CompuServe Thread

#Amiga's Pathetic!

3 messages in this thread
#129344From: Steven D. KapplinJun 12, 1988 12:50 AM
Rick, If by SQL interface you mean a the SQL standard, the answer is no. Superbase Professional is strictly an Amiga type program, that is it is designed to provide a point and click approach. However, it does have a programming language which is essentially a modified Basic. It has a pretty standard ANSI Basic augmented by database commands which allow you to do everything in the language you could do with the mouse. It seems to me that AMiga type programs tend to be more mouse oriented, like MAC programs, such that an SQL standard interface may not be necessary to provide good DBMS control. However, Superbase has an excellent query interface which permits most of what SQL will permit. It is also relational to the same extent that Dbase III is relational, except that Joins and Projects are supported normally in Superbase. As I recall from Dbase II days, Joins were supported, though buggy, and Projects were not. I believe this was rectified in Dbase III. Steve
#129357From: Rick HomJun 12, 1988 1:42 AM
Steve, By an SQL interface, I mean both an interactive SQL interface and some way of imbedding SQL in a procedural host language. With SQL Dbase IV will be relatively relational on Codd's criteria for relation DBMS's. Rick
#129406From: Steven D. KapplinJun 12, 1988 12:38 PM
Rick, Superbase does not support the standard SQL language. It provides an analogous interface, but any resemblance to the SQL standard language is coincidental. It is, however, functionally similar, though I have not made a direct comparis{on to determine the extent of comparability. I doubt, though, that Superbase Professional would be at the level of Dbase IV in terms of a comprehensive DBMS. However, I doubt that Ashton would begin support of Amiga with a port of Dbase IV. More than likely it would be Dbase III, and Versasoft already markets DBman, which is almost Dbase III. The Datasoft program is also a substantial DBMS. I bought the full Data soft program a long while back. The program is something else. It does it all, works a lot like Dbase (functionally, that is), but had such awful docs that you would work a lifetime to figure out simple tasks. They once promised better docs, but never delivered. I don't know if they are even still in business. Steve