Re: Database...
Using Java + XML or dotNET + XML is another option if you don't prefer professional database systems. It requires a bit work, but it takes the minimum resources and minimal cost. All you will need is a system with JVM or dotNET framework installed on it (both available free of cost) and your programs and resulting XML files. XML data can be converted to any professional database system later (if rerquired). If you can post details about your data here, I can post associated codes.