Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. I'm looking for a simple data base solution for my game since two years now. My requirements were
- simple setup
- file based (no real database)
- write custom export scripts
- able to build a simple front-end
- no $$$
I simply didn't found a solution.

I'm a senior software developer and it isn't really a problem to write something like this, even with a web-frontend based on a standard db or an application server. But in my spare-time I don't want to create tools, I more or less do this at work all day ! I want to make games, not tools. Sadly custom tools are an very important factor in game development.

Nevertheless, finally I found it: OpenOffice ...well, I worked with open office since a few years now, already utilizing OO calc for my game, but I never thought that open office is delivered with a simple, yet powerful, sql database called open office base. The best thing about it is, that you can add easily forms to manipulate the data.

For you, who don't know open office. It is the open source answer to microsoft office. I.e. OO writer is the solution for MS word, OO calc for MS excel, and eventually OO base for MS access. I think that MS office is more mature and powerful than open office, but open office is free and by far all I need at the moment.