Front-End for MS Access migration?
Background
I work for a large organization which has thousands of MS Access applications floating around. I didn't write any of these - in fact, most of the original authors have long since left the company - but from time to time another Access app lands on my desk for support. I would soooo love to replace access with a different solution.
Requirement
I know that there are several good alternatives for the database part of MS Access (the Jet database), such as SQLite, MySQL, VistaDB, etc.
What I would like to know is: Is there anything that will replace the front end part of MS Access?
I.e. Something which can be used to build forms, write simple scripts and queries, etc?
Why?
@BracC asked "why replace access?" - A fair question indeed.
I want to get rid of access because:
- it hides logic, leading to hard-to-support applications. Logic can be in lots of different places, none of which provide or encourage any structure:
- macros
- modules
- queries
- forms
- its very nature encourages users to create "little" applications which become "not so little applications". Then the user leaves and I have to support a bunch of spaghetti. I know that access isn't the only culprit, but it's the leader in my organisation, and I would love to get rid of it completely.
For extra credit
what I would really love to find is something which can read in an MDB file and output something like C# which replicates the functionality. (Or any language - not fussy).
I hope this is all clear. If not, please post a comment and I'll re-write/add detail.
Update
@GuinnessFan makes some points I find interesting. I have added my comments to discuss those points.
What we have done since I asked the question:
- Got users to give us a definitive list of access applications they use and need. (The understanding is that any MDB files not on the list can be deleted - hooray!).
- Analysed the MDBs on the list, coming to the following conclusions:
- Most of the "applications" consist of a single hard-coded query or a single linked table.
- Many are a small number of queries with, perhaps, a date parameter or similar.
- very few (if any) have any truly complex logic.
- We are now working through the list, converting most of the apps to SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) packages.
- Anything which can't be replicated using SSRS will become a hand-crafted web application. However, there aren't many of these.
May I say many thanks, to everybody who has given me helpful answers.
Answer
I switched the back-end on one application from MSacces to MSSQL a few years ago. Kept the front-end, because it worked well, and I didn't find anything as easy to use/modify.
I've never seen a MSAccess -> C# translator. However, you might be able to find a MSAccess to VB6 translator (their syntaxes are roughly similar), and from there there are VB6->VB.Net translators (and even VB.Net ->C# translators)