Google is retiring Fusion Tables

[ndrorian]

Today Google announced that they are retiring the Fusion tables.

"In order to continue focusing our efforts in these areas, we will be retiring Fusion Tables. We plan to turn down Fusion Tables and the Fusion Tables API on December 3, 2019."

Will MIT AI2 add another database instead? 

I like the Airtable database can that be supported? 

 

Regards

Noel

[Steve Silberberg]

My app is wholly dependent upon Fusion Tables.  Are there any alternatives?

[SteveJG]

1) Fusion Tables will work for at least a year ... until December 2019

2) Fusion Tables is about the only FREE sql database that users can use without establishing your own server

3) If you google  sql database free you should find several databases that can be used on line, unfortunately most if not all require you provide your own server.

4) The Google announcement does provide information explaining how you can download your information from a FusionTable to your Pc to transfer the data to another option.

Now your question..

sql, Free or almost free and do not require own server

*   .sql and entirely Free and does not require using your own server:   It looks like none.  

Airtable (discussed here in the Forum https://groups.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/mitappinventortest/4aEHWXKKQ-Q  )  is not entirely free.  Read Airtable's terms of service.

There is also a tutorial on Hosein's AppyBuilder block that looks pretty good https://amerkashi.wordpress.com/2018/09/22/airtable-spreadsheet-or-database/ . Unfortunately it uses a component that is only on Appybuilder.--not AI2.

*   sql and Free for a year and might not require own server...  Amazon RDS  might work

non sql and Free not requiring your own server

*   Amazon DynamoDB   non sql and Free possibly until they withdraw that offer and might not require own server  

*   FirebaseDB (using FirebaseDB control) ... use the default settings for non commercial or small DB; use your own Firebase for other stuff

*   CloudDB (using CloudDB control) ... use default settings for non commercial (this uses MIT's server which frequently gets overloaded and is currently glitchy but user can set up his/her own Redis server for large and commercial projects

*    Google Sheets  can be used as a database ... Forum discussions explain how.

There are probably more options where you use your own server

Consider  sqlLite., (see Taifun's tutorial   https://puravidaapps.com/mysql.php   )  possibly Firebase

There are options for which you have to pay.  

I imagine others have other ideas.  MIT has said they will examine possible options for a database knowing they  already provide experimental controls for Firebase and their CloudDB.

Users have over a year to transition.  Google is very clear; you will have to transition by December 2019.  The world changes.  Google has several commercial, pay for use possibilities they probably would like most commercial developers to transition to.   There is no free lunch with respect to sql databases.

Regards,

Steve 

[ABG]

(added to Fusion Tables section of FAQ)

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/mitappinventortest/wqJin0qO8M0/8xUafdROAgAJ

ABG

[Steve Silberberg]

I wouldn't mind using a non-free database.  In fact, I'd really like to use either MySQL or SQL Server.  Are there any examples out there of how to do so?

[SteveJG]

@ Steve S     ...  see Taifun's tutorial   https://puravidaapps.com/mysql.php   

[ndrorian]

Taifun’s MySQL setup raises many questions and requires steps that is not easy to say the least. Here are the setup steps from Taifun’s tutorial with my questions: 

• Put the PHP code on your web server. 

I don’t have a web server. Where do I put the server? What type of server it is? What os etc.? I will need a lot of help to do this and I don’t want to be a server admin either.

• Set the SQLKEY in your app and in the PHP code, they must match for this code to work

Is the PHP code 100% reliable and tested? Can it handle many connections concurrently to the MySQL db?

• Setup your database connection information in the php script

• Try out the code

What if the code does not work who will support it?

I think Google can and should setup a SQL DB service in the cloud for Fusion users.  

Regards,

Noel

[Taifun]

where can I get a web server see here https://www.google.com/search?q=where+can+i+get+a+web+server

the php code is as reliable as it can be, you might want to test the php script yourself... of course it can handle many connections concurrently...

it is you who will support the code... you get what you pay for...

Taifun

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Trying to push the limits of App Inventor! Snippets, Tutorials and Extensions from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun. 

[Steve Silberberg]

I have access to SQL Server instances on my web host so hopefully, I'll have some time before the end of the year to work on it.

Is there an example of using AWS somewhere as well?