SUPERBASE 4 AMIGA
13 messages in this thread
I would like to confirm that I am reading the information about SuperBase
Professional 4 for the Amiga. Will it be possible for Amigas & PCs each
running SBPro4 to Co-Exist in a networked environment with simultaneous
access to the same database(s)? I am aware that SuperBase can import DBase
files but will it ever be possible to operate in a DBase mode rather than
importing so that it could Co-exist with other machines running DBase?
Another question I have is that I was wondering how Superbase relates to
SQL databases. Will it ever be (or is it now) possible for SuperBase to
interface with an SQL Database server residing somewhere else in the
network. Forgive me if I am asking some really irrelevant questions I don't
have a lot of Database experience.
Ronn Black 76376,3342 (919)277-2285
Ronn,
Though this may not help you any – I have used Superbase on both the Amiga
and PC (Windows 3.0). They are different, yet alike. As far as I can see,
currently it is not possible for them to co-exist on a networked system.
Superbase for the PC has a system called SQL*Connect (I believe that is
what its called) which adds SQL to Superbase queries. Unfortunately, I
doubt it's available on the Amiga.
Joe
Joe,
I may be wrong, but I think SuperBASE 4.0 for the Amiga is going to be
compatible with the Windows version, and that they can be networked
together. I cannot recall where I read this, but I'm sure I read it
somewhere.
……Betty
The idea behind SB4 Amiga and PC being file-compatible is just that: the
ability to simultaneously work on the same files across a network, provided
only that both the Amiga and PC are both running the same or compatible
network software (hence Novell), and that both copies are authorized to
have an appropriate number of simultaneous users. More on this later.
SB4 (both versions) can already READ dBase files directly without
importing, but not write back to them in their native format. Whether this
will be added to a future PC product and/or to the Amiga version I am not
sure, but personally, I'm lobbying for it. Meanwhile, there are many good
reasons for going thru the import/export routine, primarily related to file
size (SB uses variable-length records, storing only the characters you
actually use rahter than reserving "spaces"), no limits to the number of
fields (dBase limits you to 128), and no limit to the number of characters
(dBase has a max of 4000 per record, SB has a max of 4000 per FIELD!).
Other things like long notes fields, etc are also important to many people,
as are the ability to use graphics, etc. If we DO include dBase write
ability (and I'm NOT saying we will or even might!), then all these things
become moot.
Currently, SB4/Windows can access SQL databases via DLLs or DDE (external C
routines, commonly by other vendors, or thru something similar in concept
to ARexx where one app can speak to and control another), and future
releases will have SQL embedded within DML. How this will be implemented or
even IF it will be implemented in the Amiga version, I don't know: I'm not
technical enough to understand the implications or even necessarily the
need at this stage. The changes are good, too, that at least on the PC,'
we'll build a SQL front end product, but that's a ways off if it happens. I
personally wonder about the viability of that in the Amiga market, both
because of the general profile of the companies using both the machine AND
SQL databases, as well as many people's willingness to put out the kind of
money for Amiga software that something like this is likely to cost. Your
thoughts?
Variable length records? Really? I was limiting the length of my character
fields because I didn't wan't to have a lot of unused space lying around.
Can we have more details like this? This kind of information would help
ALOT in choosing methods to implement a database.
—–> Brian Simmons, Denver, Colorado.
Busy as I am (12-14 hour days, 6-7 day weeks, no joke), I'll do what I can
to get additional information out, but mostly I must limit it to answering
questions cuz, as you know, there is so MUCH you can say about SB that it
would take MEGABYTES of files to contain it all, and STILL I'd miss
something important.
Feel free to ask away, tho…
–Duke
Re your SQL info:
I'm just getting into Oracle at work, running on a UNIX box through a
TCP/IP link to my AT BRidge, using a Novell setup as a sort of "shell".
Will SB4, Novell flavor, permit me to work boack and forth with the Oracle
setup, provided I stick to plain vanilla SQL?
?|^] Ray Lewis
I'm not sure how you'll be able to work best with the Amiga version of SB4
and Oracle SQL database, but the Windows product is a different animal in
this regard: after all, you must admit that the overall market demand for
the Amiga to act as a front end to Oracle is pretty small, even despite the
plusses it offers.
Right now, on the PC– which DOES have a large demand for SQL front ends–
we use 3rd party products which translate DML code to SQL statements and
pass them on to the server. In Windows, we do this via DDE, or Dynamic Data
Exchange, which is very similar in concept if not functionality with the
ARexx port.
I'm not aware of any such products currently available for the Amiga, but
if you or someone else does, please let me know. I don't anticipate that
embedded SQL will be a feature of SB4/Amiga, but that will depend at least
to some degree on the finalized release date. Sorry, but I can't say any
more than that at present.
–Duke
Well, I suspect that the next 6 to 9 months will tell us all a lot about
the Amiga and hard-core business applications, what with the Unix box
coming out, the 3000, TCP/IP-Novell-DECNet hardware and software, etc. all
coming out for the platform.
Might just break the old chicken/egg problem, y'know!
?|^] Ray Lewis
Ray, we are getting a SQL operation going under UNIX. I am looking at
getting XWindows for the Amiga as an interface. Might that work for you?
Rob.
It might. I'm just learning about this stuff!
Right now, I'm hooked into a novell net on the at bridge side. They have
Oracle running on a Unix box, and I can link into it through Novell. I
have the link up, and they were about to give me a protected area in which
to play with unix and Oracle when that ConEd station went out in lower
Manhattan. Our building was out of power for a week. Just came back up
last Monday, and I was so busy getting caught up, I didn't get back to see
if I was ready to roll. I hope to do so next week.
I sure would like to hook into the Novell and TCP/IP stuff direct from the
Amiga, tho. As I said, I'm very early on the learning curve regarding any
of the networking hardware/software issues, tho, so I don't even know at
this time what question to ask!
Ray, if you want to play with Oracle, ask if your ADP people have
Professional Oracle (I think that's the name). It runs on Clones and is
sort of a "demo"of Oracle 5.1B. That version isn't the latest but it just
great for learning SQL without tears. The "demo" compromise is that it
won't save a data base bigger than 1 MB. It's not being made for more
current versions of Oracle but lots of shops have it lying around somewhere
– it was almost a giveaway at $199 when O was putting it out. Rob.
Rob,
Professional Oracle — it that the one that required 10MB of disk space and
3MB of RAM? I remember receiving a mailing for such a software package, but
also remember not ordering it…
Wayde