[dba-Tech] database

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Sun Jan 27 01:59:02 CST 2013


That is one of the few databases that I never worked with. Did some reading
up on it at the time but for some reason, probably that no contracts asked
for it, never used it.

What was it like to work with?

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McLachlan
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 10:24 PM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] database

1989?  You should have built it in Dataflex :-)


On 26 Jan 2013 at 20:46, Jim Lawrence wrote:

> Hi Shamil:
> 
> This database had it beginning in 1989. 
> 
> Oracle was hardly noted in 1993 (but I did get a free copy), MS Access was
> just a toy until 1997 (Took a full two week training course in MS Access
> (version 2) in 1993(?) fully paid for by Microsoft), R:Base was excellent
> but it needed virtually a server to run on or maybe a main-frame, Paradox,
> one of the first real desktop databases but not very multi-user friendly,
> then the whole Dbase series...only DBaseIII was good...did a lot of work
on
> this package and its various offspring; clipper and Foxbase (and FoxPro). 
> 
> Foxbase was the first real database, fast and multi-user. Before that I
was
> building applications, in AcuCobol/Basic/Fortran on top of Btrieve...fully
> multi-user when running on a Novell LAN network (also ran on UNIX and
> Xenix). Then there was Smartware (1984), the first full office suite, that
> was also fully programmable...even had a full modem and terminal
> communications package. Other incredible databases that somehow pasted
under
> the radar were Clarion, very eloquent in design, would compile almost to
> assembler and SuperBase, one of the fastest databases ever built...but it
> needed to remap the hard-drive. There were a number of other databases but
> the names escape me for now.
> 
> The database in question was initially built in Informix on SCO
UNIX/Xenix.
> If there had been OSS Linux at the time, I would have never moved the
> product to Windows. The windows version was a cross between Angoss, a
> derivative of Smartware and Informix. Very fast and very reliable and I
have
> a full unlimited license as the IBM bought up Informix and the Windows
> software division closed down.
> 
> Minis and Mainframes (VAX) came before, the first age and Windows and
Oracle
> databases came after, the third age...and now the fourth age is is the
> Internet. As you can see, I have a long and very messy history in
databases
> 
> 
> Jim   
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Salakhetdinov
> Shamil
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 5:20 PM
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] database
> 
>  Hi Jim --
> 
> <<<
>  there was no Oracle, Linux, MySQL etc etc...
> >>>
> But Oracle was available already - twenty years ago - in January 1993:
> 
> - Oracle -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_Database
> 
> as well as:
> 
> - dBase -  http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBase
> - R:Base -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R:Base
> - Paradox -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_(database )
> - MS Access -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Access
> - dbVista (Raima Data Manager) -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raima
> - ...
> 
> Have you used file system "database" that "ancient" times to get your POS
> software to fit into memory? 
> Are you still keeping (some of) your POS application system production and
> history data out of a database?
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> -- Shamil
> 
> , 26  2013, 16:40 -08:00  "Jim Lawrence" <accessd at shaw.ca>:
> >Constraints? What's a constraint? ;-)
> >
> >What's all that fancty talk...this database is over twenty years old,
there
> >was no Oracle, Linux, MySQL etc etc...
> >
> >Jim 
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From:  dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> >[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
Hans-Christian
> >Andersen
> >Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 4:15 PM
> >To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
> >Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] database
> >
> >
> >Does this database have constraints in any shape or form? If the database
> is
> >capable of constraints (most modern databases do, but older ones, I feign
> >ignorance) and it was implemented properly, it makes life a heck of a lot
> >easier, since you can a quick overview of the relationships between
> >different tables - thus making your life easier.
> >
> >- Hans
> >
> >
> >On 2013-01-26, at 11:28 AM, "Jim Lawrence" < accessd at shaw.ca > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Gustav:
> >> 
> >> I do have incredible confidence in you guys.
> >> 
> >> It never hurts to be a little overly cautious with these sort of events
> >and
> >> who knows, there may be a obvious "got-ya" that I have over-looked. 
> >> 
> >> Jim 
> >> 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From:  dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> >> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav
Brock
> >> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 10:50 AM
> >> To:  dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com
> >> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] database
> >> 
> >> Hi Jim
> >> 
> >> I must say you have great confidence in us. After a couple of months'
> >> planning you ask for good advice within the hour!
> >> 
> >> That said, and as already mentioned, I would certainly look for setting
> >> cascade deletes.
> >> 
> >> /gustav
> <<< skipped >>>
> >
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