The goal of this chapter is to explain databases to you - what they are, how you'll use them, and how you can share, secure, and maintain them.
A database is a structure that stores all the data used in Quick Bid such as: Bids, Conditions, Items/Pricing, Vendors, etc. Creating a database is the first step to working with the Quick Bid - for your convenience, there are two databases included with Quick Bid - one includes example projects, the other is a blank database where you can start creating Bids.
Some clients create a database for each employee, while others use one for each different geographic location, each office, or even a separate database for each Project. Keeping your databases organized makes it easier to apply the default settings that match the needs of a particular project. See CLS - Best Practices for some advice on database/bid management.
Whatever method used to manage databases, you need to understand:
- How to create a database (the program does all the hard work for you...)
- How to synchronize a new database to an existing database (this means you do not have to 'recreate the wheel' each time you create a new database)
- Setup database options, defaults, and preferences (options do not transfer from one database to another)
- Share databases (the Do's and Don't's)
- Database Maintenance (Backing up and Compact/Repairing)
The articles that follow detail these concepts.
Database Types
There are two types of databases: Microsoft Access® and Microsoft SQL Server®.
The default is Microsoft Access - this type of database is suitable for a single user who stores their databases on their local computer. To share a database among multiple users or store a database on a network, you will need to use Microsoft SQL. Determine which type of database suits the needs of your organization and follow the directions provided in the following articles for creating that type of database.
See Using SQL Server to Share Databases in Classic Products for more information about database types and suggestions on use.
Cloud Storage
Many of our clients have asked us if they can store their images, databases, etc. in 'the cloud' using a service such as Google Drive, OneDrive/SkyDrive (Microsoft), or DropBox. The short answer is that it is not recommended. The way some of these services work places a temporary "lock" on files so they can be uploaded periodically to the 'cloud'. While this is OK for a word processing document or a photo, a live database should not be stored in this manner. Access-type databases set/remove file locks on the file to protect it from anyone, any program, from interfering with a user's ability to read-write to the database.
You are more than welcome to store your Backups in a cloud-synchronized folder, in fact, we recommend it! Setting your "Backups" folder is covered in your product's User Guide.
Please see CLS - Can I Use "Cloud" Storage? for more information. Better yet, leverage the full power of a cloud-based, collaboration-focused takeoff tool...ConstructConnect Takeoff.
Job Date File Export