In preparation for a couple of upcoming projects, I am learning how to build database driven applications. I decided to spend time on learning to build a simple application after realizing that the tried-and-true option for these projects that others were recommending was wrangling multiple Excel files.

At first I considered Microsoft Access, however one of my upcoming projects may require multiple users. Access has many strengths, however it was not intended for multiple users. An additional consideration is that I want my applications to be web-based rather than stored on a single desktop.

I have settled on Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch and so far I am very, very happy with it. The Wrox book Beginning Visual Studio LightSwitch Development has been a great resource, too. And the academic discount that I found through Provantage.com has made the project financially do-able. So far I have not had to actually use any code and the process has been very straightforward.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress!