Re: Getting Started in Postgresql - Mailing list pgsql-general

There is plenty to learn about PostgreSQL, but you are
more likely to have actual trouble in dealing with the
strange ways of MS Access.  These oddities are not
visible while you are doing everything in Access, but
start to appear when you go down the linked tables
road.

Your procedure is simple enough conceptually:
1. Migrate your data to PostgreSQL
2. Set up the ODBC driver with appropriate DSN(s)
3. Link to the new tables

As usual, the devil is in the details.

Migration: there are various ways you could do this.
I have had good success using the migration wizard
that comes as a plugin with PGAdminII:
http://pgadmin.postgresql.org
I recommend that you look at PGAdminII, both for
migration and as a good tool for interacting with
PostgreSQL from Windows.

ODBC:  Check out http://odbc.postgresql.org .  You can
get the ODBC driver there, and plenty of information
too (if you install PGAdminII, I believe you will get
the ODBC driver as part of the package).

General PostgreSQL:  You appear to have looked at the
documentation already.  Make sure to check out
http://techdocs.postgresql.org , which has plenty of
useful practical information.  Also, I suggest that
you subscribe to the pgsql-odbc mailing list, if you
have not done so already.  You can find answers to
most problems by searching the archives of that list.

Access: the almost-canonical "Access Developers
Handbook" has a good coverage of the issues involved
in linking via ODBC to remote databases.  That book is
an excellent resource for Access in all ways, and I
suggest that you get it if you don't have it already.

If you have specific difficulties/questions just post
to the -general or -odbc lists (depending on the
subject matter), but please be sure to check the
mailing list archives first (go to
http://www.postgresql.org).
HTH

--- Daniel Anderson <dan3487@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> At work I was assigned the task of migrating a
> very large (and very unmanageable) MS Access
> database to a solution that would be massively
> scalable and support a number of simultaneous
> users and features.[1]
>
> After lengthy study I concluded that Postgresql
> running on OpenBSD would be ideal[2].  So now I
> am designing and implementing programs to allow a
> number of clients to connect to the database over
> the network.[3]
>
> I was wondering if anybody could recommend good
> books, resources, references, or otherwise
> general starting points to help steer me in the
> right direction?  I've been through the docs and
> at this point am just trying to remember
> everything (it's quite overwhelming!)  But any
> suggestions to make the life of a postgres noob
> easier would be welcomed.  =)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dan Anderson
> Lab Rat and Helper Monkey
> Great Lakes Industries, Inc.
>
> [1]  I've already figured out that I can save MS
> Access files as text and COPY them to the
> postgres database.
> [2]  The discussion of exactly why I chose
> OpenBSD and Postgresql is beyond the scope of
> this e-mail, but I would be more then happy to
> discuss/debate/explain why to anybody who e-mails
> me.  (dan3487@yahoo.com)
> [3]  Suffice it to say each and every OpenBSD box
> needs to completely automate connection to the
> database (including the use of barcode scanners)
> at a number of different points across the floor,
> all connected via 802.11b.  So my job is to
> design a system and code it to make it work.
>
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