Database Program

Jim Thompson's discussion of Palm databases

There are several options for building PalmOS handheld databases:

1. Write the program in a low-level computer language like C++ and then compile it for the Palm operating system. Programs written this way are fast, efficient, and completely customizable. But this option is very expensive and requires highly skilled programmers.
2. Purchase a custom-built database from a software engineer. Also an expensive option, and one that limits your ability to customize the database yourself.
3. Buy an off-the-shelf software product like HanDBase to build your own database. This is the most popular, and least expensive option.

If you do decide to use off-the-shelf PalmOS database software (which we recommend), your next choice is the category of product to use: basic, mainstream, or specialized:

Basic database products. List is the most basic prototype for handheld database products. List allows only two 120-character label fields, and one 4-kb note field. List is as basic as a database product can be. It is free; so it is a good place to start if you have never used a handheld database. But most users soon want more functionality than List provides.

Mainstream database products. The mainstream products offer larger feature sets, but contain less programming power than the specialized group. They have rudimentary form design, simple relational features and basic desktop companion programs. They can handle enterprise projects that require 2-way synchronization with a network of users. You can design a database right on your handheld, and they allow you to build as complex a database as most users are likely to want.

Popular mainstream database applications like HanDBase, SmartList To Go (formerly ThinkDB), JFile and MobileDB are increasingly sophisticated. They are inexpensive, easy to use, fairly powerful and well supported by their developers. HanDBase Plus 3.0 is particularly remarkable for its power, ease of use, and small size (470KB).

Specialized database products. Mainstream databases do not match the functionality of desktop or server database programs like Access, FileMaker or Oracle-this is where specialized products come in. These products do not allow you to design a database on the handheld; instead, you build a database on the desktop, freeze the design, and then deploy the design to a handheld along with a small "run-time" engine that enables the extra functionality to work on the handheld. The handheld version of the desktop database is much less functional than the desktop version, but still has more capability than is possible with the mainstream products.

Pendragon Forms is the least expensive of this specialized group, and was designed for the average Microsoft Access user in mind. Pendragon Forms databases have to be built on the desktop under Microsoft Access. The user works within a specialized Access database to design forms that are converted to a Palm file for use on a Palm handheld. The resulting databases are tightly integrated with Access. You cannot modify the database design on the handheld, though.

Our recommendation. For most medical users mainstream database software will be sufficient, and our recommendation is HanDBase ( www.ddhsoftware.com ) because of the number of medical databases available in this format; its ease of use, simplicity, and speed; its PocketPC compatibility; the fact that it supports semi-relational databases (where JFile doesn't); and the fact that the desktop application and conduit are easy to use and stable (we haven't reviewed SmartList To Go from DataViz yet). It integrates well with Windows computers via a desktop "companion" program and conduit (both included in the "Plus" package at US$29.99). An Access sync conduit is available (or included in the Pro version), and a special ODBC driver is available (or included in the Enterprise version) if you want to link HanDBase directly to desktop databases. It only takes about 195KB on your Palm.

Once you have HanDBase, the next step is to find some databases that you can download and view. A huge variety of databases are available at the ddh Software website, including ICD9 and other coding databases, anatomy databases, herbal drug references, and many more. Many are free, but some do cost money, so make sure to check. But one of the great advantages of using HanDBase is the ease with which you can create databases of your own.