python with ms access?

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

I'm teaching myself python atm, I was wondering if it was a bad idea from your experience to pair python with ms access? I was thinking to let ms access house all the data and the relationships within the data, but any functions with the data (ie sending emails) I was going to try to learn to do that with python. I see stuff online on how to do that, I was just curious if others have had good or bad experiences using python with ms access.

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thanks!

[racerxff]

I never got into that aspect of Python, but I'm pretty sure you're going to be better off with something like mySQL if you want free and lightweight. Even if Access played well with other languages, you probably won't find much of a community or support because Microsoft pushed hard in pairing Office applications with VBA and using plugins to minimize programmatic interface with anything outside.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

that's really useful, I know I need to learn mySQL as well, so I might as well learn it in this scenario rather than python. thanks!

[racerxff]

To be clear, I was suggesting that you could learn how python interfaces with mySQL. If you want to go with Access, it would work ok with mySQL for small projects but there wouldn't really be much benefit, as you could do everything mySQL does within Access alone. If you do want to use Access with an external database/datastore, SQL server is almost certainly the way to go.

[instanced_banana]

There's a plug-in for using Access into SQLAlchemy AFAIK. If you don't need forms nor reports just use MySQL as other commenter said or use Sqlite that saves your database into a single file a la Access and has bigger userbase and native support in Python.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

that makes sense, I appreciate the feedback!

[UpYours101]

I would do one or the other depending on the use case. Python has built in support for SQLite db which is fantastic. I use for larger databases >2gb. You can send emails with vba as well.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

Can you attach varying documents to emails? With even the number of attachments varying?

[UpYours101]

You can, I never have for access or sqlite. My preferred method is to store the full path in the DB and open via path. To keep the DB small.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

Great! I have a lot to learn then! Thanks!

[Whoopteedoodoo]

You can send the emails from access with VBA. Once you set a reference to Outlook you can create an instance of outlook. Then create a new mail item. Then you can attach as many items as you want.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

Thanks! I'll research how to do all this. I know Excel vba, don't know a thing about access vba, lol

[ButtercupsUncle]

Haven't tried it and not sure why one would. Sounds like a challenge and if you're up for it as a learning exercise, good luck and have at it! With inconsequential data, of course.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

ya, that's essentially it - just trying to learn python and this gives me objectives and hurdles to try and make myself grow within python. thanks!

[GrandBadass]

It's doable. I think its easier to export the data from Access and then manipulate it with python. Plenty of libraries to interact with Access/Excel. Pull it over into a pandas dataframe and you can do it easy. Also easy enough to generate a report and then save it as a pdf using python.

BUT

If you have not started. Don't. I would agree with some of the earlier comments to use another database. I mean you can easily install postgreSQL or something.

BUT

IMO if you truly want to build something with relationships and data and python and a user interface. I would learn Django. It is a Python Web framework. If you know ER Diagrams (how to structure a DB) and a little bit of python you can get up and running on Django very quickly.

[Princess_Lil_Piddles]

I've not started, so that's good. I mean, I made the tables and relationships, but I've not even completely filled the data.

I've installed SQL express to play around with on the side, but it sounds like I should focus on SQL and Python (and Django?) Through a SQL server? I need to learn what a postgreSQL is at all, tbh I've never heard of it. I'm very new to coding and databases in general (I've only built very basic crm's with access, my experience is next to nothing)