Data Based Advisor articles from October 1994

Data Based Advisor archives from October 1994

Superbase revived. (Database and Client/Server News) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... Superbase, one of the first Windows database managers, is quietly making a comeback. In February of this year, Software Publishing Corp. (SPC) unceremoniously announced that it would stop any further development of Superbase. SPC, which...

Oracle breaks talks, wants Ingres devotees. (Oracle Corp ceases negotiating with Gupta Technologies, offers competitive upgrade for Ingres users) (Database and Client/Server News) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... Oracle Corp. "ceased its discussions" of a "possible business combination, with Gupta. Last month, we reported that Oracle and Gupta were discussing a possible strategic partnership, with all indications that Oracle would possibly acquire...

CA reveals Ingres plans, gets new drivers. (Computer Associates International Inc) (Database and Client/Server News) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... How does the Ingres line of products fit into Computer Associates, strategy? In statements of direction CA issued in August, CA considers CA-OpenIngres 1.1 and CA-OpenROAD (respectively, the database management system and repository-based...

In brief.... (Database and Client/Server News) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... Dun de Bradstreet Corp. announced plans to acquire Pilot Software, makers of the LightShip suite of enterprise decision support software....Intersolv released Intersolv Q+E 6.0, a major upgrade to its desktop data access software... Sterling...

A new magazine for Visual Basic developers; and, John continues his quest for the perfect notebook computer. (Editorial)
October 1, 1994... And, John continues his quest for the perfect notebook computer "Give us a magazine focused on Visual Basic application development!" It's one of the most common requests we get. We put a lot of VB technical guidance into DATA BASED...

Corrections. (Correction Notice)
October 1, 1994... Corrections In the Test Drive article "Ease Clipper Conversion with Summer '93" (June 1994), the SofDesign International, Inc. free BBS system phone number on page 34 was listed incorrectly. It should be (214)234-1732. Jan J....

Easy query building done here. (Software Review) (Strategic Edge Query Maker 2.3) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... If you spend a lot of time creating or tweaking queries for your users, it could be worth your while to investigate Query Maker, especially if you're working in FoxPro. Query Maker Version 2.3, from Strategic Edge, is a powerful tool that...

Communicate easily with SilverFox. (Software Review) (SilverWare SilverFox for Windows) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... Did you ever try to create a simple phone dialer within FoxPro? It seems that the FoxPro low-level file functions like FOPEN() and FREAD() should be to read and write to the serial port. However, these functions are not adequate, mainly...

Fax broadcasting. (Touch Tone Services) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... Fax On Demand allows customers to select and obtain information about products and order them using fax broadcasting. Can answer customer requests, provide inventory availability. Requires a fax machine and a touch-tone phone. Users access...

Backup for NetWare servers. (Sytron ProServe CX Lite) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... ProServe CX Lite, a NetWare loadable module for network file servers, offers single-server backup and restore functionality. Available as a standalone software application with support for a wide selection of tape drives, and Tecmar QIC-Vault...

Developer toolkit. (Xbase Data Toolkit) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... The Xbase Data Toolkit (XDK) 1.5 includes COMMAND prompt, with Xbase network-aware commands, and SPEED KEY, accelerates interaction, executes DOS commands, and evaluates Xbase expressions. Data editing is equipped with automatic mode...

SQL command tool. (Flying Pig Software SQL-4U) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... SQL-4U is a Windows command tool for SQL Server. User types in a command or loads a command from a file, and presses Shift+Enter to execute the command. Executes only the part of a command wanted. Output is displayed as either text, in a...

Data access. (Andyne GQL 3.2.2) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Andyne GQL 3.2.2 enables users to set up a table as an output option for buttons. Buttons can be created that will send the results of a query to the table, then create a new data object in the data model that GQL can query. Enables data...

Language extension for CA-Clipper. (Classy 2.5) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Class(y) 2.5 provides the ability to create user-defined object classes. Implements key features of object-oriented language, including encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. 2.5 will provide a library of base classes, support for...

Ease SQL configuration and querying tasks with DBArtisan. (Software Review) (Embarcadero Technologies) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... DBArtisan is a new product from Embarcadero Technologies, the company that brought you the developer's tool Rapid SQL. This latest offering is a complete GUI-oriented front end for database administration and general query tasks. DBArtisan is...

Do protected mode linking with Blinker. (Software Review) (Blink Inc's Blinker 3.01) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... Here's my problem: I'm on a team of programmers working on an application in CA-Clipper 5.2 for a client. The program has been in use by the client's personnel around the United States since 1987 and we've been adding product lines and...

Database Bookshelf provides help for the SQL developer. (Software Review) (electronic SQL documentation) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... One of the biggest troubles I've had as a client/server developer is the annoying lack of on-line help for server-based commands. Because most of the software is server-oriented, many companies forget to provide adequate command reference and...

Help for PC doctors. (Software Review) (Symantec Norton Utilities Administrator) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... Symantec has launched the first of a growing suite of Network-based utilities to centralized system configuration, distribution, reporting, and maintenance of PCs. First in this Symantec NETWORK series in The Norton Utilities...

Paradox 5 for Windows: something new for users and developers. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... Borland International updates Paradox 5.0 for Windows with new ease-of-use features for end users, and substantially improves its development tools for creating small to intermediate-size apphcafions. For the end user, the enhancements...

Defense contractor downsizes with FoxPro. (includes related article on porting tips) (case study)
October 1, 1994... There are many issues that need to be addressed when downsizing a large VAX system. Here's how one company managed. Downsizing is a buzz word of the nineties, used to represent everything from staff reduction to the mainframe-to-PC...

Teleform 3.0 automates data entry. (Software Review) (Evaluation)
October 1, 1994... The "paperless office" gets closer to reality with smart data-entry packages like Teleform 3.0 If you have visions of reducing costs and errors associated with manual data entry, check out the latest version of Teleform. Without much...

How smart forms are used. (case studies)
October 1, 1994... Smart forms like Teleform have many practical uses. Other companies have used smart form technology to automate those mundane yet complicated tasks using other smart form products: The College of American Pathologists (CAP) ...

Data Based Advisor Magazine Winner! Readers Choice 1994.
October 1, 1994... The best way to know how a product really performs is to use it to solve real problems. That's what our hundreds of contributing writers and editors do. They're experienced application developers. You, our readers, are also experienced...

New products. (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... HP EMULATOR gives HP-only applications support for other devices. Prints HP LaserJet output to any dot matrix printer. Comes with scaleable font control and PCL 4 5 support. includes 100 prepaid royalties. $295. dBEST Spellchecker is...

Report writer. (WinQL 2.0b SQL Edition) (Data Access Corp) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... WinQL 2.0b SQL Edition, a Windows-based report writer, consists of an interactive WYSI-WYG report designer that allows for easy report creation, and a print engine server for hard copy reproduction. Provides access to information from SQL...

DB2 link. (XDB Systems XDB-Link Application Server) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... The XDB-Link Application Server for DRDA enables a DB2 for MVS, DB2/VM, or SQL/400 app to initiate a dialog to access and manipulate data stored on the server database running on a LAN, desktop, or mobile computer Includes job scheduling,...

Document tracking software. (StrandWare Inc's DataTrak) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Data Trak facilitates control and accountability of documents, files, and other records. Combines a barcode label design and print utility with a database. Designed for plug-and-play use; supports a variety of dot-matrix, laser, and direct...

Xbase functionality for OS/2. (OnCMD Xbase for OS/2 from On-Line Data) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... OnCMD Xbase for OS/2 delivers multi-user Xbase functionality to OS/2. Can create new applications or convert FoxPro, CA-Clipper, or dBASE programs to native OS/2 32-bit Presentation Manager (PM). Features automatic conversion of text apps to...

Multimedia class library. (Mediaway's MediaDB Class Library for PowerBuilder) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... The MediaDB Class Library for Power-Builder is a multimedia library. Includes 20 classes for multimedia database management; custom controls for image, sound, video, hyper-linking and navigation; three multimedia apps with complete source...

Consulting program. (Client/Server Consultant) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Client/Server Consultant is a series of software modules that condense the knowledge and expertise of client/server consultants in a Windows program. Modules include The GUI Design Consultant, The Performance Consultant, The System...

Procedural 4GL report writer. (MITI SQR Workbench) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... SQR Workbench, a procedural, 4GL report writer for multidatabase environments, has an INFORMIX version. Provides rapid reports, complete formatting control, report design flexibility, and procedural functionality in a client- and server-based...

Connections to Oracle and Sybase. (Progress 7 DataServers for Oracle and Sybase) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... PROGRESS 7 DataServers for Oracle and Sybase enable developers to build database-independent applications that can be deployed on Oracle and Sybase databases. Architecture consists of a set of data integration services (middleware) that...

SQL class library. (Metex Systems Inc ClassIQ) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... ClassIQ is a class library for SQLWindows. Written in SAL, based on object-oriented design principles. Provides Functional and Windows classes. Functional classes include SQL Engines, Query Builders, and Error handlers. Features an Object...

Spreadsheet applications. (Baler Software Corp Visual Baler) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Visual Baler 1.0 is a spreadsheet-based visual development tool. Outputs self-running Windows programs and spreadsheet templates. Programs may be distributed without requiring additional spreadsheet copies or royalties. Imports formulas,...

Automatic C++ storage and retrieval. (Subtle Software Subtleware 1.5) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Subtleware 1.5 for C++/SQL, C++/ODBC, C++/Sybase, C++/Oracle, and C++/Watcom are available for Windows and DOS. Object-oriented development tools that automate the storage and retrieval of C++ objects to and from relational databases....

Defect tracking. (Soffront Software's TRACK for Windows 2.0) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... TRACK for Windows 2.0 is a defect tracking and technical support system. Allows user to create and update a comprehensive record of a defect, and attach environment and customer information with it. Provides a query mechanism, textual and...

Smart components. (Information Builders Inc's Level 5 Object Professional) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Level 5 Object Professional is a workbench for developing smart components for client/server applications. Provides the capability to build and deploy intelligent software agents that can be embedded in other applications, called from...

Lotus Notes integration. (VB/Link 2.0 for Lotus Notes) (Brainstorm Technologies) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... VB/Link 2.0 for Lotus Notes integrate Notes data into custom client/server applications. Supports rich text, file attachments, hierarchical Notes views and response documents. Allows access of Notes data from Windows apps developed with...

ODBMS collaboration. (Objectivity Inc Objectivity/DB) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Objectivity/DB will support Visual-Works, a client/server application development tool based on Smalltalk. Terms of the collaboration call for technical information exchanges early access to new releases, design reviews, cooperative...

Documentor/recreation tool. (DbDOC) (The Neshem Corp) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... DbDOC has a menu-driven dialog box interface that allows mouse support, and the addition of narratives. Keep up with changes made to a database. Use of familiar dialogs allows the selection of a single database, index, or directory. Will...

Group information management. (International Connectivity COnsortium Vineyard) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Vineyard works under Microsoft Windows, is fully compatible with all Windows applications without requiring OLE. Client/server oriented; works with NetWare, Windows for Workgroups, TCP/IP, Windows Sockets, Named Pipes, DECNET and all NETBIOS...

Test drives on CompuServe. (sample versions of programs available online) (Brief Article)
October 1, 1994... The following test drives/product information have been uploaded to Library 5 (Client/Server and SQL) of the Data Based Advisor forum on CompuServe: ODBC Sniffer for Windows - Provides a trace of all ODBC calls made by any Windows...

Visual Basic/SQL Server Primer.
October 1, 1994... Since VB's launch in 1991, Microsoft has provided a VB interface to Microsoft and Sybase SQL Server using the VBSQL.VBX custom control. Most early VB client/server developers would have used the VBSQL interface as its alternative, ODBC, was...

Database Developer's Guide with Visual Basic 3.
October 1, 1994... Tipping in at a massive 1,130 pages, Database Developers Guide with Visual Basic 3 attempts to deliver the biggest bang for the buck. The book is intended for DOS database developers moving to the Windows world as well as Access and VB...

Bay State Gas fires up EIS system. (utility company executive information system)(Case Study)
October 1, 1994... How one utility company serves up mainframe information to executives' desktops. If part of your next project involves convincing dubious higher-ups at your firm to work with an executive information system (EIS), consider the approach...

Help desk software improves customer support. (Help Desk Technology Corp's HelpSTAR for Windows) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Help Desk Technology Corp. (905)855-0000 Fax (906)823-7156 Booth # L262 - Running into problems with your help desk? HelpSTAR for Windows is help desk software that automates the administration of user support activities and enhances the...

Voice processing tools automate business procedures. (Stylus Innovation Inc' s Visual Fax and Visual Voice) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Stylus Innovation, Inc. (617)621-9545 Fax (617)621-7862 Booth L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - For anyone who wants to include voice processing and recognition in their applications, these tools can help. Visual Voice allows developers to build...

Accounting systems address business needs. (SourceMate Information Systems Inc's AccountMate Premiere) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... SourceMate Information Systems, Inc. 800-877-8896, (415)381-1011 Fax (415)381-6902 Booth # L2851 - If you're looking for an accounting solution, stop and check this one out. AccountMate Premiere, a high-end accounting system, is written...

Free-form database allows flexible design. (askSam Systems) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... askSam Systems 800-800-1997, (904)584-6590 Fax (904)584-7481 Booth # H601 - Do you have data that doesn't fit the mold? askSam for Windows is a free-form database that enables you to create databases without pre-defining field length or...

Data toolkit for Clipper maintains .DBF files. (The Technology Management Group's Xbase Data Toolkit 1.5) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... The technology Management Group (902)628-9452 Fax (902)628-1777 Canadian Gov. Booth - For data editng and database maintenance, visit this booth. The xBase Data Toolkit (XDK) version 1.5 (for Clipper developers) creates, manipulates, and...

Code generator provides C/C++ code. (Blue Sky Software Corp's WindowMaker Professional 6.0) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Blue Sky Software Corp. 800-677-4946, (619)459-6365 Fax (619)459-6366 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - Are you involved in Windows development? WinMaker Pro 6.0, is a new version of WindowsMAKER Professional, Prototyper and C/C++ Code...

Add-on libraries enable signature verification. (Sign-On Systems Inc's Sign-on Verify) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Sign-On Systems, Inc. (310)274-7477 Fax (310)274-7585 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - Are you looking for security measures for remote users? Sign-On Verify (SOV) for FoxPro, Visual Basic, and C/C++ are add-on libraries that give Windows...

Tools enable dual-platform development. (Grumpfish Inc's Clip-4-Win 2.0 and Clip-4-DOS) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Grumpfish, Inc. (503)588-2184 Fax (503)588-1908 Booth # T5 - Are you a Clipper developer in search of tools? Clip-4-Win 2.0 is an add-on library for CA-Clipper that allows the creation of true Windows .EXEs. CLIP-4-DOS is a companion...

OLE custom control released. (Apex Software Corp True Grid 3.0) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Apex Software Corp. (412)681-4343 Fax (412)681-4384 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - Developers interested in OLE should stop by this booth. True Grid 3.0 is a data-aware grid OLE custom control containing all the features in 2.0, plus...

Image libraries provide format compatibility. (Accusoft's Image Format Library 5.0) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Accusoft (508)898-2770 Fax (508)898-9662 Booth # 630 - If you're in the market for an image format library, check out this booth. Image Format Library 5.0/FoxPro and Image Format Library 5.0/Clipper provide import, export, convert,...

Libraries provide flexibility to Windows developers. (Copia International's AccSys for XBASE) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Copia International 800-689-8898, (708)682-8898 Fax (708)665-9841 Booth # S247 - If you find you need to port your Xbase apps to Windows, these libraries could help. AccSys for xBASE supports Borland's dBASE 5.0, and AccSys for Paradox...

Forms designer supports hand-writing recognition. (Cardiff Software Inc's Teleform for Windows 3.0) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Cardiff Software Inc. 800-259-8755, (619)259-6430 Fax (619)259-6450 Booth # S267 - For fax, scanner and data entry support in your forms, check out this booth. Teleform for Windows 3.0 offers a Designer for forms creation, BasicScript for...

Bar code design tool tracks documents and files. (StrandWare Inc's DataTrak) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... StrandWare, Inc. 800-552-2331, (715)833-2331 Fax (715)833-1995 Booth S795 - You may be looking for a bar code solution for your business. DataTrak is designed to facilitate control and accountability of documents, files and other records....

Post 4GL client/server accounting uses magic. (Micronetics Inc's Accounting Xpert) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Micronetics, Inc (800)443-8000, (305)777-3723 Fax (305)777-3729 Booth # N5667 - For a cross-platform accounting solution, visit this booth. The Accounting Xpert is a set of high-end, cross-platform, client/server accounting modules...

Charting library integrates charts into Windows apps. (Software FX Inc's Chart FX) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Software FX, Inc. 800-392-4278, (407)998-2377 Fax (407)998-2383 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - Would you like to be able to link charts into your applications? Chart FX is designed to integrate business charts into Windows applications....

Version control solution includes "smart" suggestions. (StarBase Corp's Versions 1.1) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... StarBase Corp. (714)442-4432 Fax (714)253-6712 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - Do you run into problems with keeping track of your software projects? VERSIONS provides a solution to your version control needs. Designed to make version...

CD-ROM does tech support. (Micro House International's Micro House Technical Library) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Micro House International 800-926-8299, (303)443-3388 Fax (303)443-3323 Booth # H1705 - And, if you need tech support solutions, here's another option. Micro House Technical Library is a CD that contains diagrams, specifications,...

Professional Edition of report writer released. (Crystal Computer Services' Crystal Reports Professional Edition) (1994 Comdex Guide)(Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
October 1, 1994... Crystal Computer Services, Inc. (604)893-6309, Fax (604)681-2934 Booth # L2044 (Microsoft ISV) - If you're investigating report writers, this is one good place to look. Crystal Reports Professional Edition is a data access and reporting...

Choosing a database server.
October 1, 1994... The database server market seems to be flooded with products, each promising unrivaled performance, ease of implementation, and compatibility with your existing product set. In fact, there are several superb database servers, one of which...

Take advantage of OOP. (object oriented programming) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... Do you wonder what object-oriented programming (OOP) is? And where in your business applications you can take advantage of OOP techniques? In this article, I answer both of these questions. I explore some needs of a typical business...

Details, details: the classes involved in the browse screen.
October 1, 1994... Here's a list of the classes I used in the browse screen example, with a brief description of what they do. clsSqlHandle defines the following instance variables - Sql Handle=sqlHandle; String=strSQLStatement; Boolean= bConnected....

Five easy pieces: a how-to for building client/server applications. (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... To successfully build client/server applications, you need the skills you've acquired building traditional systems and a slew of new skills like networking, communications, new operating systems, etc. You also need to understand multiple...

Dynamic data-driven validation in PowerBuilder. (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... If you need a dynamic utility for validation, why not just create your own? PowerBuilder has a very powerful extended attribute data repository that allows information such as formats, graphic behavior, and validation rules to be...

So, just what is Lotus Notes? (includes related article on NotesSQL driver)
October 1, 1994... Lotus Notes is a client/server platform for developing and deploying groupware applications. It allows people to access, track, share, and organize information. Lotus Notes is used to improve the business performance of people working...

Next stop: business objects. (Interview)
October 1, 1994... Technologist Stan Levine foresees business objects lending stability in ever-evolving and complex reengineering projects. Technologist and independent consultant sultant Stan Levine until recently served as vice president of technology at...

Code review: what separates a good app from a poor one. (includes related article on tip of the month) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... Subjecting your code for review by peers can be a humbling experience, but it's also a way to learn and improve your coding technique. In retrospect, I probably should have ducked the question. I should have dropped my plate, spilled...

Do OOP with CA-Visual Objects. (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... To take advantage of CA-Visual Objects, begin thinking about programming in a whole new way. The theory of object-oriented programming is based on four major principles: Data Abstraction Encapsulation Inheritance ...

Implementing code reuse. (object-based features in CA-Clipper) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... Clipper's object-based features allow you to enable code reuse in your apps. Last month, we reviewed some conceptual issues to illustrate how the current DOS version of CA-Clipper may be used with code reuse in mind. This time, we'll see...

Build an application framework in Access 2.0. (Access Professional) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... Applications that follow the principles of data-driven design take less time to develop, are easier to maintain, and are self-documenting. Access, Microsoft's flagship database, has undergone some revolutionary changes, justifying the...

Showing directory information. (dBASE Developer) (Tutorial)
October 1, 1994... Last month, we worked on a method of getting DOS directory information into a data table. We did this so we could use the tools available to us in dBASE IV to get at the information. This month, we'll start by looking at a way of using this...

Database confidential. (rumor) (Column)
October 1, 1994... Is COMDEX/Las Vegas becoming irrelevant? It's still a great place to discover that Taiwan motherboard you always wanted - and get a 39-cent breakfast at 1.00 a.m.! But many old-timers are saying it's too huge and unfocused to be worthwhile....

Calendar of events.
October 1, 1994... Data Based Advisor Developers Conference and Droege Developers Competition - Conference includes 39 sessions on application development, ranging from Xbase to the newest client/server technology. Features a database trade show, new products...