data sorting search program advice sought

Not sure of the terminology so please be patient.
I'm looking for a way to search a database for certain criteria let me give an example.
suppose I had a database of 10,000 cars each with a 10 item specification ie sunroof, alloy wheels, etc

I want to be able to search that database for say all the cars with air/con, alloy wheels and a sunroof in colour black and end up with a shortlist of all the vehicles that meet all of that that criteria

I would appreciate advice on what program I could use to store and update the database and what macro I could use to search it . Preferably something cheap and simple please

 

Well, based on the very limited information, you could download the Express editions of Microsoft C# or VB along with SQL Server Express Edition. They are all free and very powerful. The only catch is the license. It is for personal use; you aren't able to sell the code that you write.

http://www.microsoft.com/Express/

The Standard Version of Visual Studio isn't terribly expensive (~$200), but SQL Server probably is. (Not sure of the price)

If you don't need a nice customized application on the front end, SQL Server, by itself, will allow you to perform any kind of query you want. You'll just need to learn the language.

 

thanks for taking the trouble to respond . Unfortunately i would not be able to learn programming.

For such a simple search function I am really looking for a simple ready off the shelf program.

I just want to be able to type in 10 elements of a hundred or so widgets and then be able to enter 2 or 3 of those elements and search the database for all widgets that meet that selection

I suppose it is kinda like searching for house or car insurance. You tick certain multiple choice boxes to find the policy that suits your needs.

A bit like using the 'Find' function on a spreadsheet but being able to enter several words rather than just one

 

If you don't mind Microsoft Office, Access is built for this, or Excel can sort columns or rows: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/268007
I also use text files, but this can be tricky.

 

I wouldn't mind at all but how could access do this ?

With excel you can only search one word at a time so it would be extremely tedious to carry out 10x seperate searches every time .

I've never used access so I'm unfamiliar with that .

 

Access is a database application. You set up fields for the categories you want in the database, then enter records, and then you can search, sort, etc. You can also come back and add or modify records later. This would give the best functionality, but you would need to learn how to use it. It's not included in every distribution of Office. If you have it, you should see its entry in the start menu, or you should be able to choose New Office Document, and then choose a database template. I learned how to use it adequately enough for my purposes just with the help system. It can be complicated, though.

 

thanks pc I have access on my PC but I don't think it will be suitable for my purpose. Its too 'manual'
I'm looking for a search program which I can enter the details of cars (like a car register if you like ) People interested in locating their perfect car would type in 5-6 criteria say colour, engine size, petrol/diesel, price etc .

The software would then search the register and produce those cars that meet the searcher's criteria.
heres an example of what I have in mind.

http://www.carsearchuk.co.uk/search.htm

 

looks like to me you need a custom app wrote access is programmable and all the info you need is in the help files and the web good luck

 

Well, you could try using VBA to create your own excel spreadsheet that can use drop down boxes to filter/sort columns for you. However, I don't know of anything that exists that will easily match your exact desired application, which is what you seem to want. VBA is not very hard to learn and there are probably plenty of examples on the internet that will get you 75% of the way there, or if you know a college student in CS, maybe hire them to make it for you for cheap.