Data Based Advisor articles from December 1994

Data Based Advisor archives from December 1994

Lotus acquires Edge. (Lotus Development Corp acquires Lotus Notes application development tool vendor Edge Research Inc) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Lotus Development Corp. acquired Edge Research, Inc., of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a supplier of application development tools for Lotus Notes. Lotus says it will account for the transaction as a purchase; the acquisition isn't expected to...

Quadbase-SQL XB Server supports ODBC. (Quadbase Systems' Quadbase-SQL XB Server version 3.0A) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... A scaleable, client/server version of Quadbase-SQL, Quadbase-SQL XB Servers 3.0A, now supports ODBC as a native API and has enhanced efficiency, which Quadbase Systems says they've achieved by eliminating complex mapping, API translation, and...

Dharma's QDBC Integrator for the desktop. (Dharma Systems Inc's client-oriented data integrator for desktop data access) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... ODBC Integrator is a client-oriented data integrator that the company says will help reduce cost, the need for integration skills, and administration for desktop data access. ODBC Integrator provides an ODBC interface for automatic...

SPI's latest RAD tool. (Software Products International Inc's WindowBASE version 2.0 DBMS supports rapid application development) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... One of the first Windows database management systems on the market, Window-base, has been upgraded. WindowBASE 2.0 provides a graphical environment for nonprogrammers that want to build multi-database applications using existing data. The...

ClientSoft reengineering tool for Windows. (ClientBuilder version 4.0 business reengineering software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... A Windows version of ClientBuilder 4.0, a business reengineering tool, gives users what ClientSoft calls "efficient workflows," by migrating legacy applications to client/server using new or existing systems without changing host systems....

Other News. (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Cognos, Inc. (613)738-1440 is beta testing Impromptu 3.0 database reporting tool... Alpha Software (61 7)229-2924 released Alpha 5 for Windows, and Application Pack with business and home user applications, and Productivity pack, which includes...

Competitions and conferences: and a disappointing XTreeGold for Windows. (Editor on the Go) (Editorial)
December 1, 1994... Developers Competition results The 1994 Developers Competition Advisor Developers Conference was, as always, a fascinating, valuable experience. The idea of the competition is to simulate a real-world development scenario, in a way that...

Feedback. (Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 1994... The Update on CA-Visual Objects I called Programmer's Warehouse to order my upgrade to CA-Visual Objects. Programmer's Warehouse informed me that the official release date had been postponed, and no upgrade policy for Clipper users is...

Automate application development test cycles. (AutoTester Inc's AutoTester for Windows 2.0 software testing tool) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... Testing software is one of the least glamorous aspects of application development. It's not usually a sought after role in the project team, primarily because of its repetitive and tedious nature. Developers would rather think their code always...

Versions provides version control, and then some. (StarBase Corp's Versions 1.1 version control software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... Have you ever deleted an important source file on a Friday night and had to work very late restoring it from a backup, then redo your changes? Or have you ever been cursed with that sinking feeling that occurs when your boss asks you to...

Events.
December 1, 1994... * Windows Solutions, Frankfurt, Germany, 29 November-2 December--Conference and Exposition on Windows application development and implementation, for developers, managers, and end-users. Speakers include Advisor editor-in-chief Ziff Messe &...

Enterprise development. (LBMS Inc's Systems Engineer 5.2 client/server application development software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Enterprise Development The Common Object Repository Environment (CORE) provides approach to building large-scale, client/server applications, based on a multi-user, multi-tool repository that promotes reuse of objecxts. Dynamically...

GUI for Oracle. (Gupta Corp's QuickObjects for Oracle object-oriented graphical interface to stored procedures in Oracle relational databases) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... GUI for Oracle QuickObjects for Oracle is an object-oriented graphical interface to stored procedures in Oracle relational databases. Lets developers incorporate Oracle stored procedures into their SQLWindows apps, through drag-and-drop...

On-line analytical processing. (Metapraxis's Enterprise Knowledge Server data integration software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... On-Line Analytical Processing The Enterprise Knowledge Server (EKS) family of Windows-based tools integrate data from multiple independent underlying databases via a single, integrated, user-defined menu. Tools are: the Enterprise...

Recital expands to DOS, Oracle. (Recital Corp's Visual Recital database application development software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Recital Expands to DOS, Oracle Visual Recital 1.0 for MS-DOS is a development system for client/server and host/server-based applications. Application Development Tools, Application Objects, and Work Surfaces reduce programming time....

Paradox tools. (Kallista Inc's Menu Object Manager 2.0 application and code generator, ObjectSpy documentation utility, and SpellBound spell checking program for Paradox for Windows) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... The Menu Object Manager (MOM) 2.0 is an application and code generator for Paradox for Windows 4.5 and 5.0. Allows developers to create Paradox menus and attach actions to them without writing any ObjectPAL code. Supports menu options ,...

Order desk software. (National Computer Dynamics' NCD Business Builder marketing and sales order processing software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... NCD Business Builder is marketing and sales order processing software that integrates with AccPac Plus and SBT accounting systems, and others. Features include: Custom laser-quality invoices; multi-warehouse locations and inventory control;...

Imaging library. (Accusoft Corp's Accusoft Image Format Library 5.0 reads Kodak Photo CD image formats) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... The Accusoft Image Format Library 5.0 reads Kodak Photo CD image formats. includes Photo CD, PhotoShop, MacPaint, Windows ICO, Sun Raster, X-Windows, Brook-Trout, IOCA, and 28 other formats. Supports raster image formats, includes a color...

Visual Basic Database Programming.
December 1, 1994... Visual Basic has become a popular general-purpose Windows programming tool for rapid creation of applications. One reason for this is that it doesn't require you to master the intricacies of Windows Internals and the SDK. Although VB can be...

Object-based programming tool. (Menai Corp's Gamelon File I/O Library) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... The Gamelon File I/O Library allows developers to build flexible the structures using combinations of aggregate and data objects. Available for OS/2. Windows, and Windows NT. Simplifies development with file API that provides free-form data...

Accounting software. (ColumbuSoft's Fixed Asset Module in its Accounting for Clipper series of general accounting modules) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Accounting for Clipper is a series of general accounting modules, the newest of which is the Fixed Asset Module. The modules are sold with optimized source code for Clipper's compiler. There are six modules available: General Ledger; Accounts...

Windows-based platform. (ClientSoft Inc's ClientBuilder 4.0 for migrating legacy applications from mainframes to client/server) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... ClientBuilder 4.0 is a Windows version of the ClientBuilder development platform. Migrates legacy applications to a client/server environment, using any combination of new or existing systems, without changing host systems. Merges existing apps...

Imaging tools. (TMS Inc's ViewDirector/VBX and ViewDirector/NewEra document imaging toolkits) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... ViewDirector/VBX is a document imaging toolkit that allows developers to image-enable Windows applications using Visual Basic or Visual C/C++. Provides users with display and manipulation for TIFF G3/G4, color JPEG and PCX documents. Provides...

Advanced Visual Basic: A Developer's Guide.
December 1, 1994... Mark Burgess 1994, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ISBN 0-207-60828-6 400pages, Disk, $39.95 Unlike the other two books reviewed here, Advanced Visual Basic is not completely focused on database aspects. It's a guide for professional...

A Hitchhiker's Guide to VBSQL, Third Edition.
December 1, 1994... William R. Vaughn 1994 DBA Beta V (206) 556-9205 ISBN: 0-9640242-0-9 275 Pages (oversized), $45.00 Hitchhiker's Guide to VBSQL, subtitled The Developer's Roadmap to the Visual Basic Library for SQL Server, is a specialized book for...

PowerBuilder training product. (Compunnel Software Group Inc's PowerBuilder CBT training software for the PowerBuilder front-end GUI application development software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... PowerBuilder CBT lets programmers learn the features of PowerBuilder as they develop a front-end GUI application. The multi-user, network-capable training program comes packaged as a CD. A non-multimedia version was scheduled for release...

NetWare API library. (MH Software's dGPLIB) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... dGPLIB is a NetWare API library for dBASE for Windows. Lets developers take advantage of NetWare with over 75 NetWare-specific commands, includes on-line and printed documentation, samples. Reads user id and name, sets capture parameters, tells...

Sybase/Microsoft SQL Server environment. (Analytical Solutions Inc's MDS PowerBase 2.0 development environment for Sybase/Microsoft SQL Server) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... MDS PowerBase 2.0 is a development environment for SYBASE/Microsoft SQL Server programmers. Includes ad hoc query facilities and maintenance of database objects, lets developers edit result sets of queries, run BCP, and more. Can develop and...

Data compression toolkit. (Inner Media Inc's DynaZIP VBX data compression toolkit for Visual Basic) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... DynaZIP VBX is a data compression toolkit for Visual Basic. Developers can include options in their programs, including the ability to read, test, create, modify and write ZIP files without shelling out to DOS. Can read and write files...

Debugging the client/server link. (Blue Lagoon Software's SQL Inspector and ODBC Inspector debugging software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... Debugging a client/server application requires much more work than debugging a client-only application (which is difficult enough in itself). With a client-only app, you work with one component: the interface/local database engine. With a...

Client/server toolset. (AT&T Global Information Solutions will develop a toolset with Four Seasons Software for fast client/server application development) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... AT&T Global information Solutions has announced an agreement with Four Seasons Software to develop a toolset that will allow customers to quickly build important client/server applications. The toolset will integrate TOP End, AT&T's...

Desktop mapping software. (Strategic Mapping Inc's Atlas GIS for Windows 2.0) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Atlas GIS for Windows 2.0 is desktop mapping software that offers built-in SQL connectivity for users in client/server environments. includes presentation features, such as multiple map insets, a customization toolkit based on Visual Basic, and...

Windows-to-UNIX integration. (NobleNet Inc's MultiView Desktop 4.0 Windows-to-UNIX integration and terminal emulation software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... MultiView Desktop 4.0 is Windows-to-UNIX integration and terminal emulation software. Offers emulation of all major UNIX consoles and terminals. Includes tools to enhance integration between Windows and UNIX environments. Offers terminal...

Operating system support. (Trinzic Corp's InfoPump 1.2 DBMS utility) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... InfoPump 1.2 includes new server environments. Latest version is optimized to support full 32-bit implementation of the OS/2, AIX and Windows NT. Features new database interfaces, including Ingres (AIX, NT, and OS/2), informix (AIX and NT),...

VBX custom control. (Napersoft Inc's DocLink/VB for Windows VBX) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... DocLink/VB 1.0 for Windows VBX is a custom control that simplifies the linking of applications to Windows-based word processors. Integrates new and existing applications to WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, and Lotus Ami Pro. Eliminates the need to...

ODBC-RMS connection. (CNA Computer Systems Engineering Inc's ConnX ODBC Driver for RMS file structures) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... ConnXODBC Driver for RMS file structures lets products such as Visual Basic, Microsoft Access, Excel 5.0 and Crystal Report Writer read and write to individual RMS records. Programmers can use the ODBC programming technology when they code,...

Online SPI database. (Dataware Technologies Inc's BRS/SEARCH full-text, online information retrieval system will be used for the Software Patent Institute's SPI Database of Software Technologies online reference service) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... BRS/SFARCH, a full-text, on-line information retrieval system, has been selected for the Software Patent Institute's new on-line reference service--the SPI Database of Software Technologies. The SPI Database contains over 10,000 records related...

Debugging tools. (NuMega Technologies Inc's BOUNDS-CHECKER32/s and SoftICE/W 1.5 debugging software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... BOUNDS-CHECKER32/s 1.0 and Soft-ICE/W 1. 5 provide debugging solutions for application and systems-level developers. Support the Microsoft Win32s environment. BOUNDS-CHECKER32/s 1.0 catches Win32 programming errors. Combines the functionality...

Information tracking. (UnderWare Inc's Track Record 1.5 information-tracking tool for PC software developers) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Track Record 1.5, an information-tracking tool for PC software developers, includes the full graphing capabilities and access controls for workgroup use. Tracks ongoing tasks dynamically, keeps a project history, and clarifies relationships...

Visual Basic book. (Building Blocks Publishing Inc's Visual Basic Power Guides) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... Visual Basic Power Guides are a combination of guide books, self-teach courseware, and a collection of debugged, reusable source code components. Consists of three guides that show how to create professional applications using Visual Basic....

ODBC access. (Empress Software Inc's Empress ODBC Interface database access software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... The EMPRESS ODBC Interface provides users of ODBC-enabled applications with access to data stored in EM PRESS databases. Offers connectivity between UNIX servers and PCs. Server configuration must include EMPRESS 6.4 with Dynamic SQL, and...

Batch file utility. (Computer Tyme Software Lab's BatZap DOS file management software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... BatZap is a DOS utility that automatically modifies batch files and other types of text configuration files, and automates software distribution on networks. Can also be used as a smart batch file switch. Written in Marx-Menu language, comes...

Skill inventory application. (NETA's Skillview organizational skill inventory software) (Product Announcement) (Brief Article)
December 1, 1994... SkillView is an organizational skill inventory application that provides a quantitative view of staff skills and competencies. Defines an organization's required performance standards and compares staff's competencies to that, identifies...

Dress up your applications. (Lenel Systems International Inc's MediaDeveloper programming tools for creating standalone Windows multimedia applications or adding multimedia to existing applications) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... Multimedia brings instant impact and interest to applications through graphic images, sound effects, and full-motion video. In the past, incorporating multi-media elements into software was a time-consuming process that required developers to...

Downsizing's "other" considerations. (what happens to people when an organization downsizes its computer operation) (Developer Issues) (Column)
December 1, 1994... Ever since "downsizing" became a buzzword, people have written a lot about selecting the right equipment, connectivity, security, and products. Case studies show that a mainframe DB2 application can move successfully to a microcomputer-based...

International apps, part 1: design considerations. (international application development) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... Today's marketplace is global, with goods and services sold across continents and oceans as often as across the street. To compete, software applications must also become global or shut themselves off from large groups of potential customers....

Secrets of a high-performing team: joint application design (JAD) is effective when examined and implemented in components. (includes a related article on the Harvard Medical School, Division of Medical Sciences' use of JAD) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... The success of an enterprise database development project hinges on how the project manager defines and integrates the development team. The concept of team in projects must change to include relevant lay-staff members of the business for which...

IBM's AntiVirus solution for client/server environments. (AntiVirus 1.6) (includes related articles on IBM's development of an auto-immune system, and on computer emergency response teams) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... The growth of client/server and its increased external network connections has created a real virus headache for computer security people, according to Alan A. Fedeli, Manager of the AntiVirus services with IBM's Integrated Systems Solutions...

Business modeling with semantic objects. (Technical)
December 1, 1994... Database application development is a time-consuming, error-prone process--and one that requires some expertise. Today's sophisticated database applications are also expensive to create in terms of time, dollars, and effort. To make...

Text data managers help untangle the mess; these five products try to make sense out of unstructured data. (text databases) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
December 1, 1994... Not all data fits into nice neat fields and records. Sometimes, data can be found in text files, downloads from on-line services, word processing files, or other file formats that store your data in variable lengths. Wouldn't it be nice to be...

Extend PowerBuilder with add-ons.
December 1, 1994... As a developer, you're often measured by the number of features you deliver to your customers, and how fast you deliver finished applications. PowerBuilder is a popular development environment because it lets developers create sophisticated...

PowerBuilder can do. (Wisconsin Public Service's mobile pen-based system built with PowerBuilder, Microsoft Windows for Pen, and the PowerBuilder Pen Library) (includes a related article on client/server data exchange in the system)
December 1, 1994... When it comes to building a mobile pen-based system try PowerBuilder with MS-Windows for Pen and the PowerBuilder Pen Library. You've just been given the assignment to develop a pen-based system for field service reps. Will you be able to...

Client/server tools go desktop: or is it: Desktop tools go client/server? (client/server application development merges with desktop application development tools) (includes a related article on vendors' opinions on client/server-desktop development)
December 1, 1994... Let's go back to 1984. I remember designing, building, and marketing an application. The application included "sophisticated" word processing capabilities like: text combined with business graphics, embedded data references, conditional text,...

Bugs, fixes, and workarounds. (system integration solutions for client/server application development) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... How many ways can a piece of software be broken? Let me count the ways: software can be buggy, in beta, pre-release, field-test, alpha, patched, or kludged. It can be a band-aid on a fix that started with a workaround. It can be a working demo...

Updating multiple tables from a datawindow: here's an alternative to the hard-coded solution. (PowerBuilder Pro) (Tutorial) (Column)
December 1, 1994... PowerBuilder's ability to generate SQL Insert, Delete, and Update statements with a single function call is a powerful feature. The call, dw_control.Update(), is limited, however, to updating one table per datawindow control. To update more...

Is it really object oriented? (Gupta Corp's SQLWindows is an object-oriented environment) (Inside SQLWindows) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... Last issue, I introduced the theme of object-oriented programming and explored the SQLWindows implementation. Let's continue that discussion, illustrating the concepts with examples, and see if SQLWindows really is object-oriented. I'm not...

Open window communications for PowerBuilder. (PowerBuilder Developer) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... One of the most important issues in PowerBuilder development is communication between different application windows. Deciding on the right approach is crucial to the success of a project, and setting standards plays an important role in quality...

SQLWindows gets user-friendly with QuickObjects. (SQLWindows 5.0's QuickObjects for easy application development) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... One of the main features of SQLWindows 5.0 is the introduction of QuickObjects. QuickObjects are a collection of objects that, working together, can be used to create a fully functional application without writing any additional code. They...

Create faster Word applications with the Word API. (Microsoft Word for Windows programming) (Windows Developer) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... You've been developing applications for Microsoft Word. Your dreams at night are filled with visions of WordBasic statements and dynamic dialog boxes. You ask yourself questions like "why does WordBasic have annoying limitations like no Do......

Accessing ODBC functions from Visual Basic. (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... You may need to squeeze more performance out of your RDBMS. That's where the ODBC API comes in. I like using the VB Access JET engine. I like it because it's convenient. Everything is an object, from databases to dynasets, right down to...

On schedule with PICS's DateEdit. (ProtoView Development Corp's ProtoView Interface Component Set includes the DateEdit Control) (Visual Basic Professional 3.0: Custom Control of the Month) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... The DateEdit Control included in ProtoView's Interface Component Set (PICS) is an excellent example of a custom control with a combined sophisticated interface and data entry/editing capability for Visual Basic, Pascal and C++. With DateEdit in...

Ragged array grab bag: ragged arrays are innovative technologies inside CA-Clipper that solve some intriguing problems. (Hardcore Clipper) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... Ragged arrays are innovative technologies inside CA-Clipper that solve some intriguing problems. In this issue's column, I'm going to try something a bit different. We'll examine some esoteric uses of one of the most innovative...

Variable typing: the importance of being earnest. (CA-Visual Objects' strong variable array typing) (CA-VO Techniques) (includes a related article on typing rules) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... Your apps can be more efficient via VO's strong variable typing, but only if you use it. No, strong typing doesn't mean you type with a hammer. It refers to how your programs declare and use variables. CA-Clipper 5 programmers are used...

Extending the data-driven paradigm: the Access JET engine, if used properly, should do most of the driving in your applications. (Access Developer) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... The fundamental design of the application should be defined at the table or query level This is the most challenging objective to achieve. Once accomplished, it's a straightforward process to maintain or add functionality to your application....

Upsizing to client/server with dBASE for Windows: Borland's upsizing strategy emphasizes connectivity. (dBASE Developer) (Column) (Tutorial)
December 1, 1994... dBASE for Windows is a new generation application development environment that combines the popular dBASE language with the familiar Windows user interface, and along with that, access to the entire Windows programming environment. Not only...

Database Confidential. (rumors) (Column)
December 1, 1994... While on tour at the Microsoft Campus, the Buzzman had a chance to watch and even play what's becoming a popular game in the Redmond area--the Chicago Coin Toss. What's Chicago got to do with Redmond? Well, seems everyone's having a hard time...