# Looking for an MS Access lookalike
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 21, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112 "2008-05-21T15:14:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/1 "2008-05-21T15:14:41Z")
Hello,
my crystal ball says that in the months ahead there shall be many, many tables that will need to be cross-checked and verified, and that whomever designed the data structures hereabouts must’a had a lot of fun.
In order to obtain the reports I need, I could use vlookup several times in each flat-file, but I would much rather be able to load all the flatfiles into one database and just merge relevant ones by the key fields. That is, I’d like to do something which Access does just fine.
Problem: MS doesn’t want to sell me Access by itself, but only bundled. I don’t want Project, don’t want Publisher, don’t want Outlook. And I don’t want to pay for a Mercedes when I’m actually buying a moped.
Do any of you guys know of a stand-alone program that will let me load and merge csv or txt files like this without having to get a Master’s in CS or pay for six programs I don’t need?
Thank you!
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/2 "2008-05-21T15:25:45Z")
[OpenOffice.org](http://OpenOffice.org) includes a database. There are other components as well, but at least you’re not paying for them.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/3 "2008-05-21T17:05:33Z")
[QUOTE=Nava]
Problem: MS doesn’t want to sell me Access by itself, but only bundled.
[/QUOTE]
Really? [Amazon has it unbundled.](http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-077-03782-Access-2007/dp/B000HCVR12/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1211389451&sr=8-2)
Perhaps it’s different over the pond?
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### Author:  [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/4 "2008-05-21T17:14:50Z")
How about [SQL Server Express](http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/express/default.mspx)? It’s a free download.
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### Author:  [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/5 "2008-05-21T19:41:31Z")
I’ve used Open Office and it functions very much like Access. If you can use access, you should be able to make the switch easily.
[It’s a simple, free download.](http://www.openoffice.org/)
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/6 "2008-05-21T20:39:02Z")
Last I checked (earlier this year), the OpenOffice Access equivalent didn’t have the ability to import data from a .csv. You may want to give it a close look.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/7 "2008-05-22T06:51:12Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter]
Last I checked (earlier this year), the OpenOffice Access equivalent didn’t have the ability to import data from a .csv. You may want to give it a close look.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that’s basically my problem. There is a database, but it’s, shall we say, “undeveloped.”
Will try SQL Server Express and check out Amazon, thanks all.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2008, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/8 "2008-05-22T10:01:53Z")
[OS Alt](http://www.osalt.com) suggests [Kexi](http://www.kexi-project.org/)
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2008, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-ms-access-lookalike/450112/9 "2008-05-22T10:05:28Z")
…as well as a bunch of other database offerings that might do the job, even if not directly equivalent (or aiming for that) to Access.
> **[Databases | Open Source Alternative - osalt.com](https://www.osalt.com/databases)**
>
> List of Open Source Databases Software. osalt.com helps recommend a open source software alternative or replacement for proprietary, closed source or commercial products and even shareware. Remember that open source is also a freeware alternative.