dBASE II vs. the Bilge Pumps.

by Hal Pawluk We all know that bilge pumps suck. dBASE n vs. everything else. And by now, we've found out-the hard dBASE II really impressed me. way-that a lot of software seems to work the Written in (with no same way. need for a host lan­ So I got pretty guage), it handles up to excited when I ran 65,000 records (up to 32 across dBASE II, an fields and 1000 bytes assembly-language rela­ each), stores numeric tional Man­ data as packed strings agement System for so there are no round­ CP1M. It works! And off errors, has a super­ even a rank beginner fast multiple-key sort, like myself got it up and supports ISAM and running the first based on B* trees. time I sat down with it. You can use it If you're looking interactively with for software to deal with your data, too, here are -English-like commands some tips that will help: (DISPLAY 10 PROD­ UCTS), or program it (so when you've set up the formats, your secretary Tip #1: Database Management can do the work). Its report generator and user­ vs. File Handling: definable full screen operations mean that you can Any list or collection of data is, loosely, even use your existing forms. a data base, but most of those "data base man­ And if all this makes your mouth water, but agement" articles in the buzzbooks are really about you've already got all your data on a disk, that's file handling programs for specific applications. okay: dBASE II reads your ASCII files and adds A real Database Management System gives you the data to its own database. data and program independence (no repro­ Right now, I'm using dBASE II with my gramming when data changes), eliminates data word processor for budgeting, scheduling and duplication and makes it easy to turn data into preparing reports for my clients. information. Next come job costing, time billing and accounting. Tip #2: Assembly Language vs. BASIC: An Unheard-of Money-Back This one's easy: if you Ire setting up a Guarantee. DBMS, you're going to be doing a lot of sorting, dBASE II is the first software I've seen and Basic sorts are s-l-o-w. Run a benchmark on with a full money-back guarantee. a Basic system like S*-IV against a relational To check it out, just send $700 (plus tax in DBMS like dBASE II and you'll see what I mean. California) to Ashton-Tate, 3600 Wilshire Blvd., (But watch it: I've also seen one extremely slow Suite 1510, Los Angeles, CA 90010. (213) 666-4409. assembly-language file management system.) Test dBASE II doing your jobs on your computer for 30 days. If, for some strange reason, you don't Tip #3: Relational vs. Hierarchal want to keep it, send it back and they'll refund 81.. Network DBMS. your money. CODASYL-like hierarchal and network No questions asked. systems, around since the 1960's, are being They know you don't need your bilge phased out on the big machines so why get stuck pumped. with an old-fashioned system for your micro? A relational DBMS like dBASE II eliminates the pre­ defined sets, pointers and complex data structures of a CODASYL-type DBMS. And YOt,l don't need Ashton~ate to be a to use it. ©Ashton-Tate 1980

Circle 104 on Inquiry card. BYTE January 1981 165