User475983607 posted
One of the immediate limitations of my FP-based database entry and update system is that Access 2000 was/is limited to 250 fields max per table, and FP has it's own limitation with a max number
of fields that it can take per .asp page. Both my tables and queries have started to exceed those limitations. I never attempted to upgrade to a newer version of Access for the FP site.
1- Can I assume that this will not be an issue with the SQL Server Express database once I have migrated everything over?
1024 columns per table according to the SQL docs.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/maximum-capacity-specifications-for-sql-server
2- Should I do the migration first before installing VS Community? If so, can I get guidance from this forum as to how to do that?
VS Community is an editor, like FP, for writing .NET based applications. Install VS Community when you are ready to start writing .NET code.
3- I have been advised that once I have created the structure of the SQL express database on my computer, and it is uploaded to the server, that I cannot make any structural changes unless
I do them online. Will I not be able to first close off any new entries on the online database, then download the data to my computer (for backup as well), then make structural changes to the sql database on my computer, then upload and overwrite the whole
"shibang" and then "re-open myself up for business" once that is accomplished?
You can make whatever change to a DB at any time for any reason. There's no limitation. Generally, you don't do a backup and restore to production. Rather you write scripts or code to make data and schema updates.
However, having a table with 250 column suggests that the design is not properly normalized. The design actually dictates how well the application responds to changes to the DB schema.
