Data Based Advisor articles from April 1994

Data Based Advisor archives from April 1994

PowerBuilder clears path to client/server. (Powersoft Corp. providing training sessions in 56 cities to market PowerBuilder Desktop front-end development software) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1994... Already a hit on the corporate scene, Powersoft is doing its best to push PowerBuilder, its front-end development tool, into the hands of more and more developers. PowerBuilder Desktop, Powersoft's desktop version of PowerBuilder with a...

Novell gives Btrieve back. (Novell Inc. giving Btrieve, NetWare SQL, XQL and Xtrieve to spin-off Btrieve Technologies) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1994... Novell will turn over ownership of Btrieve, NetWare SQL, XQL, and Xtrieve to Btrieve Technologies, a newly formed Austin company made up of former Novell employees (including the original developers of Btrieve). Novell will continue to...

Get it right the first time. (Mercury Interactive to develop testing tools for Powersoft's PowerBuilder and Gupta Corp.'s SQLWindows) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1994... Confirming speculation that developing client/server apps (that work) may not be as easy as it looks, Mercury Interactive, a provider of testing tools for Windows apps, will develop testing tools specifically designed to work with Powersoft's...

See you at DB/Expo 94. (database industry trade show at Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco May 23 - 27, 1994) (Brief Article)
April 1, 1994... In these lean times, many of you probably have a hard time justifying the costof shows and conferences. Nevertheless, consider attending DB/EXPO 94, the database-industry-unde-one-roof gathering at Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco....

Perfection in programming? (Cardiff Software Inc. ready to introduce TeleForms for Windows 3.0 fax and scanner form recognition software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Cardiff Software, Inc., is ready to hit the market with their latest version of TeleForms for Windows, fax and scanner form recognition software. Version 3.0 sports a forms designer with tool and button bars like the ones you find in almost...

Coming soon: dBASE Advisor. (new magazine, dBASE Advisor, to begin publication) (Editor on the Go) (Editorial)
April 1, 1994... We're doing it again, enlarging our family of product-specific magazines. We started in February 1993 with ACCESS ADVISOR and FOXPRO ADVISOR. In May 1993 we began CLIPPER ADVISOR. This summer, we launch another magazine for users of a...

Corrections. (Correction Notice)
April 1, 1994... The telephone number for PowerCerv (Product News, February 1994) was incorrect. PowerCerv's number is (813) 226-2378. PowerCerv also should have been included in the directory of trainers that accompanied the February story "Your Guide to...

What concerns independent developers? (business problems chief concern) (Developer Issues) (Column)
April 1, 1994... Many people dream of becoming independent software developers, but freedom has its price. There are a raft of issues that you have to face once you leave the comfort zone of being an employee. According to developers we talked to, the...

DOS to Windows - Visual Basic style. (AJS Publishing Inc.'s Visual/db library of routines for dBASE developers) (Software Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Visual/db, from AJS Publishing Inc., is a library of routines that will help dBASE developers feel more at home within the Visual Basic environment. The Visual/db routines provide complete control over dBASE file formats and include many of...

XDE: Xbase to OOP/Windows. (Micro Design International Inc.'s XDE integrated development software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... There's a market niche of products designed for Xbase programmers who are waiting for OOP and Windows. It's hard to wait for dBASE/Win, CA-Visual Objects, and FoxPro 3. Thus, Clip-4-Win, Dolce Vita, DBFast, and the rest try to fill the...

Custom controls for VB. (Sheridan Software Systems to introduce Designer Widgets, a set of custom controls for Microsoft Visual Basic, in April 1994) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Designer Widgets is a set of custom controls for Microsoft Visual Basic scheduled for release in April. The controls give VB applications graphic interface design elements to improve their appearance. New features include a Dockable...

New version of System Architect. (Popkin Software & Systems introduces System Architect 3.0 CASE software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... System Architect 3.0 is a computer-aided CASE tool, available for Microsoft Windows 3.1 and OS/2 PM 2.1. Includes improved network security, access control, enhanced data modeling, IDEF0, and IDEF1X support, an enhanced graphical user...

Magic is RAD. (Magic Software Enterprises introduces Magic 5.6 database application development software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Magic 5.6 features end-user GUI objects and widgets, a method of directly importing SQL database file definitions, and a Load FileDefinition function that lets programmers load single and multiple file definitions from the DBMS's data...

New database server. (FFE Software Inc. introduces FirstSQL Server) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... FirstSQL Server is a server for FirstSQL databases and dBASE files, scheduled for release in 1Q 1994. Client interfaces include embedded SQL through FirstSQL C and ODBC. FirstSQL C, Version 2.2 includes the FirstSQL ODBC Library and the...

SQLWindows supports VB custom controls. (Gupta Corp. introducing SQLWindows 4.1) (Visual Basic) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... SQLWindows Version 4.1, supports Visual Basic Custom Controls, window classes, business graphics, closer integration with Oracle7, and integration with Popkin System Architect and LBMS Systems Engineer CASE tools. It has 40 new functions,...

Client/server data management tool. (Gupta Corp. introduces Quest 2.1) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Quest 2.1 has an interface for entering and querying data via forms, support for business graphics, and a Query Estimator feature. Gupta also announced Quest Reporter--a product to query data, build reports, run forms, and create charts in a...

New cross-platform development system. (Blyth Software introduces Onmis 7 2.2 database application development software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... OMNIS 7 version 2.2, from Blyth Software allows access to Ingres and Rdb, and supports ODBC and EDA/SQL middleware solutions. OMNIS provides cross-platform development and deployment on Macintosh and Windows, and will support Windows NT,...

New ODBC driver. (Q+E Software introduces Q+E ODBC Pack 1.2 and Q+E ODBC Developer Program) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Q+E Software and Sybase have developed a driver that uses features of the new Sybase System 10t Open Client CT-Library. The Sybase System 10 ODBC Driver is included in the Q+E ODBC Pack 1.2 and the Q+E ODBC Developer Program. Driver is...

Upgrade chips offer alternative to replacing 386 computers. (Cyrix Corp. introduces Cx486DRx2 and Cx486SRx2 chips for upgrading 386SX and 386DX microcomputers) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... There are millions of people who own and still use 386SX and 386DX computers. Most are not planning to upgrade those machines. Many are not planning to replace those machines. In recession-filled America, not everyone can afford $1,500 or...

Embeddable BASIC language. (Softbridge introduces Softbridge BASIC Language with OLE 2.0 automation compatibility) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Softbridge BASIC Language (SBL) is now available with OLE 2.0 automation compatibility, allowing it to operate within and across applications. SBL is compatible with Visual Basic, and can be extended to include application-specific commands...

Help converter. (ExpoTech introduces NG-2-HLP, which converts, compiles and tests help systems to make them readable by word processors) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... NG-2-HLP converts, compiles, and tests a help system to make it readable by Word for Windows and other word processors. Norton Guide Files are converted to Rich Text Format (RTF) files, which can be modified before compilation. NG-2-HLP then...

Tools for Windows NT. (The ASK Group introduces ASK Windows 4GL 2.0, ASK INGRES Intelligent Database and ASK INGRES Networking for Microsoft Windows NT, database, connectivity products and graphical application development tools) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... The ASK Group is shipping database and connectivity products and graphical application development tools for Microsoft Windows NT. Products available immediately for Windows NT include ASK Windows 4GL 2.0, the ASK INGRES Intelligent Database,...

ERwin links to PowerBuilder. (Logic Works Inc. introduces Erwin/ERX for PowerBuilder) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... ERwin/ERX for PowerBuilder links to Powersoft's tool for graphical client/server application development and speeds design of client/server database applications. PowerBuilder Extended Attributes can be defined from within ERwin. Product...

Client/Server OLTP applications. (JYACC introduces JAM application development software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... JAM is an application development tool that now interfaces with IBM's DB2 relational database management system products. Applications that need mainframe data processing can be distributed to multiple users, localizing and decentralizing...

Streamline mainframe tasks. (Satori Automation Inc. introduces ScriptMate 1.0 to automate routine microcomputer to mainframe sessions) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... ScriptMate 1.0 allows users of DOS, Windows, or OS/2 PM 3270 emulators to automate routine micro-to-mainframe sessions, including file transfers and data transmission. Compatible with Attachmate, DCA, Eicon Technology, Forvus Research, IBM,...

Integral supports Sybase. (Integral introduces InPower HR for Sybase SQL Server 4.2) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... InPower HR now available for Sybase's SQL Server 4.2, is a client/server human resource application for enterprise computing environments. Adapts to run on multiple hardware platforms, operating systems, and relational databases. Available...

Version control - an interpretation in Windows. (Omega Systems Inc.'s Versions 1.0) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... Version control is like going to the dentist. Everyone knows it's important, but no one wants to go as often as they should. The reason is painfully clear: Version control software is typically slow, hard to learn, and about as...

New data warehousing products. (Red Brick Systems introduces Red Brick Warehouse 2.1) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Red Brick Warehouse 2.1 is a relational database management system specifically for open client/server data warehousing. Features Parallel Table Management Utility, Auto Aggregate Load Option, and Red Brick ODBC Driver. These speed loading...

Compatibility for PC users connected to Unix. (Rasmussen Software introduces AnzioWin terminal super-emulation file transfer software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... AnzioWin is a terminal super-emulation file transfer product for Windows-based PCs that need to run software on a UNIX-based host. Product has compatible function keys, easy macros, and file transfer capabilities. AnzioWin uses the PC's...

New Macintosh database. (ACI US Inc. introduces 4D First, a simplified version of the 4th Dimension relational database for the Macintosh) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... 4D First is a simplified version of 4th Dimension, a relational database for the Macintosh. Lets you automate invoicing, tracking clients, maintaining mailing lists, and organizing data. Compatible with 4th Dimension and 4D Server, which...

AaMouse lets Clipper roar. (Artful Applications Inc.'s aaMouse provides mouse control for CA-Clipper developers) (Software Review) (Brief Article) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... CA-Clipper developers that want to get on the mouse bandwagon should try aaMouse.Lib from Artful Applications, Inc. Getting a mouse to display is as easy as typing SET MOUSE ON in your code. Of course, you have to include the...

Native 32-bit application. (Computer Associates introduces CA-SuperProject for OS/2 project management software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... CA-SuperProject for OS/2 is a native 32-bit application that exploits OS/2 strengths such as the Workplace shell, pre-emptive multi-tasking, and enhanced memory management. CA-SuperProject files are now binary compatible across four...

Client/server database engine for Windows NT. (Micro Data Base Systems Inc. introduces Windows NT version of MDBS IV client/server database engine) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. (mdbs) has a Windows NT version of its MDBS IV client/server database engine. Features 32-bit performance and flat-model access to full physical memory. Allows an application to be implemented on any NT platform...

Support for Oracle RDBMS. (KASEWORKS Inc. adds support for Oracle 6.x and 7.0 to its KASE:VIP computer-aided software engineering product line) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... The KASE:VIP product line now supports Oracle's RDBMS, versions 6.x and 7.0. Provides visual design and standard language code generation tools that allow developers to visually and interactively define graphical user interface for...

Performance analysis utilities. (Blue Lagoon Software introduces ODBC Sniffer for Windows 1.1 and SQL Sniffer for Windows 1.1 performance analysis software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... ODBC Sniffer for Windows 1.1 is an ODBC trace and performance analysis utility for developers and DBAs using PowerBuilder, C, Visual Basic, and Microsoft Access. As application accesses server through ODBC, trace of ODBC calls is built....

FoxPro Library. (Eclipse Computer Solutions Inc. introduces dbSynchro) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... dbSynchro is a set of FoxPro routines for redundant data synchronization between a single master database set and remote database sets. For use when data is entered or accessed at site where data is not permanently stored. Core...

CA-Clipper libraries. (Building Blocks Publishing Inc. introduces CLimage image management library and CLGraph/3D 4.0 graphing and charting library) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... CLimage is an image management library for CA-Clipper that allows developers to display, print, and manipulate BMP, GIF, PCX, TGA, and TIFF images. Price is $149. CLGraph/3D 4.0 is a graphing and charting library for CA-Clipper that...

Spelling help. (VisualTools Inc. introduces VT-Speller spell-checking software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
April 1, 1994... VT-Speller features spell checking interface and 100,000+ word American English language dictionary. Available as VB custom control (VBX); can be accessed directly by Microsoft's Visual Basic or Visual C++. Price is $99.

Easy Mac-to-DOS transfers. (Mac-In-DOS for Windows 2.0 from Pacific Microelectronics Inc.) (Software Review) (Brief Article) (Evaluation)
April 1, 1994... If you're a developer who finds yourself working in a mixed environment of Macintoshes and PCs, Pacific Microelectronics, Inc., provides a simple way to exchange files between Macs and PCs without buying special hardware and cables....

CA-Visual Objects - an overview. (the design and development of Computer Associates International Inc.'s CA-Visual Objects software) (Cover Story)
April 1, 1994... The challenges When planning for the product that became CA-Visual Objects, we didn't just think "Clipper for Windows." We considered the demands of the market-place and the needs not yet met by today's development tools. The...

John Carolan talks VO. (Computer Associates, Ireland's John Carolan discusses CA-Visual Objects in an interview) (Interview)
April 1, 1994... During the 1993 Computer Associates TechniCon conference in Orlando, August 21-26, I had the pleasure of catching up with John Carolan of Computer Associates, Ireland, to discuss some philosophical issues regarding the CA-Visual Objects...

Integration on an evolving desktop. (desktop environment continues to expand and users demand new ways to work with their data) (includes related article on DOS integration) (Developer Report)
April 1, 1994... The desktop environment has been expanding in capacity, power, and technology. Long gone are the days of 64K RAM with apps loading from 120K floppy drives; soon, even 640K with 1.44M floppies will become obsolete. Today, PCs with 32M of RAM...

Assembling a Windows development toolbox. (Windows Development) (Column)
April 1, 1994... Everybody's talkin' 'bout C++, Visual Basic, dBASE IV and FoxPro, too. C Compilers, Assembler language and once in awhile even Modula II. Talkin' 'bout Access, Realizer, Clipper, Powerbuilder, SQL Windows and...not much about the peasants of...

Keeping the lid on your databases. (Tutorial) (Application Developer) (Column)
April 1, 1994... Network operating systems and multiuser database management systems are designed to allow users to share data. But for many organizations, it's equally important to be able to prevent data from being shared. Data security is one of the...

Products preview. (Special Report: DB/Expo 94)
April 1, 1994... Acucobol, Inc., (619) 689-7220 Acu4GL is available for Oracle V6 and V7, in addition to INFORMIX On-Line and INFORMIX-SE. Acu4GL interfaces COBOL to relational database management systems by generating SQL queries. It generates industry...

Client/server development tools: which one's for you? (includes related article on categorizing client/server development tools) (Special Report: DB/Expo 94)
April 1, 1994... Vendors in many sectors of the computer industry are now offering client/server application development tools, ranging in price from a couple of hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Confusion mounts as the market gets more...

Solectron moves from Xbase to client/server. (Solectron Corp. uses real-time shop floor tracking system to monitor products and processes) (Special Report: DB/Expo 94)
April 1, 1994... For Solectron, an electronic manufacturing services firm whose principle product is printed circuit boards, a recently introduced system combining ObjectView, Windows NT, and Microsoft/Sybase SQL Server provides up-to-the-second information...

Select* from RDBMS. (competition increasing in relational database management systems market) (Special Report: DB/Expo 94)
April 1, 1994... The market for relational databases has become more and more competitive. The innovations of one vendor quickly find their way into other vendors' products. It used to be that you could simply compare the feature list and evaluate it...

A roadmap for Xbase developers. (Xbase market maintains respect) (Special Report: DB/Expo 94)
April 1, 1994... Xbase development, traditionally a mainstay of small companies and the bread and butter of many small business consultants, thrives in that niche of the corporate world where desktop applications, like spreadsheets and word processors, rule....

Database forecast: the changing application development industry, part 2. (writers and editors respond to the views of leading software industry executives concerning the direction of the application development software industry) (six views of the application development software industry)
April 1, 1994... Last month, we talked to CEOs, Presidents, and Vice Presidents at Computer Associates, Gupta, Informix, Lotus, Microsoft, Novell, Oracle, Powersoft, Software Publishing Corp., Sybase, and Versant about the direction the application...

Lotus 1-2-3: a front end for database applications? (tutorial) (Software Techniques) (Column)
April 1, 1994... Some people would say that Lotus 1-2-3 is the most popular database program in the world, even though it isn't a database program. However, that depends on your point of view. Lotus 1-2-3 doesn't have all the database power of most database...

Get your data together. (replication helps centralize data control)(includes related article on how Lotus Notes does replication) (Client/Server Advisor: Data Replication) (Column)
April 1, 1994... It's Friday afternoon, about 5:00 p.m. Your boss comes in and asks you to run a wuick report. "No problem," you answer, unaware that the remote database server you need to access has gone down. You try to run the report and start getting...

The magic behind Magic. (Magic Software Enterprises' Magic database application development software) (Client/Server Advisor: Client/Server Developer) (Column)
April 1, 1994... Perhaps you've seen advertisements for Magic software and heard about the phenomal success Magic has had at the Droege Developers' Competition, held each fall in North Carolina. Developers using Magic have won that competition two years in a...

An easy way to build a calendar. (Client/Server Advisor: PowerBuilder Pro)(Column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1994... Here's how to build a calendar in PowerBuilder using a datawindow. You can build it with standard controls on a window, but it's too slow. A datawindow-based calendar is superior. There are two major parts to developing a popup calendar...

The server side: get started with SQLBase. (Client/Server Advisor: Inside SQLWindows)(Column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1994... Last month, I discussed concurrency issues surrounding the construction of multi-user, graphical, client-server systems. I explained the behavior of various locking blueprints, or isolation levels, arguing that optimistic concurrency may...

What do Notes consultants earn? (Client/Server Advisor: Systems Integration Tips) (Column)
April 1, 1994... With groupware becoming a hot technology in the database industry, Notes is getting a lot of attention from consultants. I surveyed a number of Lotus Notes consultants around the world to find out what they charge to set up a Notes server,...

Pushing dates off weekends. (using the NOWEEKND() function to push a date forward from a weekend to the following Monday) (Client/Server Advisor: dBase Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1994... This month we are going to switch gears and work on two versions of the same function--NOWEEKND(). I designed it to push a date forward from a weekend to the following Monday. In addition to the real work this function provides, we are also...

Build data driven SQL SELECTs in FoxPro. (Client/Server Advisor: FoxPro Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1994... Data driven SQL SELECTs (SELECTs built at execution time and based on information stored in a database) provide users with a seemingly limitless query capability and supply developers with a common data filtering tool for reports. In this...

The alias problem. (avoiding record monogamy) (tutorial) (Client/Server Advisor: Clipper Developer) (Column)
April 1, 1994... My pal Brian builds film sets for David Cronenberg movies. He has a video collection you would die for, catalogued in FoxPro and indexed every which way but loose. We often talk databases, and his bonehead refusal to accept my clinically...

Secure your ObjectPAL applications. (a simple security system that employs encryption in Paradox for Windows) (Client/Server Advisor: Paradox Basics)(Column) (Tutorial)
April 1, 1994... Last month we looked at how Paradox for Windows provides encryption of the tables in your database. This month, we'll take a quick look at a simple-to-implement security system that takes advantage of that encryption. It's an approach that...

Calendar of events.
April 1, 1994... Distributed Computing World--For companies implementing distributed systems. Conferences will include Client/Server Developers Conference, and Distributed Technologies and Applications Conference. Expo showcase with more than 200 exhibits....

Database confidential. (humor) (Column)
April 1, 1994... As Buzz passed a local snake charmer on his way to the Taj Mahal, an oversized cobra shot unexpectedly from the basket, making a close pass at his scared-stiff Buzziness before slithering off. Inside the basket was a set of plans detailing a...