I've got a thoroughly naive question for you all...I am beginning a project involving data mining some very large fisheries databases. Trouble is, I'm a field biologist and a definite neophyte when it comes to database extractions and queries. I'm looking for Mac OSX compatible software with a reasonable learning curve. I must admit I'm more interested in the questions I may be able to ask given the right data, than I am in learning a complicated software package. Other folks have suggested that I download MYSQL saying it's easier for what I want to do than FM, but a quick look at MYSQL has me rather concerned! I know that I can import tab-delimited text files from the main database into FM...that much at least is easy.

If it's any help, here's the first comparatively complicated task I'd like to be able to perform. I have two data extractions, one providing a list of events each with a number of associated outcomes (e.g. quantity of fish A caught, B, etc.), the other providing a list of those same events each with a series of defining characteristcs (e.g. location, ship, time of day, etc.). I want to limit the second set to, say, a particular location, and to query the first set for the outcomes limited by location. I hope that this makes sense...

I'd like to know, if possible, just how complicated it is to have FM perform such a task or if I'm better off with some other program.

TIA, Pete

From your description given of what you want to do, I think FileMaker would be the ideal product.

But, why not find out for yourself. You can download a full working version of FM at URL:

www.filemaker.com

and test drive it yourself. The only difference between it and what you would purchase is that the Demo expires in thirty days (not your files though, they are as good as if you had developed them on a copy that you owned).

Anyway, FileMaker is probably the easiest database product to learn and use, but you will need to spend some time learning it. There is a learning curve with any product, I happen to feel that FileMaker is on the least steepest hill of all of them to climb. Keep in mind though, there is always a point were you have to weigh doing it yourself, or having some one else develop it for you. While doing it yourself may be fun, and educational, it also may not be what you want to spend your next few weeks of waking hours doing.

HTH

Lee