Data Based Advisor articles from April 1992

Data Based Advisor archives from April 1992

A smooth segue between Clipper and NetWare. (HRF Associates Inc.'s SEGUE application programming interface) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1992... Many developers find themselves < working with Clipper applications in a Novell network, only to be frustrated by Clipper's inability to take full advantage of NetWare's...

Breathe new life into old applications with Alpha RPL. (Alpha Software Corp.'s program development software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1992... It's a major challenge to complete a < program that satisfies the users. However, the difficulties are more severe when a programmer is asked to update and add new options and...

TxtView adds memo capabilities to Paradox. (The Burgiss Group's add-in software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1992... I think Paradox is great, but like < many Paradox fans, I resent having to use a third-party product to mimic Xbase-type memo field capabilities. At the April 1991...

Mixing DOS and UNIX with DESQView/X. (Quarterdeck Office Systems' graphical user interface) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1992... Need to run both UNIX and DOS < applications on the same computer? That's the idea behind DESQview/X, a new offering from Quarterdeck Office Systems, publishers of...

Data-driven input screens. (Hardcore Clipper column) (includes related article on the UK Nantucket Clipper Developer's Conference) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... Data-driven" is a familiar term to Clipper programmers. < It means using databases to store program information rather than hard-coding it into your programs. Your program then drives itself...

dBASE IV menus dmystified! (dBASE Developer column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... Those of you who've worked with dBASE III PLUS < know that doing attractive menus isn't easy. We've all written a "light bar" menu using the INKEY() function to trap key presses....

What's your status? (Hands-on FOXPRO column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... Before changing an Xbase SET status from ON to OFF < (or vice versa) in a user-defined function (UDF), it's a good idea to store the current status of the SETting to a variable, then change...

Undocumented error messages. (Paradox Developer column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... When Paradox is run in protected mode, Paradox < reports almost all Unexpected Condition (U.C.) errors simply as "GP" errors. By this, I mean that the error message contains the string...

Client/server helps a software reseller respond to its customers. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... In 1990 Corporate Software, < an international reseller of thousands of PC software and hardware add-in products in Canton, Mass., began moving VAX-based applications to...

Dataline.
April 1, 1992... TEMECULA, CA - SuccessWare has begun shipping version 1.2 of its Babelfish Data Driver. It includes the Clipper 5-compatible Replaceable Database Driver (RDD) that allows concurrent access from Clipper programs to Borland's Paradox,...

Borland meets Xbase. (Editor on the Go) (Editorial)
April 1, 1992... Hi-ho, hi-ho, to Santa Cruz we < go!" My outburst of song was caused by the Borland Database Retreat, held at Chaminade, a conference facility overlooking Monterey Bay a...

Loesgen Software, Inc. (StarClass 1.01 class library for Clipper 5.01) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Loesgen Software, Inc. < announced StarClass 1.01, a class library for Clipper 5.01. Written using the Class(y) library, it allows you to create objects for user...

Softsystems Inc. (FasTBrowse code generator tool for Clipper) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Softsystems, Inc. released FasTBrowse, a code generator-like tool for Clipper which allows you to develop and design tBrowse objects using the WYSIWYG concept. Add picture clauses and set filters without writing the appropriate code blocks, or...

The Jorf Co. (Jorf 2.0 object-oriented business application programming system) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... The Jorf Co. released Jorf 2.0, an object-oriented business application programming system that supports the same source for DOS and Windows. Jorf reduces the complexity normally associated with OOP systems by downplaying the role of objects...

Pinnacle Publishing, Inc. (ChartBuilder for Visual Basic graphics and charting library) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Pinnacle Publishing, Inc. released ChartBuilder for Visual Basic, a graphics and charting library for the Visual Basic design environment. ChartBuilder includes 2-D and 3-D charts, including bar graphs, pie charts, X-Y graphs and more....

Accelerated Software. (PRO-dVELBase Lite relational database system) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Accelerated Software released < PRO-dVelBase Lite, a trimmed down version of Pro-dVelBase 2.0, their dBASE compatible relational database system. It allows users to...

Windows watch. (Brief Article)
April 1, 1992... Mozart 3.1, a multi-platform < application development tool, lets programmers enhance mainframe and midrange host applications with GUI capabilities in Windows and DOS....

Control get input. (Clipper Tip column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... Here's a function for Clipper 5.0 that can give users control < over the sequence of get input. In this example, the data is arranged in vertical columns. The up- and down-arrow keys behave normally....

AREV tip. (Brief Article) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... Use REDUCE to signal AREV to select applicable records and < sort only the selected subset. When you execute an Rlist statement that includes both a sort < and...

Database confidential. (Column)
April 1, 1992... Good guy and frequent Data Based < Advisor contributor Michael Masterson has a new title: Director of Developer Relations. What's that at the top of his card? BORLAND?!...

Doing client/server without replacing hardware and software. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... CPS is a consulting and information < services company consisting of two divisions-- the acturial division, CPS Actuaries, and the information services group. The actuarial...

SQL Server and Visual Basic help a utility company do financial forecasts. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... Recently, I was a member < of a project team that developed a client/server system for Pacific Gas and Electric. The application allows the company's financial and...

CIGNA streamlines the process of calculating rates. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... It used to take as long as six < to eight weeks for CIGNA's Special Benefits Division to calculate rates for group insurance policies. The part-manual, part-automated...

Primerica takes charge of its personnel data. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... In early 1991, Primerica of < Baltimore, Maryland, a Fortune 100 financial services firm consisting of Smith Barney, Harris and Upham brokerage firms, Primerica...

A developer links Fox to Sybase SQL Server. (Client/Server Advisor Case Study)
April 1, 1992... I recently completed a research < project to determine the feasibility of connecting FoxBASE+/Mac and Sybase SQL Server. The project was supported by my employer, Stanford...

The consolidation challenge: which managers will survive? (Client/Server Advisor: Memo to Management)
April 1, 1992... As IT organizations shrink, managers who reign over vendor-neutral systems will become the most< valuable. One of the few constants I've < observed in the ever-changing world of information technology...

RAID to the rescue: redundant array of inexpensive disks technology offers the performance and fault tolerance required by today's demanding database operations. (includes related article on major RAID developments)
April 1, 1992... Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks technology offers the performance and f ault tolerance < required by today's demanding database operations. Speed and databases. Using these two words in the ...

Multimedia, tuning Oracle, and more! (Client/Server Advisor: Systems Integration Tips)
April 1, 1992... For years I've been hearing that CDROM < and multimedia are coming. I can see now that multimedia is real. Almost anyone can press a CD-ROM disk. (The replication costs are only...

Scrolling SQL Server data: SQL Server 1.x doesn't support cursors but you can still browse SQL Server tables. (Client/Server Advisor) (includes related article on remote performance) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... SQL Server 1.x doesn't support cursors but you can still browse SQL Server t ables. < The key is in it's support of clustered indexes... Do your clients want to scroll backward and forward ...

Field report: Oracle analysts' day: Oracle executives spent the day previewing a spate of new products and reassuring analysts that the company has recovered from its financial troubles. (Client Server Advisor)
April 1, 1992... Oracle executives spent the day previewing a spate of new products and reass uring analysts < that the company has recovered from its financial troubles. SAN FRANCISCO--Oracle Analysts' Day (January 23, ...

Experts speak on object-oriented development! (Roundtable)(includes a glossary on object-oriented terminology) (Panel Discussion)
April 1, 1992... According to some observers, object-oriented programming will soon be what everybody does. Object-oriented databases might become what everyone uses. So now might be a good time for you to find out what object orientation is all about....

dBASE IV 1.5: Ashton-Tate's last hurrah? (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1992... This new release is the legacy of < Ashton-Tate, who was working on it prior to the company's purchase by Borland. Users will find an enhanced QBE, mouse support, as well...

The SQL Server alternative. (MEGAbase Inc.'s Xbase/Server) (Packets; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... MEGAbase, Inc. has developed a < "lower-cost alternative" to SQL servers. The new Xbase/Server stores data in DBF format, and also supports the transfer of data between...

A higher IQ. (IQ Software Corp.'s Intelligent Query 3.0 report writer and query tool) (Packets; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... IQ Software Corp. released version 3.0 < of its point-and-shoot report writer and query tool--Intelligent Query. The screen painter has been expanded to include areas for...

Dun & Bradstreet enters the fray. (D&B Software announces partnership with Sybase Inc.) (Packets) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1992... Dun & Bradstreet Software (D&B < Software) announced its new partnership with Sybase, Inc. Under the new terms, D&B Software will incorporate and resell Sybase SQL...

A client/server starter kit...such a deal. (Packets) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1992... The first starter kit for the rapid development < of client/server applications has been compiled through the efforts of four companies. The new package includes Channel Computing's...

Improved access to 4th DIMENSION databases. (Metropolis Software Inc.'s MSI Access for 4D) (Packets; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Metropolis Software released a development < tool to provide client/server access to 4th DIMENSION (4D) databases. The new product, MSI Access for 4D, lets developers run client...

A compound-effort communications server. (Digital Communications Associates and Microsoft Corp.'s DCA/Microsoft Communications Server 1.1) (Packets; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Digital Communications Associates < (DCA) and Microsoft Corp. shipped version 1.1 of the DCA/Microsoft Communications Server (Comm Server). The new server features a...

Oracle supports Macintosh System 7. (ORACLE for Macintosh 2.0) (Packets; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1992... Oracle Corp. introduced a key component < of their client/server computing strategy: ORACLE for Macintosh 2.0. New tools include Server Manager, to simplify database...

How Paradox uses memory. (Paradox Basics column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... When building a < Paradox application, you should have a good grasp of what steps Paradox takes to manage memory, as well as what steps you can take to better use memory. How Paradox manages memory is a complex topic, but...

Tap the power of FoxPro's interface. (FoxPro Basics column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... To become the < best possible FoxPro developer, you must first become an end user. This statement < may sound paradoxical to you, but (double entendres aside) it's true nevertheless. If you're a seasoned Xbase programmer just...

A pop-up get reader. (The Expert Series: Clipper column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... This function, PickReader(), presents a list of < options for sending messages to Get objects... Clipper 5.01's @..GET command provides < several...

What Xbase code generator should you use? (includes related templates directory)
April 1, 1992... Xbase code generators can do away with < development tedium by automating the process of creating applications. The best produce tight code and offer flexibility in the way you...

Use template programming to speed development. (includes related article on template tips and a template product directory)
April 1, 1992... Writing and maintaining applications takes time. Leverage your programming talent with template technology. Your productivity gain will outweigh the learning curve. Many programmers tire of rewriting the same modules after developing...

Alleviating maintenance hassles. (The Expert Series: FoxPro column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... To make maintenance easier, trap and handle < errors that occur at your clients' sites... The longest phase of the application development < cycle is...

Can Microrim weather the storm? (Opinions)
April 1, 1992... As a developer, it's difficult to admit that the database < management program you've stood by for many years (for me it's been close to nine years!) is rapidly fading from the scene. But much to...

Microrim responds: yes, we will! (Opinions)
April 1, 1992... Although Paul Litwin makes some points that I would < be the first to agree with, there are several issues where his opinions don't jibe with the facts. Several years ago my company began to...

Tool up for Clipper 5. (Clipper Basics column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1992... If the Clipper 5 application < development environment seems a bit daunting, that may be because it's taken a divergent--though wisely orchestrated--path away from the...

Share and share alike: the old adage about sharing is just as important in the computer world. (DB Connections; DBADVISOR forum on CompuServe)
April 1, 1992... The old adage about < sharing is just as important in the computer world... Whether it's a new technological < paradigm or...