pls help me

[marlon ng]

I'm a beginner so pls bear with me. Try to make your explanations as simple as possible. The program i'm going to make will be like this: the user enters the customer name, the items ordered by the customer, the quantity of those items, and their prices. Here are my questions:

1. Do I really need to build and incorporate databases from softwares like Access to my VB program? Or are there other alternatives? Because I don't like my program to be dependent on other software.

2. I'm sure you experts are familiar with Clipper. It doesn't rely on databases created from other software (I think). Is this possible with VB6? How do I do it then? By using random access files (.rnd)?

3. If I use .rnd files, can I still use the ADO Data Control, Datalist, DataGrid and DataCombo controls of VB6?

That's it for now. Pls help me!! I already know the basics of VB, I just need to know the best and simplest approach in creating the program I stated above. Thanks a bunch!!!!

[WaltP]

I'm a beginner so pls bear with me. Try to make your explanations as simple as possible. The program i'm going to make will be like this: the user enters the customer name, the items ordered by the customer, the quantity of those items, and their prices. Here are my questions:

1. Do I really need to build and incorporate databases from softwares like Access to my VB program? Or are there other alternatives? Because I don't like my program to be dependent on other software.

No. Many programs don't need a database at all. Only about 15% of my VB programming used a database. Problem with your idea, though, VB is by definition dependent on 'other software'. Specifically system DLLs, and other support files, as well as the OS itself.

2. I'm sure you experts are familiar with Clipper. It doesn't rely on databases created from other software (I think). Is this possible with VB6? How do I do it then? By using random access files (.rnd)?

You can access data any way you want. Straight text files, binary files, fixed length record files, etc. Any way you can imagine. You just have to know how to program for it.

3. If I use .rnd files, can I still use the ADO Data Control, Datalist, DataGrid and DataCombo controls of VB6?

Isn't that relying on Data control software? ;)

I think ADO will require a database of some sort.

That's it for now. Pls help me!! I already know the basics of VB, I just need to know the best and simplest approach in creating the program I stated above. Thanks a bunch!!!!

This is programming. There is no best. There's
1) what you know
2) what you like
You choose based on what you need to do and what will work best from your own personal knowledge base.

[marlon ng]

Thanks a lot WaltP! Appreciate it!

[marlon ng]

By the way, if you were to make a program like the one I stated, what type of programming would you do? I know the question is kind of vague, but I just want to get an idea. The program would have a database of customer names, products, etc. etc.. It would basically be a program that handles EVERYTHING, from order-taking to delivery-scheduling to managing receivables and payables. Thanks again!!

[WaltP]

Definitely a full database system.