Zoho Creator, DabbleDB and Microsoft Access Review

Introduction

With all 3 of the database applications covered, I am now going to review these databases through a compare/contrast method. Within this review, I am going to look at the positive and negative aspects associated with each of the applications, and also how these positive/negatives affect me. The reason why I say this is because some of the applications are quite professional in terms of coding, and have a lot of depth associated with this factor, however coding is a topic that I am not very good with, which means that this feature doesn’t really benefit me to my full potential. This review will help me though, as I will be able to summarise each of the applications based upon the key points required to make a database.

Data Model Implementation

Definition – Ability to implement the proposed data model designed.

The ability to implement the data model suggested is a very important aspect when choosing which database application to use, due to the fact that the ability to create the exact model of what you want can determine the overall professionalism of the system. The system that you design is the system that you want to implement, meaning that if you design an application, you want to be able to implement it exactly the way you want.

All of the applications that I looked at all had the ability to allow precise implementation. From my own honest opinion, I would say that Microsoft Access probably had the easiest implementation, due to the fact that the tables you have designed can be implemented exactly, but also a “Primary Key” can be assigned to a certain entity. The Primary Key feature was an aspect that I didn’t see within either DabbleDB or Zoho Creator, therefore meaning that Microsoft Access stands out for allowing this feature to be added.

All of the applications that I sampled allowed me to add all the entities that I wanted to include, although Microsoft Access and Zoho Creator allowed me to add validation rules very easily to a certain entity within tables, which stood out to me as been very professionalism. The ability to add validation rules is very important to me personally, as they stand out as a small detail which can make the finished system very professional. Microsoft Access was the easiest to add validation rules, and the number of different validation rules that could be assigned to a certain entity was vast.

DabbleDB does have a time-saving feature which allows a spreadsheet (.xls format) to be copied and pasted into the application and the data will be sorted into a table automatically via a recognition system that picks up columns, column headings and formats. This feature is an aspect that I really liked, and thought could be a very quick way of recognising information and placing it into a table, however as I found out during the research, the recognition system isn’t really very reliable, and once an error has been made, correcting it can be a very hard outcome to achieve. The idea of this automatic sorting process was a feature that I really did like though, however I am to believe that only information imported from Microsoft Excel can be inserted into the system for the data to be successfully sorted.

Code Generation

Definition – Ability to create and insert code into the system.

Code Generation is a feature that I personally don’t have a lot of confidence with, however if code can be implemented into a system then it can make the system operate in a very precise and accurate way.

Zoho Creator allows “raw” code to be entered into the code generation tool, allowing the user to make the database operate to their exact standard. The complexity of the code that can be added within Zoho Creator is endless, due to the fact that most of the coding is raw. There are some templates that allow features such as IF statements to be inserted, although most of the code has to be entered purely by the user to their own requirements, meaning that someone who does not have a lot of knowledge with coding does not stand a good chance of succeeding in Zoho Creator.

Microsoft Access also allows the user to create raw coding by using a code generation feature, however the different between the view in Zoho and Access is almost identical. The only difference between the 2 applications is the fact that Zoho allows the user to add small templates of code which could be quite beneficial for those with little coding knowledge.

DabbleDB does not allow the user to create any coding whatsoever, meaning that if the user wanted to customize the database to their own professional level using this application, then they wouldn’t be able to do so via the use of coding. DabbleDB isn’t generally designed for coding, hence the reason why it isn’t included. For anyone who would want to create a database that included coding, then DabbleDB wouldn’t be a good choice. For me personally, this section doesn’t really affect the way in which I will choose my application, due to my lack of knowledge with coding.

Interface Development

Definition – Ability to develop/expand the user interface, for both creator and user.

Been able to make the database appeal to the requirements of the user and/or the creator is a feature that isn’t vital, but still quite important to ensure that a professional level of development can be portrayed. Ensuring that the interface can be customized is an important feature for some companies, as they like databases to follow a colour scheme that reflects their company colours and/or logo colours.

DabbleDB allows the user to insert their company logo into the database, in the top corner of the screen. This small feature is quite important for professional detail, as it allows the company/user to portray a bit of information about themselves, and hide the fact that he website was not created by a host company. Similarly, DabbleDB allows the user to choose a custom colour scheme for their database, which can also be used to reflect the colours of a company.

Zoho Creator does not allow the user to change the interface vastly as well, in fact Zoho Creator is probably the worst application for changing the interface so it meets a certain persons/company’s needs. The overall interface within Zoho Creator is very bland and does not look professional at all if handed to another client/branch.

Microsoft Access allows complex custom editing to be used for the colour scheme, text size, text font and other features such as the size of objects, once implemented into a form. The features to increase the text size, text font, change the text colours and positioning of objects is a feature that none of the other applications allow the user to do, therefore Microsoft Access is definitely the best fro user friendliness. Despite the fact that feature such as changing the text size/colour/font aren’t vital, that can be important for company specialities – a company may need to make their writing large for people with visual aids, and/or change the colour due to a certain member of staff with colour blindness. I enjoy customizing pieces of work so they look like my own, therefore I vote Microsoft Access the best for interface development.

Deployment

Definition – Ability to distribute the database to another person/branch/company.

Once a system has been produced to a high standard, it is likely that the database will need to be copied onto multiple machines, therefore ensuring that the database can be easily launched is a factor that can be quite important for the distribution process. This feature is especially important for national/global companies, due to the fact that a multi-national company will need to deploy the database to various other countries. This means that the machines being used around the world have to be compatible and can easily receive the data, and also edit the data received.

Microsoft Access is probably the easiest application to install onto another machine, due to the fact that the system can be saved as a file on a USB pen and transferred to another machine that already has Microsoft on. If a company doesn’t have Microsoft on, then the application can be installed once the Microsoft package has been added to a machine. Similarly, the process for copying a Microsoft file into a machine is very simple, therefore it is easily recognised and can be easily done.

Both DabbleDB and Zoho Creator are very difficult to deploy to other machines, and due to the fact that the application is hosted on the Internet, the application can be unreliable if there is no Internet connection – if updates need to be made urgently on the system, and the Internet connection is not working to its full potential, then the updates cannot be completed. Similarly, the system also cannot be reached if the Internet is not working, as a connection is required in order to view the information, and edit existing entries.

Microsoft Access does not require an Internet connection, although it does require the installation of the Microsoft package, so if the package is not installed on a machine, then the system cannot be opened. Typically, Microsoft packages start from at least £60, meaning that a lot of money would be needed in order for a new company to have Microsoft running on all machines. The Internet applications require a fee to be paid too, but it isn’t as expensive as spending £60/machine to purchase Microsoft, and a license will probably cover the entire company. Overall, it is a balance of risk, in terms – Risk not paying £60 per machine to install Microsoft, or risk using the cheaper Internet versions, and if the Internet connection fails, then the system cannot be opened.

Personally, I would rather use the Microsoft application, because if an Internet connection cannot be found, then the database can still be used, and no customer dissatisfaction occurs, whereas if the Internet is not working and the application cannot be reached, then user satisfaction is not met.

Suitability For Application Type

Definition – Depending on the type of application requested to implement depends upon the designs created.

The depth of the designs created is dependent on an application that can meet the needs of the amount of detail required – in other words, if an application is designed that is very simple and just consists of 2 tables and a relationship between these tables, then a simple application should be used, whereas an application that requires complex features such as macros requires a complex application for implementation. This can be a very important aspect for companies that require features such as macros and reports for example, as they require as much detail as possible to ensure that their system runs to a very high standard, whereas a person who runs a private stand-alone company may only require a table to hold addresses of customers.

DabbleDB is probably the application that would be ranked highest in terms of additional features, due to the fact that graphs, charts, calendars and maps can be created by the list of entries within the database. This process is done automatically, however editing these features is something that I am not very familiar with, and would need to learn before choosing this application as a definite choice, however on an overview, it appeals to be the application that has the most number of professional add-ons. The ability to create reports within this application isn’t the best, and the tables are listed as spreadsheets, due to a link between this application and Microsoft Excel, although the ability to create maps and charts within the application is superior than any other of the applications that I am looking at.

Zoho Creator has the ability to create very professional reports, although in terms of other add-ons such as maps and charts, this piece of software does not include these features, meaning it is left in the dark when compared against DabbleDB and Microsoft Access. The view of the application within Zoho Creator does look slightly more professional when compared against DabbleDB and is also slightly better than Microsoft Access, but in terms of the range of features, it isn’t the best choice for professional levels.

Microsoft Access is quite similar when compared against DabbleDB, due to the fact that there features to create reports within this application. The reports within Microsoft Access can be customized to meet the needs of the user via the use of a wizard that is easy to follow. Apart from the reports feature within Microsoft Access, there aren’t generally many other additional features that can help the system appear professional, therefore I would propose that DabbleDB is probably the best for add-ons, and also the depth that the application goes into.

Conclusion

Following the review that I have carried out, it appears that all applications have their strengths and weaknesses, and all could be easily used for creating a database to meet a personal/company’s needs. Personally, I would have to say that Zoho is my personal least favourite application, due to the fact that a lot of coding is needed in order to make the database work correctly, and coding is not my personal strong point. The coding features available within Zoho are very advanced, and anyone who has a good knowledge of coding and confidence with using this approach could potentially develop a very complex system. Due to the fact that the entire application is generally made up from coding as well also doesn’t help my personal confidence. DabbleDB and Microsoft Access are both very similar in terms of coding, by the fact that there is no coding in DabbleDB and only a small bit of coding in Microsoft Access.

In terms of additional features that could support the system (e.g. graphs, maps etc.), I would say that DabbleDB is the best application to use. The additional features are already set up within this piece of software, therefore interpreting the information is a very simple task. Microsoft Access does allow features such as reports and forms to be created, which in fairness can be quite useful, although Access and Zoho cannot match DabbleDB on the number of additional features already built within the application.

Without using bias, I would probably say that the best application after this review is Microsoft Access. This may sound very biased due to the fact that this application is a compulsory topic for those who are completing GCSE/A Level I.C.T., therefore as a result, a basic idea of using the piece of software is already known, and the applications Zoho and DabbleDB are completely new. This is not the case with me, as I still think that Microsoft Access is the best overall for producing a professional system. I would have liked to use the graph and map charts available within DabbleDB, as these can be used for professional reasons, and add a high quality finish to the end of the database created. Still though, due to the simplicity of Microsoft Access, I have to vote this application my personal favourite. Even the simple reasons such as data input, and creating a sensible/suitable layout can all be easily achieved within the application. Zoho would be my least popular choice of applications if I had to nominate one as being the worst for me personally, and this is due to the coding needed in order to successfully build the system.