This is a really clever, elegant architecture that is way ahead of any other iOS database system Ive seen so far.

What I want to give her is a forms-based application that can run on an iPhone and or an iPad without being connected to the Internet.

I looked at several solutions, including Filemakers Bento, but until the other day, I hadnt found quite what I was looking for.

Running on both iOS and OS X, Bento delivers a very slick user interface, but it has two problem as far as Im concerned: First, its too easy to make changes to a database and, second, you cant lock down the user interface.

Let me explain. With Bento, databases are called (for no good reason and somewhat confusingly) libraries.

You select which library you want to use or create a new one and then, by clicking on the pencil icon in the tool bar, you can.

These alterations can change the visual theme or modify the fields used in the collection.

On a device like the iPad, Bentos themes, some of which use photorealistic user interfaces such as notepads, clipboards, and paper textures, look great and provide a usable and friendly interface.

That said, my big problem with Bento is that theres nothing to stop a librarys structure from being modified.

Should you or your target user decide to modify the fields in a library you could wind up deleting a field and you may well find that you also delete all of the data associated with that field.

Even though you are warned this can happen, this degree of flexibility without the ability to prevent the user from seriously screwing up existing records means that Bento is really very much a personal database.

At 4.99 for the iPhone, 9.99 for the iPad, and 49 for the Mac version, Bento is very good and gets a Gearhead rating of 3.5 out of 5, but its not quite what I wanted.

Database App Code Is Disappointingly

I also looked at HanDBase for iPad, but the user experience isnt great and even though its been around for a while, the code is disappointingly unstable, so HanDBase doesnt get a Gearhead rating.

Another database app that fails on the user experience but is actually somewhat more stable (though not perfect) is Database for iPad.

Its not production quality, but could morph into something useful.

So it was that after checking out all of the above, as well as several other apps, I finally found something that can do the job: Forms, published by Polar Bear Farm.

What really impresses me about Forms is that it has a really clever architecture.

With the app running on your local network you can click on the Settings button, which enables the apps built-in Web server and, on the iPad, the app displays the Web servers local address and port so you can access the Forms Builder from a browser on your network.

The Forms Builder is a graphical database and GUI builder written in JavaScript that allows you to create databases, define tables within the databases, relate tables, and add resources which all reside on your iPad.

All of the databases and configuration files are stored on the iPad and, in a running system, that is, an iPad or iPhone with a Forms database application, you have a system that meets my criteria: It doesnt allow random editing by the user, works offline, and delivers a great user experience.

Database App Update Column Properties

Features include a fully relational database with single user local tables, calculation columns, summary columns, auto-enter column properties, and auto-update column properties.

The user interface supports customizable visual layouts, text fields, pop-up buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, related lists, media views, data formatters for displaying dates and numbers in user friendly formats, customizable buttons, dynamically generated pop-up list values, and support for searching.

You can also print records and record sets wirelessly using AirPrint; email records and record sets as PDF, CSV or JSON files; and export tables as CSV files.

Ive only had a few hours to explore what Forms can do but, so far, I am really impressed.

Free Database App For Mac