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+--- Thread: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program (/showthread.php?tid=278375)
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Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - jh - 07-04-2023
I have a lot of family photos and documents I have digitized and would like to have a database of them for searching etc., as I will be sharing the files with my siblings.
I am running Mojave 10.14.6. I use to use Filemaker at work before retirement but for my limited needs the price is prohibitive and overkill. Ditto for Microsoft Access since I do not need to subscribe to 365.
I've looked at Libre but their database needs Java (JDK) installed which I have questions about. Willing to give it a try I guess.
I am currently using Excel for the data but of course it is a spreadsheet at heart.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Markintosh - 07-04-2023
Man I miss the days of a reasonably priced FileMaker...
But honestly, one of the online albums is probably the way to go if your are sharing. People like Flickr.
You have not defined "a lot" but if the number is not too high, I might consider building a simple Wordpress site.
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - mattkime - 07-04-2023
flickr pro might be a good option.
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - jh - 07-04-2023
Markintosh wrote:
Man I miss the days of a reasonably priced FileMaker...
But honestly, one of the online albums is probably the way to go if your are sharing. People like Flickr.
You have not defined "a lot" but if the number is not too high, I might consider building a simple Wordpress site.
By "a lot" I mean close to 3 thousand photos and many documents total to 83 gigs. My mother's family saved everything and I do mean everything. :-)
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Article Accelerator - 07-04-2023
TapForms may work for you:
https://www.tapforms.com
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Markintosh - 07-04-2023
That is a heck of a lot of content! My worry is that uploading to someplace like Flickr could be temporary and then you have to start over. No service has been completely stable even over the last 10 years. Even the giant of Google Photos has been going through some significant downsizing.
What is the longevity of Flickr Pro? Who knows?
Maybe just the Photos app on a Mac can do it. I just looked, I have 21,000 photos totaling 49 gigs. It's time to slim that down!
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - btfc - 07-04-2023
Before Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Bridge was a free download and works well for that.
So if you have a version of one of the CS apps (2 or later IIRC...):
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Rolando - 07-04-2023
Markintosh wrote:
That is a heck of a lot of content! My worry is that uploading to someplace like Flickr could be temporary and then you have to start over. No service has been completely stable even over the last 10 years. Even the giant of Google Photos has been going through some significant downsizing.
What is the longevity of Flickr Pro? Who knows?
Maybe just the Photos app on a Mac can do it. I just looked, I have 21,000 photos totaling 49 gigs. It's time to slim that down!
I was thinking Photos as well. I've got over 100,000 photos and videos, on iCloud and backed to a Hard Drive. One could use the Get Info Keywords and Notes.
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Acer - 07-04-2023
LibreOffice has a database module, if database is your preferred solution. A local database would be future proof. Sharing services and Wordpress sites are basically just databases with fancy front-ends. After you get your personal database polished, look for an online sharing service with a mass-upload capability. If the service dies, you'll still have all your data ready for the next one. This assumes you will be doing the data entry, and not expected your users to be adding data. If users will be adding, then you'll need to be able to download the data for backup or for moving to a new service.
https://www.libreoffice.org/DISCOVER/BASE/
Re: Low Cost Freeware Shareware Database Program - Robert M - 07-04-2023
jh,
I think your best bet is to find an app specifically designed to manage a collection of photos and vids, i.e. Apple Photos, Google Photos, Adobe Bridge (which is available free of charge via an Adobe account _without_ creative cloud), etc..
If you're interested in Adobe Bridge, here are free ways to get it:
Keeping your photos organized as a collection within a single app _isn't_ futureproof. What happens when the app is discontinued? Too expensive to upgrade? No longer compatible with the current OS? Or, you lose access to it (as you've experienced with Filemaker)?
So, a key to this is making sure it's easy to backup your photos within the confines of the app _and_ back them up as photos _outside_ of the app. That way, in one of the above scenarios, you can always import them easily into another app.
FWIW, I use Apple Photos with both local and cloud backups of all my pics. Hate to say, I generally don't organize much of anything unless they are taken for a special occasion or during a specific period of time like on a trip. Typically, if I want a particular photo, I scroll around until I find it.
Robert