[Techtalk] Software recommendation: photo database

[Rudy L. Zijlstra]

Mary wrote:

>On Sun, Dec 28, 2003, Rudy L. Zijlstra wrote:
>  
>
>>Sigh, I suspect your best solution may be MySQL, which runs on quit a 
>>few platforms, and has a GUI available for development as well. 
>>Alternatively you could investigate into OpenLDAP, which may be able to 
>>handle this as well. You are basically asking for an open DataBase, and 
>>my knowledge on that is limited. Especially in the Windows arena.
>>    
>>
>
>It doesn't really win on the "my family can take it and keep using it
>when I die without really understanding what it is" front, unfortunately
>:(
>
>It needs a database admin to keep it working.
>
>  
>
Which is why you need to consider what you will be using it for. In a 
particular configuration, with a well defined database, the problem will 
arise during system/program upgrades.

 From the original post i got the impression your family is starting in 
on family (history / genealogical) research. If that is the case, you 
will find that the requirements start growing quickly. Writing a program 
that handles that kind of information from scratch is, i fear, a 
significant effort.

Alternatively they can work with just a document editor for the 
genalogical data, and build either descendant trees or ancestor trees, 
but that takes a lot of consistency and knowledge to keep them correct, 
which a good genealogical program helps with. Also, such programs can - 
and do - store data in such a way that those reports can be generated 
from the internal database.

Recent versions of such programs also handle pictures, photos and other 
information. In such a case you look up great-uncle Joe Doe and from him 
you find linked all the photographs that contain him.
No matter what you choose to do, data entry will be a lot of work.

Cheers,

Rudy