Data Based Advisor articles from October 1993

Data Based Advisor archives from October 1993

Oracle groupies. (Oracle announces maintenance release 7.1 of its Oracle data base management system at Oracle Press and Analyst Day) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Oracle Groupies--By the time you read this, Oracle (415-506-7000) will be on the verge of announcing Oracle 7.1, a maintenance release to its database server, to a crowd of devotees and analysts at Oracle Press and Analyst Day in Orlando, Fla....

News from CA-TechniCon. (Computer Associations International announces beta-testing of CA-Visual Objects program development software, expands support for third-party tools for CA-Clipper, purchases CA-Clipper utility ExoSpace) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... News from CA-TechniCon--By the time you read this, CA-Visual Objects will be one month into its beta test. Some 1,200 developers will beta test the object-oriented development system that CA describes as its "flagship application development...

Gupta to bundle DBA tool. (SQL Monitor network management tool will be bundled with Gupta's SQLBase data base management system) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1993... Gupta to Bundle DBA Tool--SQL Monitor, a DBA tool for Gupta's SQLBase, will be bundled (in slightly different form) with version 5.2 of SQLBase. The product, which lets you peek into your system and do backups, was developed by DBA's...

Finally ... PC support for InterBase. (JYACC Inc.'s new JAM/Database program development software links Windows and MS-DOS applications with a UNIX- or VMS-based InterBase relational server) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Finally...PC Support for InterBase--JYACC, Inc. of New York recently became the first company to provide a non-Borland PC client development environment for the InterBase relational server when it announced JAM/Database interface Windows and...

SQL Access Group updates specs. (Remote Database Access specification now supports OSI and TCP/IP communications protocols) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1993... SQL Access Group Updates Specs--The Remote Database Access (RDA) specification is now available for two popular communications protocols--the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) (an international communications standard) and TCP/IP (today's most...

App gen from Rytech. (Rytech's Visual Xbase application developer for Xbase data base technology) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... App Gen from Rytech--Rytech's new application generator for Xbase, called Visual Xbase, didn't make it into the story on Xbase application generators that starts on page 65 because of our deadlines. If you'd like information about Visual Xbase,...

The benefits of technology: fact or fiction? (Computer Associates International CEO Charles Wang discusses communicating technology's benefits in business terms at CA-TechniCon93) (CAI's CA-Visual Objects Clipper-based application development tool debuts) (Editor on the Go) (Editorial)
October 1, 1993... I'm in central Florida, on the one-year anniversary of devastating Hurricane Andrew. Local TV news is filled with "one year later, where are we now?" stories of the 1992 tragedy. While I'm visiting Orlando several times this year to attend...

Feedback. (subjects addressed include team programming, using Superbase and Condor3) (includes related article on a monthly contest for best source code functions for several data base development environments) (Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 1993... Team Programming Concerns After reading Team Programming for PC Projects (July), I'm finally moved to write. Not writing might lead managers to accept without thinking the dictums of this article. I attended a seminar where George...

Scrutinize your CA-Clipper apps. (Scrutiny Inc.'s Scrutiny software tests programs developed with the CA-Clipper program development software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... Scrutiny 1.0, $269 Scrutiny, Inc. 2202 W St. N.W. Auburn, WA 98002 (206) 735-5500, fax (206) 735-5600 CompuServe 70473,3342 Writing good code doesn't happen by accident. More and more, software professionals apply specific engineering...

R&R does Windows, client/server style. (Concentric Data Systems Inc.'s R&R Report Writer for Windows/SQL Edition) (Software Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... R&R Report Writer for Windows/SQL Edition, $395; $1,595 for 5-pack Concentric Data Systems, Inc. 110 Turnpike Road Westborough, MA 01581 800-325-9035, (508) 366-1122 Fax (508) 366-2954 NEW R&R Report Writer for Windows, SQL Edition...

Clipper constructs. (Building Blocks Inc.'s new CLWindow graphical user interface function and class library for CA-Clipper applications) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Building Blocks, Inc., released CLWindow, a graphical user interface (GUI) library for CA-Clipper applications. CLWindow provides functions and classes for event-driven, movable and sizable windows with title bars, min/max buttons, radio...

New graphs for dGE. (new version 5.0 of Pinnacle Publishing Inc.'s dGE library of graph functions for CA-Clipper, FoxPro and C) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Pinnacle Publishing, Inc. released dGE 5.0, an upgrade to its graphing library that works with CA-Clipper, FoxPro, and C. New features include log-linear and X-Y graphs, bubble graphs, 256-color support (up to 1024x768 for VESA-compatible SVGA...

Integra goes visual. (Coromandel Industries' new Integra Visual Database Builder supports ODBC-compliant data base development under Microsoft Visual C++) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Coromandel Industries released Integra Visual Database Builder (Integra VDE) for Microsoft Visual C++, for building ODBC compliant database programs. Integra VDB comes with visual database objects and functions that tie into Visual C++'s...

Paper or no paper, they're still for Access. (Financial Modeling Specialists Inc.'s new Total Access adds application analysis and documentation functions to Microsoft Access, while TEAMWorks Technologies Inc.'s PaperBridge adds image processing functions) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Financial Modeling Specialists, Inc. announced Total Access, an application analysis and documentation tool for Microsoft Access. Total Access documents tables, fields, forms, reports, macros, table relationships, and query definitions and...

Code Manager manages Windows. (new version 2.1 of Cognitronix's Code Manager for Windows MS-DOS and ZIP file manager) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Cognitronix shipped Code Manager 2.1 for Windows, a ZIP and DOS file management and text search utility. It manages DOS and ZIP files across multiple disks based on file name, directory, size, date, file attributes, or text contents. Function...

Phase3 generates Windows applications. (Phase3 Software Inc.'s Phase3 integrated development software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Phase3 Software, Inc. announced Phase3, a Windows application development system. Phase3 comes with lower CASE front end and visual screen development tools, a relational database management system, data browser, report writer, and Windows...

Topaz 4.0 offers single-user, multi-user support. (Software Science Inc.'s Xbase function library for PASCAL programming) (Software Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... Topaz 4.0, $199 Software Science, Inc. 1818 Gilbreth Road, Suite 230 Burlingame, CA 94010-1213 (415) 697-0411, fax (415) 697-1916 UPDATE The latest release of Topaz, from Software Science, adds some truly professional features....

Grumpfish Speller. (Grumpfish Inc.'s new spelling checker for CA-Clipper) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Grumpfish, Inc., released Grumpfish Speller, a CA-Clipper spelling checker with a 67,000-word dictionary, and multiple auxiliary dictionaries, intelligent suggested spellings, spelling checker customization. Dictionary files can be converted to...

Who's the BOS. (Vercom Systems Ltd.'s new Business Operating System data base application development system) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... VERCOM Systems Ltd. shipped the Business Operating System (BOS), part of VERCOM's FREEDOM methodology for systems development. BOS transforms object models into an application framework via a semantic database schema and supporting 4GL...

Something eXtra for Clipper developers. (3P Software's Something xTra is a Clipper 5.01 and 5.2 function library) (Software Review) (Test Drives) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... Something eXtra for Clipper, $195 Zachary Software (distributor) 106 Access Road Norwood, MA 02062 800-876-3645, (617) 551-0860 NEW Something eXtra, from 3P Software (and distributed by Zachary Software), can be likened to a Swiss...

Fox generation. (new software packages supporting the FoxPro DBMS include Perpetual Data Systems new templates for the ProGen screen generator, UFO computing Inc's FoxFrame application framework and Performance Dynamics Associates' Raidar application generator) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Perpetual Data Systems, developers of ProGen, a FoxPro screen generator, offers add-on templates for ProGen. 3D Driver generates 3-D effects for frames, panels, and boxes. Button Driver creates multi-user data-entry screens. Edit Driver is a...

The Design of Relational Databases.
October 1, 1993... The Design of Relational Databases Heikki Mannila and Kari-Jouko Raiha 1992, Addison-Wesley 318 pages, $37.55 ISBN 0-201-56523-4 The Design of Relational Databases, a new book on--you guessed it--relational database design from authors...

Data Quality: Management and Technology.
October 1, 1993... Data Quality: Management and Technology By Thomas C. Redman 1992, Bantam Professional Books 308 pages, $49.95 ISBN 0-553-09149-2 Bantam Professional Books has published a timely book on data quality by Thomas C. Redman, supervisor of...

Software tracker. (UnderWare Inc.'s new Track Record software manages software development projects) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... UnderWare, Inc., released Track Record, a Windows-based software project manager. Track Record tracks the progress and development of software projects by organizing project details into customizable dynamic views, with project history, bug...

OOPed up DataFlex. (Data Access Corp.'s new DataFlex for Windows object-oriented fourth-generation programming language) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Data Access Corp. released DataFlex for Windows, a Windows version of its object-oriented 4GL programming language. DataFlex for Windows comes with utilities for creating Windows-based DataFlex applications, including a screen designer, and...

FlexFile, part deux. (Ganahl Software Inc.'s new FlexFile II software replaces CA-Clipper's memo field function) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Ganahl Software, Inc., shipped FlexFile II, a CA-Clipper memo field replacement. FlexFile II stores memos, arrays, binary data, and objects with no block size limits, says the company. It features FlexScan, a DBF and memo field string search...

Introduction to Client/Server Systems: a Practical Guide for Systems Professionals.
October 1, 1993... Introduction to Client/Server Systems: A Practical Guide for Systems Professionals By Paul E. Renaud 1993, John Wiley & Sons 333 pages, $34.95 ISBN 0-471-5774-X Since I was an enthusiastic technical reviewer for this book, I'm undoubtedly...

Guide to Client/Server Databases.
October 1, 1993... Guide to Client/Server Databases By Joe Salemi 1993, Ziff Davis Press 264 pages, $39.95 ISBN 1-56276-070-X Joe Salemi takes a product-oriented approach to client/server computing in Guide to Client/Server Databases. Although he provides...

JORF supports Xbase. (JORF Co.'s new JORF Programmer's Pack and Developer's Kit 2.1 object-oriented MS-DOS and Windows application development tools) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... The JORF Co. released JORF Programmer's Pack and Developer's Kit version 2.1, an object-oriented DOS and Windows application development tool. JORF Programmer's Pack has interpreters, debuggers, and editors for both platforms; the Developer's...

Almost free accounting software. (Computer Associates and Central Computer Products market their respective Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money financial manager and Do-It-Yourself Accounting for Windows software packages for $6.95 shipping and handling each) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Computer Associates is giving away Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money, a finance manager for tracking mortgages and refinancing investments, household bills, payroll, taxes, and personal debts. It can print personalized checks, record electronic...

Enterprise Database Connectivity: the Key to Enterprise Applications on the Desktop.
October 1, 1993... Enterprise Database Connectivity: The Key to Enterprise Applications on the Desktop By Richard D. Hackathorn, PhD. 1993, John Wiley & Sons 326 pages, $39.95 ISBN 0-471-57802-9 Richard Hackathorn should be a familiar name to many of you....

A Guide to the SQL Standard: a User's Guide to the Standard Relational Language SQL, Third Edition.
October 1, 1993... A Guide to the SQL Standard: A User's Guide to the Standard Relational Language SQL, Third Edition C.J. Date with Hugh Darwen 1993, Addison-Wesley 414 pages, $39.95 ISBN 0-201-55822-X C.J. Date is one of the SQL and relational model gurus,...

Easel enhances Workbench. (new tools for Easel Corp.'s Enterprise Workbench client/server program development environment include DB/Assist SQL tool, optional Continuity code converter and optional EASEL Renovator Plus front-end development software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1993... Easel Corp. has several tools to its client/server toolset, Enterprise Workbench. DB/Assist provides point-and-click SQL access. It generates static and dynamic SQL statements, and creates, tests, and edits SQL application logic. Continuity...

IS OOP in your future? (object-oriented programming) (Developer Report) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... If you haven't heard about OOP (Object-Oriented Programming), you've probably been lying next to Rip Van Winkle. But it's time to wake up! Object-oriented languages, methodologies, and databases have transcended theory and are fast becoming...

NetWare 4.0 for database developers. (Novell's network operating system) (Software Review) (includes related articles on changes in version 4.0 and problems that arose when installing maintenance version 4.01) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... The mark of an influential software publisher these days is to announce a product that doesn't exist and impact everyone's plans for a year or more before shipping. Until it finally appeared, Novell's NetWare 4.0 fit this description. Since...

When to use an AppGen - and when not to. (application generators) (Developer Report)(includes data on product vendors and a related article on user perspectives on application generators) (Buyers Guide)
October 1, 1993... At their best, today's code generators can pay for themselves the day you break open the shrink wrap. At their worst, they can cause endless hours of frustration and end up as "shelfware." The sophistication of code generators has...

Getting the help you need. (Client/Server Advisor: Client/Server Training)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... Client/server, client/server, client/server. Why does the mere mention of this phrase force us to read on and try to achieve a greater understanding of this elusive technology? It's because client/server is the most powerful transitional...

Finding the trainers. (list of independent and vendor-sponsored client/server training sources) (Client/Server Advisor) (Directory)
October 1, 1993... Following is a list of independent and vendor-sponsored client/server training sources. Media-based training Advance Learning Systems, Inc. 1503, 924 14th Ave. S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2R ON7 (403) 245-2194 Fax (403) 244-8770 ALS...

Data modeling: the building blocks to better apps. (a structured approach to designing software applications) (Client/Server Advisor: Client/Server Techniques)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... You're an independent consulting software developer, or a corporate developer of PC-based database apps charged with developing a new database application for a group of users with next-to-no computer experience. You pay them a visit to gather...

Using PowerBuilder and SQL Server store procedures. (Client/Server Advisor: PowerBuilder techniques)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... Developers familiar with PowerBuilder may be aware that PowerBuilder can use Sybase/Microsoft SQL Server stored procedures for database queries. Often, however, little thought is given to managing stored procedures in an application...

Wanted: couch potatoes for GUI programming. (interview with Michael M. Hendin, director of information systems for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's Sturgeon General Hospital) (graphical user interface) (Client/Server Advisor: Client/Server On-line)(Column) (Interview)
October 1, 1993... Michael M. Hendin, Director of Information Systems at the Sturgeon General Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, has been doing client/server projects since 1988. His formal education includes a bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University...

SQLWindows is rooted in client/server and continues to bloom. (the development of Gupta Corp.'s Structured Query Language-based program development software) (Client/Server Advisor: Inside SQLWindows) (Column)
October 1, 1993... This is the first edition of a new monthly column dedicated to SQLWindows programming. Excluding this column, I'll concentrate on technical topics. In future columns I'll cover the object-oriented features of SQLWindows, SQL programming with a...

A room with a view: give users access to their data. (Structured Query Language 'views' provide cost-effective access to data) (Client/Server Advisor: Client/Server Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... Give Users Access to Their Data Everybody wants a room with a view. In fact, I've seen walls painted to appear as if the room offered a spectacular view. These painted views are not unlike SQL views--they're snapshots of reality at a point...

Increase your PowerBuilder prowess. (Powersoft's Windows-based programming language for programming front-end applications for SQL data base servers) (Client/Server Advisor:PowerBuilder Pro ) (Column)
October 1, 1993... Welcome to the new, monthly column on PowerBuilder. I intend to concentrate on specific tips and techniques, but for this first column, I want to provide an overview of the client/server application development arena, and try to position and...

What state are you in? (a compact dBASE function is developed for producing two-letter state abbreviations from ZIP codes) (dBASE Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... Last month I talked about working smarter and getting more out of your code. I'll continue with this theme and discuss entering state abbreviations into an edit screen. Somewhere in Murphy's Law, it states that "No matter how fool proof...

Transparent reading with memory variables. (using CA-Clipper data base application development software to implement a get/read system) (Hardcore Clipper)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... This month I show how to implement a get/read system which operates on memory variable copies of fields. The programmer specifies a get to operate on a field, but transparently, the read system makes a copy of the field in a variable, edits...

Where the action is! (maintaining data integrity between related tables in the Paradox relational data base management system) (Paradox Programmer)(includes related article on what constitutes an Action event)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... One of the essential abilities of a database programmer is to be able to develop data-entry programs. Data-entry programs let users add, change, and delete records in the database while the program controls data validation, calculations, and...

FoxPro 2.5: from DOS to Windows, and vice versa. (developing FoxPro data base applications that can run in both environments) (FoxPro Developer)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... FoxPro 2.5 allows you to create maintain applications that run in both the Windoes and MS-DOS (DOS hereafter) environments. What the application looks like and how it behaves in each environment is your decision. You have three choices in...

Data access with Visual Basic. (Microsoft Access data base engine now ships with Visual Basic 3.0 programming software) (Software Review) (Visual Basic Expert)(Column) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1993... When Visual Basic (VB) 1.0 appeared, many people wondered why VB didn't have a built-in database engine. Experienced Basic programmers were perplexed--why didn't Microsoft include the ISAM engine that had been shipped with earlier versions of...

The many-to-many relationship. (programming applications requiring many-to-many data relationships in CA-Clipper) (Clipper Basics)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... For most applications, the well known one-to-many (1:M) relationship between tables is enough to build reasonably complex queries and reports. Other times, you need a bit more horsepower to represent real-life situations. For these times, you...

Multi-form applications in Paradox for Windows, part 2. (Paradox Basics)(Column) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1993... ObjectPAL applications are based on forms; forms are the foundation for programming in Paradox for Windows. Last month, we looked at how to create applications made up of forms that call other forms. This month, we look at a few twists to...

Get connected to client/server. (subjects discussed on three Data Based Advisor forum sections on CompuServe) (DB Connections: Client/Server) (Column)
October 1, 1993... No doubt, when you're implementing a client/server solution for your client's information processing requirements, you're dealing with complexity. Interconnect different platforms, both hardware and software and, occasionally, a problem...

User groups. (data base management system-oriented user groups by state and country) (Directory)
October 1, 1993... ALABAMA Birmingham Database UG Craig Preston Birmingham (205) 854-3610 Birmingham R:Base UG Marsha Travarthen Birmingham (205)841-6411 Huntsville PC UG, Inc. William Jimborn Huntsville (205)539-5940 Montgomery PC UG James...

Calendar of events. (brief list of computer industry trade shows from Oct 5 to Nov 19, 1993)
October 1, 1993... Networld '93--Features progressive conference program that addresses the networking needs of professional attendees. More than 80 subjects covering the full spectrum of connectivity topics will be discussed by speakers in round-table sessions...

Database confidential. (humor) (Column)
October 1, 1993... Howling "I want my MSTV!" just doesn't sound right, but as Buzz flips through the cable TV channels at the Buzz Mansion, and scoffs at the measly savings due to new TV pricing regulations, he wonders how his television viewing habits will...