I am seeking advice about what might be the best database program to use to create a large pre-MySQL database, from which I will select the content to export/import/enter into a Drupal MySQL database.
I am developing my first Drupal site -- a web portal where information will be organized by relevance to various generations. The site will launch with a Baby Boomer orientation, with information organized for various baby boomer niches, and then expand to serve more generational niches.
Starting from my pre-Internet youth, when my hobby was "collecting information," for several decades I have collected a colossal amount of information--and now must develop and enter it into a "master database" from which I will then select portions to serve as content for the website(s).
Because of the amount of information, I don't think it makes sense to initially enter all of it into the site-based Drupal MySQL database; the most efficient process seems to be to build a "master database," and then, from that, select the portions of it I will use for the site, and either export/import to the Drupal site MySQL database. I will use other portions of the database for other sites and purposes.
So . . . I am seeking advice about what might be the best database program to use to create the large pre-MySQL database.
have used Access in the past, but wonder if using BibTex or another open source program might make the database building and eventual exporting/importing easier. Because using Access would present me with the smallest learning curve, my instinct is to use it.
But I first want to check in with those whose database and Drupal knowledge is far greater than mine. (I am using a Windows-based PC for my database and local site development and testing framework; but, when developed, the site will be ported to a Unix-based host server.)
Thanks for any advice.
Aaron
Comments
It does not matter which
It does not matter which database you use for your local use. More important is that you have some kind of understanding of the information structure you're going to have and do some planning before building any software / Drupal site. You don't want to find your self with huge amount of data, which is hard (or impossible) to export.
I'd Access is reasonable good choise if it is familiar to you. Or you may setup local Drupal installation and us it as a frontend while pushing your data to the database. Local Drupal will probably be reasonable fast and this way you can plan data structure according to Drupal way. There's a thing called "entity" in Drupal 7 which allows you to build up your own data structure, but at this point it needs to be build up through code (there's no module with user interface for it yet) and therefore it requires developing skills.
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Perttu Ehn
Thank you rpsu
Thank you for your response rpsu.
I am proceeding slowly before building, so I can make sure my information structure is well planned and suitable to the varied ways I will use content.
Essentially, my database will be like an encyclopedia, from which I then can determine, isolate, select, and export various content.
Because some of my database content will be extracted for Drupal sites, and some for non-Drupal site uses, I am leaning toward an Access master database independent of a Drupal installation--however, constructed so that it correlates well with Drupal content database structures. That is, having the core of the database mirror the Drupal content database structure, and then adding on additional fields and table relationships that I can adapt for other uses.
The last piece of my planning prior to making the database decision is to determine the optimal taxonomy structure. I'm in the process of determining the best ways to categorize content for different generational niches so that I can use some content for all users; some for specific user niches; and some content repeated for more than one user niche, etc.
For example, I'm dividing the baby boomer generation (1945-1963) into 4-year niches. Users will be provided with general content, suitable to all; specific content tailored to their 4-year niche; and content suited to their birth year. When I expand the site for other generations, I will need to sort content similarly.
In addition to that content sorting strategy, I'll also need to be able to organize and sort content by subject/topic; sub-topic; website section and sub-section; and website pages . . . etc.
I've been studying taxonomy options; whether I should consider using Book or Organic Groups; Views & Panels; and magazine-like models.
Daunting decisions!
My top priority now is to make the decisions needed so I can decide my database strategy, and start to enter all my collected and researched information (paper & electronic in origin) into the master data base which will make it be easier for me to inventory what I have, and then select and code content.
Thanks again for taking the time to read and comment on my thinking-out-loud thoughts.