Step 2: Choose the database format / server

It is usually fairly easy to choose the kind of database for your application by following the guidelines above, or much more complete advice elsewhere on the web.   However, choosing the actual product can be much harder; there are zealots for and against every product.  Covering this is beyond the scope of this site.

If you are using a file-server or local data, choosing the format may merely be a side effect of the BDE alternative you choose.  For example, if you want to use one of the DBF-based tools, you will use the DBF format.  For file server applications, I recommend that you stick with standard formats, not proprietary ones; that way you can change software later without having to change your files.

For Client/Server systems you will need to choose a database server, it is generally wise to choose the server most appropriate for your application, then consider which product you will use to access that server.

Proceed to: Step 3: Choose the product to access that database

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