Tools and database design for my Cookbook Application

[foozball3000]

Hi guys (And any girls)

I'm starting on my Cook Book application Link, and I'm battling a bit with designing the database structure. Also, as it will be an application and not just web based, I need a database engine for it. SQL would normally be the first choice as I'm developing it in Visual Studio 2008. But not everyone has it on their PCs.

What database engine should I use for it? Keep in mind that it will link up to the internet to download quite a few things.

Along with that, I'm not quite sure if Visual Studio is the way to go. It's under my current job's license. And they won't be too happy if I develop software on that. And I need it to be very user friendly and visually easy.

What tools should I use?
This project is a little over my head, but the best way to go is to at least start it.

 

[foozball3000]

Perhaps I can try out Google Go

 

[Roo!]

If you wanting to go online (as you appear to want to) then why bother with a traditional application? If I was you I'd go for a fully open source web application. Use something like PHP, Python or Java and use MySQL as your RDBMS.

 

[foozball3000]

If you wanting to go online (as you appear to want to) then why bother with a traditional application? If I was you I'd go for a fully open source web application. Use something like PHP, Python or Java and use MySQL as your RDBMS.

I want it to funcion offline as well. And not all recipies are to be freely distributed. So, if you own the physical book, then you must be able to have the digital one. But that can't be freely available (Being illegal and all)

 

[Roo!]

But surely you would require some form of access rights in order to restrict the items that end users have access too?

Anyway, have a look at a RDBMS called sqllite. As the name implies, it's SQL and it's tiny (lite). Should be good enough for your needs.

 

[Veroland]

I want it to funcion offline as well. And not all recipies are to be freely distributed. So, if you own the physical book, then you must be able to have the digital one. But that can't be freely available (Being illegal and all)

Check out javaFX, as far as I know it can do both as well mobile devices supporting java me

 

[FarligOpptreden]

You can develop the application in WPF and have each resipe stored as a WPF markup file, which you can easily pop into your application. WPF is very HTML-like and, if you know HTML and CSS well enough, you can easily grasp the concept of defining your layout and styling through markup and "styles" (referred to as resources in WPF). You can even do animations and all kinds of fancy things if you REALLY want to (very much like Flash).

 

[Raithlin]

For online and offline I would either go SQLite or possibly XML. I'd prefer SQLite though. You can use it online as a traditional database, you can encrypt it for offline use, and you can even embed it within your EXE if you want to. Firefox 3.x uses SQLite as its database for bookmarks, etc.

 

[FarligOpptreden]

My option for offline database would be XML though... I just luuuurve XML!

 

[Keeper]

FB3k, you know what would be great?

if one person adds a new recipe they can upload it with a click of a button, and then other people can download them...

maybe make a new feature called "New Recipes" which downloads all the latest recipes people are sharing?

 

[foozball3000]

For online and offline I would either go SQLite or possibly XML. I'd prefer SQLite though. You can use it online as a traditional database, you can encrypt it for offline use, and you can even embed it within your EXE if you want to. Firefox 3.x uses SQLite as its database for bookmarks, etc.

That sounds like a good plan then. But can you imagine how large the database can grow? But migrating from SQL lite to SQL on the web server is quick and easy. So, for now that will work great.

You can develop the application in WPF and have each resipe stored as a WPF markup file, which you can easily pop into your application. WPF is very HTML-like and, if you know HTML and CSS well enough, you can easily grasp the concept of defining your layout and styling through markup and "styles" (referred to as resources in WPF). You can even do animations and all kinds of fancy things if you REALLY want to (very much like Flash).

I was looking at that. But then I got distracted by all the cool developer tools on Google's pages. Neat stuff.

FB3k, you know what would be great?

if one person adds a new recipe they can upload it with a click of a button, and then other people can download them...

maybe make a new feature called "New Recipes" which downloads all the latest recipes people are sharing?

Jip. That's the plan. Check out the other thread. All the features and suggestions go in there. This thread is just do the discuss the "how".

 

[Raithlin]

FaligOpptreden has a good point - if you want to go Silverlight then WPF is even better.

 

[Raithlin]

AFAIK Visual Studio is a per-user license. i.e. the same user can have it installed across multiple machines.

Using your company's license for a commercial application will be a problem, but since you're planning to make it non-commercial/open source, I doubt they'd mind? Plus you're increasing your skills in your own time, sounds win-win to me.

If it is a problem, use SharpDevelop (really good & open source) OR Visual Studio Express (free)...

+1 for Visual Studio Express - only problem is the limitation they have. You'd have to install both the Web Developer version and the appropriate language version to be able to do a web and desktop version.

Has #Develop caught up with Web Dev as yet? Last time I checked they weren't so hot on that bit - no designer.

 

[FarligOpptreden]

"no designer" isn't a biggy for me and, I'm pretty sure, you as well Raithlin. I very seldom if ever use the designer in VS. Source-view FTW!

 

[Raithlin]

"no designer" isn't a biggy for me and, I'm pretty sure, you as well Raithlin. I very seldom if ever use the designer in VS. Source-view FTW!

Doesn't worry me in the slightest - but it could be a showstopper for newbs...

 

[foozball3000]

What do I need to get started with WPF?

 

[foozball3000]

Off the top of my head (might be wrong):

• Visual Studio 2008 SP1
• .NET 3.5 SP1 (SDK)

Got that.

 

[foozball3000]

Found this: http://thoughtrush.com/blog/2008/03/29/getting-started-with-wpf/
That should get me started... The minute I have internet at home.

 

[FarligOpptreden]

I used to despise all things WPF - until I got thrown knee-deep into it. Now I absolutely love it, but only for Windows applications. For web, anything but HTML+CSS is a no-no.

 

[Raithlin]

I used to despise all things WPF - until I got thrown knee-deep into it. Now I absolutely love it, but only for Windows applications. For web, anything but HTML+CSS is a no-no.

Heh, same experience here. WPF is confusing at first, but all that HTML experience came in handy, and I like the way VS2008 handles the syntax. All in all, very cool.