Data Based Advisor articles from February 1994

Data Based Advisor archives from February 1994

Take Notes. (At Press Time) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1994... The Lotusphere conference held in December in Orlando, Fla. might have been more appropriately called The Lotus Notes Developer's Conference. More than 2,000 attendees rushed to learn about a flurry of add-ons and future directions of Notes,...

Wang Labs sets sights on client/server. (At Press Time) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1994... What does a company like Wang Laboratories, Inc. (508-459-5000) do after emerging from bankruptcy? Wang posted healthy profits last quarter and is back to business, this time touting the client/server line with OPEN/query builder, a Windows...

World Cup goes client/server. (World Cup USA) (At Press Time) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1994... World Cup USA, 1994, Inc., the organization that plans the World Cup soccer tournament, is turning out to be a model for client/server. The company, which formed in 1989 with one employee and expects to be a Fortune 200 company by 1994, is...

The shape of things to come. (Editor on the Go.) (Editorial)
February 1, 1994... In next month's issue you'll find futuristic observations by several of the computer industry's leading lights. In this column I make a few predictions of my own. How should you evaluate such predictions? If you find the same point made...

Codewright 3.0 for Windows integrates editors and workbenches. (Software Review) (Premia Corp. Codewright programming editor) (Evaluation)
February 1, 1994... Codewright 3.0, $249 (Windows or NT) Premia Corp. 1075 N.W. Murray Blvd., Suite 268 Portland, OR 97229 (503) 641-6000, fax (503) 641-6001 CompuServe 70673,2627 The latest version of Codewright 3.0, from Premia Corp., not only raises the...

FoxDriver - a step up from FoxPro's printer driver. (OnTyme Software printing utility for Microsoft Foxpro) (Software Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
February 1, 1994... FoxDriver, $249 OnTYme Software P.O. Box 521135 Longwood, FL 32752-1135 (407)774-1422 CompuServe 73302,2561 DOS printer drivers are the bane of many a mass-market DOS application. DOS printer drivers are necessary to ensure your program...

CoStar LabelWriter II - lots of labels, no fuss. (Hardware Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
February 1, 1994... CoStar LaberlWriter II, $299.95 CoStar Corp. 100 Field Point Road Greenwich, CT 06830-6406 (203)661-9700 The CoStar LabelWriter II Plus printer is one of the smallest and most unique devices I've ever seen. As its name implies, it does...

Should you do OS/2 development? (OS/2 Developer)
February 1, 1994... Your client just called to report the application worked the first time and they loved the responsive interface. I suspect this is the dream of every application developer. Today, however, this is most likely a wonderful...

Clarion Database Developer 3.0 rings in loud and clear. (Software Review) (includes related article on Windows and Pen versions) (Evaluation)
February 1, 1994... Clarion Database Developer 3.0, $995 Clarion Software Corp. 150 East Sample Road Pompano Beach, Fl 33064 800-354-4444, (305)785-4555 Fax (305) 946-1650 First the disclaimers: I'm a Clarion fan. I like to develop applications quickly,...

A primer: computer-based training. (Database Training) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Computer-based training, or CBT, can be developed for all types of educational environments. Businesses use CBT to teach professional skills. Human resource departments use it to explain the details of benefits packages. Teaching...

Your guide to database training. (overview of tutorial and buyers' guide)
February 1, 1994... As is often said, the only constant is change. In the real world, this applies to users learning new software and integrating it into the everyday workflow. But even the most enthusiastic user can be reluctant to accept new technology....

Using Spreadsheets with Databases. (Book Review)
February 1, 1994... Many developers approach every business problem by designing a new database application. Similarly, those whose primary tool of analysis is the spreadsheet tend to interpret every problem with a mathematical expression. Clearly, some...

SQL support in KASE:VIP. (new client/server development tool from KASEWORKS Inc.) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... KASE:VIP is a client/server development tool for Windows and OS/2 PM, now with SQL support. The tool provides visual design and code generation for building graphical interfaces and client/server environments in standard languages such as C,...

M.A.T.I.S.S.E. ports to Windows. (ADB Inc.) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... The M.A.T.I.S.S.E. database management system client now ports to Windows. M.A.T.I.S.S.E. combines object-oriented modeling capabilities with mission critical transaction technology. With the Windows 3.1 port, M.A.T.I.S.S.E. will run on all...

Jetform adds SQL and ODBC. (JetForm 4.0) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... JetForm 4.0 gives users multi-user database read, write, and update capabilities, including record locking and index updating. Users have access to a wide variety of SQL and ASCII databases, including dBASE and compatibles, Paradox, Oracle,...

Oracle RDBMS monitor. (Aston-Brooke Software DB-Vision) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... DB-Vision monitors the performance impact of individual SQL statements in Oracle7, and has icons to represent all Oracle databases in a user configurable hierarchy, and an on-line DB Advisor function. DB-Vision lets administrators monitor an...

Reduce development time. (Corporate Computing RADPath) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... RadPath is a Windows-based software development product for corporations to develop GUI client/ server applications. RADPath provides three paths--Infrastructure, Management, and Development. The INFRASTRUCTURE Path outlines organizational...

Multi-platform spreadsheet. (Computer Associates CA-Visual 20/20) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Computer Associates is shipping CA-Visual 20/20, a graphical 3-D spreadsheet for Windows that lets applications be shared in a hetergeneous, networked computing environment. It offers spreadsheet users direct networked access to VAX-host...

Client/server development tools. (Easel Corp. Enterprise Workbench) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Enterprise Workbench from Easel Corporation features: visual, point-and-click SQL access; integration of code from CASE tools; and a 32-bit architecture. Also included is EASEL Renovator Plus, a development tool designed specifically for...

MAGIC NLM. (Magic Software Enterprises) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... The Net Ware Loadable Module (NLM) Versions of MAGIC from Magic Software runs on a server under Novell's optimized 32-bit NetWare operating system. MAGIC NLM lets users run directly on a NetWare file server. Server-based MAGIC applications...

FREE DataLens from Lotus. (Lotus Notes DataLens for Windows) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Lotus Development Corp. is shipping free Lotus Notes DataLens for Windows, a set of drivers that connect Lotus Notes with leading relational database management systems (RDBMSs). Included are drivers for dBASE, Paradox, IBM OS/2 Database...

32-bit tool for OS/2 developers. (Prominaire Development System from Stewart, Dufour and Gossage Ltd.) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Prominare Development System combines a GUI design and code generation tool with a development environment and a programming editor. The tool supports PM controls; C and C++ compilers and CommonView; and programming code for OS/2 PM, Windows,...

Eliminate data incompatibility. (AutoImport translation software from Spalding Software Inc.) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Autolmport is a data translation utility that translates data between mainframe and PC software applications. Supports Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Quattro, dBASE, FoxPro, Clipper, Clarion, and others. Handles unwanted control characters, commas,...

PC to mainframe. (TransPortal PRO from Frustrum Group) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... TransPortal PRO is a data exchange tool kit that integrates PC applications with mainframe and midrange systems through 3270, 5250, and VT 100/220 emulation packages. Made up of a set of commands that extends many PC programs written in...

Access to enterprise data. (Acumate Enterprise Solution from Kenan Technologies) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... Acumate Enterprise Solution (ES) Version 1.0, has true client/server capabilities, object-oriented programming, and instructional on-screen "Co-pilots" for data configuration and analysis. Acumate ES runs on Windows NT, OS/2, and UNIX Server...

Build FoxPro demos. (EL Software DMaker) (News)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1994... DMaker lets you build a demo or tutorial for FoxPro applications around screen shots of your products. Screens are captured and converted into slides with a TSR. DMaker lets slides call FoxPro commands and passes control to your application....

Committee moves toward defining core language. (XBase database language)
February 1, 1994... At the sixth meeting of the X3J19, hosted by Borland in San Jose in December, the committee made significant progress toward defining the core of the Xbase language. However, the "core" may exclude some of the newer language features....

1993 Developers Competition: the winner's circle. (Field Report)
February 1, 1994... The concept of the Developers Competition grew out of my observations as I was involved with our users group. Many would talk about what they could do, but few would actually show how they were doing it. The first competition in January...

Improve your applications via data modeling. (Client/Server Advisor) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Many developers have come to the conclusion that the foundation for any successful database application is a good data model. A data model is a system "blueprint" providing: * A tangible, yet easily revisable design * A clear picture...

The metamorphosis of Oracle. (Client/Server Advisor)
February 1, 1994... Oracle Corporation seems to be putting its house in order and aggressively pursuing the number one spot among client/server companies. The health of Oracle may be critical to corporations and governments struggling to "rightsize" in order to...

From ODBC to RMS and back again. (Client/Server Advisor) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... ConnX, $495 (single user) to $9,500 (site license) CNA Computer Systems Engineering P.O. Box 70248 Bellevue, WA 98007 (206) 861-4736; 800-235-4091 If your company is using both PCs and a VAX, chances are you have been experiencing some...

Build independent applications. (Client/Sever Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... With my recent change in jobs, I've spent some time looking at products that have piqued my curiousity and should be interesting to the readers of this column. My research may save you time as you consider some of these products. One such...

Understand data types and constraints. (Client/Server Advisor: Inside SQLWindows) (Column)
February 1, 1994... This month's column is on SQLWindows' supported data types, variables, constants, and symbol references. SQLWindows is a case-sensitive, strongly typed language that has a surprisingly small number of data types. The number of data types is...

Develop MDI applications in PowerBuilder. (Multiple Document Interface) (Client/Server Advisor: PowerBuilder Pro)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Most Windows 3.1 applications use the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) paradigm--the standard for Windows applications' look and feel. If you run Windows and use almost any commercial application, you're already familiar with MDI. In fact,...

Embarcadero makes client/server work. (Client/Server On-Line) (Interview)
February 1, 1994... Stuart Browning is President of Embarcadero Technologies, Inc., a San Francisco-based database consultancy and developer of client/server tools, including Rapid SQL for SQL Server. Browning spent the last three years building two major,...

Ensure proper capitaliZation. (dBase Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... dBASE IV does not have native functions to deal with proper capitalization, so we will build our own from scratch. The only functions that dBASE IV has to work with are UPPER() and LOWER(). They take a string and convert it completely to...

Build help files for FoxPro 2.0 and 2.5. (FoxPro Developer)(Column - includes related article on using MAKEHELP program in the field) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Building help files is a time-consuming task usually left to the end of the project, or left out altogether. Delivering a system without customized, context-sensitive help is doubly unfortunate in FoxPro. First, users find FoxPro's help...

Take advantage of INIT/EXIT procedures. (Hardcore Clipper)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... CA-Clipper 5.2's language introduced many new constructs, built-in functions, and facilities. In this article, I talk about two new concepts, INIT and EXIT procedures, which aren't entirely new, but have not been previously documented. ...

Polish your ObjectPAL applications. (Paradox Basics)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Part of your job as an ObjectPAL developer is to spruce up the appearance of your applications. One common objective is to prevent the application from appearing to be running under Paradox. We want to make the application look and feel...

Make your multi-user applications more reliable. (Visual Basic Expert)(Column - includes related article on tip of the month) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... The project was behind schedule, the users were fuming, and the developers were refusing to work later than midnight. The project had to ship on time--users needed it by the first of July--period. Faced with an unyielding internal...

Snappy MAPI: the messaging application programming interface. (Windows Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
February 1, 1994... Some folks think the Information SuperHighway as something yet to be created. Not so. In fact, the side roads and existing thoroughfares already channel a huge volume of traffic. CompuServe, the Internet, intra-company networks, and wide...

Check out these recent uploads. (DB Connections)
February 1, 1994... In the last few weeks, more than 60 new or revised files have been uploaded to the libraries of the Data Based Advisor Forum. They cross the spectrum from press releases, slide-show demos, help files, public-domain software to freeware and...

Calendar of events.
February 1, 1994... Software World USA, The Advanced Application Development Conference and Exposition--For application developers, software engineers, systems analysts, managers, and vendors (formerly CASE WORLD Conference and Exposition). Over 100 conference...

Database confidential.
February 1, 1994... Is ODBC dead? Silly question, considering how widely it's already supported. But some think it's no longer a live part of Microsoft strategy. Buzz hears whispers that MS might hand off care and feeding to a third party, perhaps Q+E...

Correction. (Correction Notice)
February 1, 1994... In the December Xbase Standard update, we said C.W. Kreimer of APPtitude Seminars is hopeful that his list will move the standard forward. We should have said this list, referring to the one expected from the big three vendors.