Data Based Advisor articles from March 1993

Data Based Advisor archives from March 1993

Dataline.
March 1, 1993... LYMOUTH MEETING, PA -- National Software Testing Laboratories recently finished the third-and many hope, final-set of performance tests for multi-user database management systems, as December's Dataline reported they'd do. Surely, you've...

When readers speak, we listen. (data base management systems; C Programming Language) (Editorial)
March 1, 1993... Your response to our monthly Fax Feedback page has been both gratifying and rewarding. We're pleased to know that you want to share your views with us. And we are making great use of the facts and opinions you provide. We know that you won't...

Feedback. (includes two correction notices for Dec 1992 and Jan 1993 issues) (Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 1993... I read with great interest Doug Mahugh's "Set Up Remote Data Entry" (January). Thanks for highlighting a very powerful, flexible method for real-time systems. Many developers and users are unaware that wireless radio frequency (RF) computing...

CLIPX: Rx for better looking Clipper apps. (Software Review) (CLIPX, from G.G. Compu-Systems, a general purpose function library for Clipper Summer '87 and CA-Clipper 5.01)(Test Drives) (Evaluation)
March 1, 1993... CA-Clipper developers looking for a way to add performance, functionality, and visual appeal to their applications should take a look at CLIPX, from G.G. Compu-Systems. CLIPX, a general-purpose function library for Clipper Summer '87 and...

OOP - read all about it. (overview of six reviews of books on object oriented programming)(Test Drives)
March 1, 1993... OK, most of you are convinced that "object-orientation" is the wave of the future. You've probably also heard horror stories about how it's a new mindset, and that getting up to speed is probably going to take months. Hence the appeal of the...

Object-Oriented Analysis.
March 1, 1993... Peter Coad and Edward Yourdon have teamed up to offer a pair of books, Object-Oriented Analysis and Object-Oriented Design. Yourdon is well-known for his namesake methodology for structured systems analysis and design, and Coad sells CASE...

Object Lifestyles: Modeling the World in States.
March 1, 1993... Another Prentice-Hall title is Sally Shlaer and Stephen Mellor's Object Lifestyles: Modeling the Real World in States. This 288-page paperback describes the author's three-step technique for object-oriented analysis. Shlaer and Mellor's...

Object-Oriented Analysis and Design.
March 1, 1993... James Martin is the Isaac Asimov of data processing. He has authored or co-authored several titles on object-orientation: Principles of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, Object-Oriented Methods, and Object-Oriented Tools. Martin's company...

Object-Oriented Modeling and Design.
March 1, 1993... James Rumbaugh and his colleagues from the General Electric Research and Development Center have collaborated in another Prentice-Hall title, Object-Oriented Modeling and Design. This book should have more appeal to programmers than the...

Slicing thru source code. (CodeWorks Inc. enhances Valkyrie, the Clipper Summer '87 source code decompiler)(News) (Brief Article)
March 1, 1993... CodeWorks, Inc. updated Valkyrie, the Clipper Summer '87 source code decompiler. New features include a visual decompiler that lets you see the code on screen as programs are decompiled, and an enhanced preprocessor. The new preprocessor...

Computer librarian. (Integrated Development Corp. ships LibTools software for creating, managing and examining application libraries and modules)(News: Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Integrated Development Corp. shipped LibTools, a tool for creating, managing, and examining C/C++, assembler, and Xbase-compatible application libraries and object modules. It features module reporting and cross referencing, resolution of...

Object-Oriented Design With Applications.
March 1, 1993... Grady Booch's Object-Oriented Design With Applications is one of my favorites. Booch can be forgiven for his slightly academic tone and tendency to philosophize because he's really trying to prod us into thinking. He does that based on years...

Object-Oriented Programming.
March 1, 1993... Another good book is Greg Voss' 580-page Object-Oriented Programming. I like Voss' book since it devotes some 250 pages to application frameworks like Turbo Vision, C++ Views, and ObjectWindows. Application frameworks are special types of...

Fax-in-the-box. (Alacrity Systems introduces Fax Server-in-a-Box for Microsoft Windows for Workgroups)(News: Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Alacrity Systems released Fax Server-in-a-Box, a fax server for Microsoft's Windows for Workgroups. Fax Server-in-a-Box can fax from Windows apps with a simple print command or fax paper documents from a desktop scanner. Received faxes can be...

We fix headers. (Head Fix 1.5 data base recovery software from Hilco Software)(News: Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Hilco Software shipped Head Fix 1.5, database recovery software that can now repair dBASE IV and SQL files. According to the company, Head Fix resolves the "Not a dBASE file" problem by restoring headers in Xbase tables. It flags invalid...

Comic books and classics. (Brief Article)
March 1, 1993... Before you drop $40 on a new book, think about taking advantage of the Actor 4.0 demo disk and 60-page "Read Me First" tutorial. It's full of hand-drawn sketches that give a comic-book feel (and it's obviously designed to introduce Whitewater's...

Sensible solutions. (WinSense Windows optimizer from SoftLogic Solutions Inc.)(News: Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... SoftLogic Solutions Inc., shipped WinSense, a Windows optimizer. WinSense incorporates several features to make Windows use easier, including a user profile that evaluates workstyle and hardware resources to determine, recommend and make...

PC-host connectivity. (Clip2++ from DABIWA Ltd, for Xbase PC-to-host interface)(News: Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... DABIWA Ltd. released Clip2++, an Xbase PC-to-host data interface. Clip2++ uses two methods to connect to data on IBM 3270 mainframes and AS/400 System 36/38 midrange data: the Clip2++ Screen Object and Clip2++ Database Object. The Screen...

Barcodes for Windows database apps. (PrimaBase 3.1 Microsoft Windows relational data base from Scandinavian PC Systems Inc.)(News; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Scandinavian PC Systems, Inc., (SPCS), shipped PrimaBase 3.1, a Windows relational database. PrimaBase features include free-text or memo fields that can accomodate up to 32K, instant searching on indexed fields, word wrapping with report...

Clipper security. (Protection Plus Professional, from Concept Software, Clipper add-on for software controls)(News; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Concept Software shipped Protection Plus Professional, a Clipper add-on for adding software controls to applications. Protection Plus is a two-part system: the PROPLUS. EXE program that stores all protection and version information for each...

Data Manager for Windows - no pain for users. (Software Review) (data base management software from Timeworks Inc.)(Test Drives) (Evaluation)
March 1, 1993... Easy-to-use database managers of all shapes and sizes are now available for the Windows environment. One of the newcomers is Data Manager for Windows, a low-end Windows database system from Timeworks, Inc. Like Approach from Approach...

A better view of Informix data. (ObjectView 2.0 Microsoft Windows front end from Matesys Corp.)(News; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Matesys Corp.'s ObjectView 2.0, a Windows front-end programming tool, now supports Informix database servers, including Informix On-Line for UNIX and NetWare 2.2 ObjectView is used primarily to build custom front-end client/server applications,...

MapInfo add-ons. (MapInfo Corp. offers Maps&Data mapping software for visual analysis)(News; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... MapInfo Corp. now offers Maps&Data, Windows mapping software for visual analysis and presentation. Maps can be created from data imported from dBASE, Lotus, and Excel database files and ASCII type data, as well as BMP, TIF, and metafile image...

Data in the 4th Dimension. (4D Server multiuser version of 4th Dimension data base management system from ACI US Inc.)(News; Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... ACI US shipped 4D Server, a multiuser version of 4th Dimension, ACI US's stand-alone Mac DBMS. 4D Server has many of the same features of 4th Dimension, except that it provides administration services for monitoring tableand file usage, server...

DataBridge closes the DOS to Windows gap. (Software Review) (DataBridge 2.0 for Windows add-on software interface from Software Environments)(Test Drives) (Evaluation)
March 1, 1993... You're now using Windows with your current DOS-based applications. Do you ever need to take a quick look at the database table created by a DOS-based database manager while in Windows? Ever try to start that DOS-based database manager up only...

The developer's guide to database servers. (Database Report) (Cover Story)
March 1, 1993... The database servers available today offer the integrity, security, and performance of their predecessors in the minicomputer environment--but are priced far lower. These PC-based database servers have enabled many small companies to develop...

Why did you choose your server? (Database Report) (Cover Story)
March 1, 1993... If you ask 10 people why they chose their database server, you're likely to get 10 different answers. Today, database servers are harder to differentiate in terms of features (most support the once-rare triggers and stored procedures)....

New entrants to server market. (Database Report)(Raima Database Server from Raima Corp. and Supra Server database server from Cincom Systems) (Product Announcement)
March 1, 1993... Hoping to capitalize on the downsizing boon, software companies continue to enter the database server market. Two companies, Raima Corp. of Issaquah, Wash. and Cincom Systems of Cincinnati, have both announced new database servers in the last...

6 tips to avoiding installation pitfalls. (Developers Tips) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... There's nothing like installing a new upgrade to a system that 60 to 80 of your associates are using daily--especially when there are problems with the installation. I'm a member of a software development team for a mail order marketing...

Make the move to Paradox for Windows! (some compatibility with Paradox for DOS)
March 1, 1993... How difficult will it be to learn Paradox for Windows if you're using Paradox for DOS? How difficult will it be to convert your applications? Most Paradox 4.0 users will probably approach Paraxox for Windows expecting a high degree of...

ObjectPAL fundamentals: methods, procedures, and libraries. (the programming language in Paradox for Windows)
March 1, 1993... ObjectPAL, the programming language in Paradox for Windows, consists of three types of fundamental building blocks: methods, procedures, and libraries. In this article, you'll learn what these elements are and how to use them. ...

Back-end independent applications with SQL Windows. (Client/Server Techniques)
March 1, 1993... One of the biggest challenges facing application developers working in the client/server environment is how to write a multi-user Windows application that works with any SQL RDBMS and requires little or no conversion code when it's moved from...

Michigan State University develops with dBMAN. (from VersaSoft Corp.)
March 1, 1993... At Michigan State University, portability between platforms was one of several reasons the Agricultural and Natural Resources Computer Services department chose VersaSoft's dBMAN V. Developers needed software to run on the university's...

An Xbase for all platforms. (includes related articles on use of dBMAN V at Michigan State University, FoxBASE+/Mac and Clipper, dBASE IV for UNIX, and Unisys Corp.) (Buyers Guide)
March 1, 1993... Imagine a truly portable Xbase. As a developer, you'd be able to create an application once--on the operating system and hardware you're most comfortable with--then install it on any number of other operating systems and types of hardware,...

FoxBASE+/Mac and CA-Clipper mix on Mobil's computers.
March 1, 1993... Faced with as many as 10,000 potential users at Mobil Oil, senior consultant Gabriel Goncalves was asked to write a database management application that could work concurrently on three different platforms: PCs, Macs, and UNIX boxes. With such...

Recital on UNIX tracks problems at Unisys.
March 1, 1993... It took nine months, but Bill Kersey, a senior design engineer for Unisys in Salt Lake City, finally talked his superiors into letting him use Recital on a UNIX platform. It was quite a feat, considering Unisys is an Oracle shop through and...

How we moved our corporation to Windows. (migrating a division of SmithKline Beecham to a new software platform)
March 1, 1993... The rollout of Windows at our facility began in early 1991 with Windows 3.0a (Windows 3.1 hadn't been released yet). In this article, we'll discuss what we've learned so far about migrating a division of a large corporation to this...

FUNCky II lets you pick a language, any language. (Software Review) (upgrade to the function library, from dLESKO Inc.) (Evaluation)
March 1, 1993... The long-awaited upgrade to the FUNCky function library is finally here. With the release of FUNCky II, libraries take on a new level of flexibility and language independence. Now billed as a "Library Development System," FUNCky II is...

Cartesian products, outer joins, and self joins explained. (Structured Query Language) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... Structured Query Language (SQL) can be a bit intimidating when you start to learn it. Not only must you learn proper SQL syntax, but you must also learn some of the terms used to describe set operations. As you may know, most client/server...

Application security. (dBASE Developer: limiting access, password entry, using INKEY) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... Now that we've finally finished with the subject of help development and display, we can get on to other topics of interest. Let's discuss application security in general, and develop a password-entry routine. Why security? Even...

Writing reusable code: new ways to browse. (Hardcore Clipper: class, inheritance, pre-processor translation directives, SuperClass III) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... HALLoGRAM Publishing 1532 S. Dawson St. Aurora, CO 80012 (303) 752-2086, fax (303) 752-1642 SuperClass III, $195 ObjectTech, Inc. Glen Rock Plaza 266 Harristown Road, Suite 108 Glen Rock, NJ 07452 (201) 445-5758 fax (201) 445-5462...

Design the perfect Windows interface! (Windows Developer: design tips, dialog boxes, graphical user interfaces) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... What is it that draws people to Windows? Multitasking? Advanced memory management? An attractive GUI? Solitaire? While these are all legitimate, one of the more compelling reasons is a consistent look and feel between different applications....

A multitude of Windows. (FoxPro Developer: FoxPro 2.0, MOVE WINDOW, multiple display windows, screen builder) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... How many times have you had the task of duplicating a paper data-entry form, such as an expanded balance sheet budget projection, on screen and been faced with a 25-row limitation? I've developed a unique way to solve this...

Bilingual apps: converting Clipper code to C. (C/C++ Developer: Code Translator 2.0 from Sequiter Software Inc, and X2c 1.1 from Desktop Ai) (Tutorial)
March 1, 1993... Company Information Desktop Ai 303 Linwood Ave. Fairfield, CT 06430 (203) 255-3400 X2c version 1.10 for DOS, $700 ($1,000 with source code) Also available for OS/2, 32-bit DOS, various UNIX platforms, VMS, and NeXT. ...

Let's get technical. (DB Connections)(CompuServe's Data Based Advisor Forum)
March 1, 1993... The exceptional value of the technical support provided on CompuServe's Data Based Advisor Forum is due perhaps to the medium. Since forum members seeking help with a problem must describe the problem with written messages, they're apt to take...

Calendar of events.
March 1, 1993... Microsoft Tech-Ed Conference--The definitive conference for technical information on Microsoft products used to develop, integrate, or support Windows-based solutions. March 9-12, The Dolphin Hotel, Orlando, FL. Contact Microsoft 800-227-7951...

Database confidential.
March 1, 1993... What gives? Back in August, at its big-honcho database meeting in Seattle, Microsoft assured the development community that its forays into the consulting business were nothing to worry about. Now this reporter hears from two separate sources...