-40 accounts, and that's basically it, very simple, except for 5 DDE connections to other programs that might be a little tricky but that would be the worst of it, really" ?

anthlover · 10-05-2012, 05:27 PM

Thx. Its not mine. Customer. The point is try to be cross platform. She is willing to drop the front end and use a spread sheet. Its not pretty that way. But there really does not seem to be good cross platform tool with out converting.

She can use MS Access with Virtual Box. She can use Filemaker if she exports to pure data and then imports, but its not common on the PC Side at least in our neck of the woods. They have Filemaker on a Key server. Have to see if they do the same on the PC. If so thats an option.

10-03-2012, 09:20 PM	#1
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,651	Access on Mac Have a user who is going all Mac well as much as possible. They do have a VM with XP, Office apps, etc. They have one DB in Access.mdb. Nothing too fancy but it has a little front end for entering and viewing the data. Not unlike filemaker, etc. Can not really find a one for one App that can read the .mdb access file as is. Of course we can export the data to excel or another DB format, but the goal was to preserve the original functionality. I thought perhaps Libre office but I do not see how to import the data, unless like the old days of access where I had to make a container and then import data, but I do not see a way to just open/import into libre. Excel chokes unless I export first. Filemaker opens with a lot funny characters,nothing usable.

10-04-2012, 12:56 PM	#2
fracai MVP Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,012	If they're using a VM for Office (which have direct Mac ports), why not use the VM for Access as well? At the least I'd think they'd switch to Mac Office, iWork, or LibreOffice for everything else and just use the VM for Access. I frequently see Filemaker Pro suggested as a replacement for Access. And this thread has some other suggestions. __________________ i am jack's amusing sig file
$fracai is offline$

10-04-2012, 08:23 PM	#6
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,651	I tried OpenOffice. Actually Libre Office. It did not seem to offer a way to open the file. I did not try Neooffice but its the same under the hood.. Try it for fun. I did find some viewer/converters but thats not a complete solution. Thx. Filemaker Pro and Its Mobile counterparts have always been the mac equivalent but do not seem to be able to really deal with the files as they stand. Found this wiki while re-downloading neo from the machine I happen to be on: http://neowiki.neooffice.org/index.p..._Database_Tips Survey says no Last edited by anthlover; 10-04-2012 at 08:27 PM.

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10-04-2012, 03:41 PM	#4
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,641	I haven't used it myself, but my understanding is that the Base component of OpenOffice can handle Access files. http://www.openoffice.org/product/index.html

10-04-2012, 08:47 PM	#7
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,641	Sorry, anthlover. I had it in my head that LibreOffice and Open Office were similar but not based off the same code. I should have checked to confirm.

10-04-2012, 09:59 PM	#8
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,651	No worries. I actually thought the "family of non ms office" apps could handle MS Access too, but they can only handle DBs, not MS Access files directly. As you know Open Office (Sun/Oracle) was the original current free office. Neooffice was the main mac variant. Now Libre Office seems to be the most active off shoot across all platforms. Though Neooffice Continues its stalwart place on the mac being the closest to a native suite (taking advantage of the most mac os technology). The core code for all of them remains more more or less the same.

10-05-2012, 02:04 AM	#9
AHunter3 Hall of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 3,003	You describe your Access database as "nothing too fancy". I doubt that it would take terribly long to rebuild it in FileMaker. You can export the actual data so there's no need to rekey all your data. Just the structure. Admittedly, "nothing too fancy" as posited by one person may differ from what someone else might have meant by that phrase. Are you talking "I've got 3-4 total tables with simple relational connections, most of the data entry and interface is all from one screen, then there are a couple of reports"? Or is it more like "I've only got 17 unique tables and no more than a couple dozen scripts and of course 7-8 different screens per table plus, you know, maybe 18 reports and at least 6 of those are the same report with minor variations, and nine levels of privileges for 30-40 accounts, and that's basically it, very simple, except for 5 DDE connections to other programs that might be a little tricky but that would be the worst of it, really" ?

10-05-2012, 05:27 PM	#10
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,651	Thx. Its not mine. Customer. The point is try to be cross platform. She is willing to drop the front end and use a spread sheet. Its not pretty that way. But there really does not seem to be good cross platform tool with out converting. She can use MS Access with Virtual Box. She can use Filemaker if she exports to pure data and then imports, but its not common on the PC Side at least in our neck of the woods. They have Filemaker on a Key server. Have to see if they do the same on the PC. If so thats an option.