Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!bloom-beacon!usc!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!awd
From: awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Does anyone know aught about FOCUS?
Summary: comp.databases
Message-ID: <110@dbase.UUCP>
Date: 14 Jun 89 05:37:15 GMT
References: <4975@arcturus>
Organization: Ashton Tate Devlopment Center Glendale, Calif.
Lines: 23


Three things:

1) You might find more FOCUS feedback in comp.databases.

2) The rdbms "bible" as far as I'm concerned is "An Introduction to Database
Systems" by C. J. Date.

3) dBASE is fully relational; all the concepts are there for a novice to
see--tables, joins, referential integrity, domain integrity, null values, etc.
The ivory tower arguments against dBASE all have to do with whether a single
command manipulates a data set or whether a programmed loop is involved; or
whether dBASE _maintains_ rather than _supports_ notions like referential
integrity.  Your posting implies that familiarity with dBASE leaves one
unprepared for a _real_ relational system, which is poppycock.

I'll thank you not to malign my company's product without knowing what you're
talking about, sir.  Everyone takes pot shots at dBASE; all I ask is that
you back it up with facts.

/alastair/

Disclaimer: Ashton-Tate doesn't speak for me and I return the favor.