Best app platform

[shartken]

I am working on customer management software for a client of mine and want to start off on the right foot. The program is your basic CRM software. It is for an eye doctor's office, and is needed to store patient's names and personal info, their records of their past visits, prescription information, and print reports for insurance. It is going to be loaded on a Windows server, with 10 terminal Windows stations accessing it.
The most important thing is inventory control. Right now, he is doing all his inventory by hand and he has almost 20,000 clients ! I am looking into barcode scanners so he can just print out his labels, label each glasses display and contacts, and then just scan them and enter the quanity on checkout.

I know all the SQL and how to structure tables for this. I did this hundreds of times on the database side. I am just wondering what would be the best platform for the application and database. I am thinking Borland Interbase (Free) and an application in Visual Basic. Also, can anyone give me any suggestions on a barcode scanner? I am aware of the portable barcode scanners by Symbol that are pretty much PDAs with a scanner and cost $300.00+, but I heard of wireless scanners that hold small amounts of data in CSV format and just hook it up to a docking station to load everything up.

Also, I took C and C++ in college, but they never taught how to incorporate a Windows GUI. I've tested with the Borland C++ compiler and made text based programs, but can anyone fill me in on how to export my program in a normal, everyday Windows application (like IExplorer or Word)?

It's funny, I still remember how to write a subroutine that will find the eigenvalues of a matrix, but they never taught me a pratical step like this!

[faulkner132]

If you are familiar with Java, I would recommend looking into VB.Net. The two are very similar and the development environment is very slick. Otherwise see if you can get a copy of VB6. It is really easy to pick up and you could start hammering it out immediately.

As for the database, I would recommend MSDE. It is a free, albeit trimmed down, version of SQL 2000 design to support 4-5 concurrent users. Any version of VB integrates painlessly with it.

Good luck to you.

[shartken]

Thanks. I got VB.Net and will use that. I was wondering about MySQL as well, but I will also give the MSDE a shot. Thanks again!