Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!violet.berkeley.edu!steve
From: steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: DBASE MAC 1.0
Message-ID: <26109@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 7 Jul 89 22:32:11 GMT
References: <501@extro.ucc.su.oz>
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 38

In article <501@extro.ucc.su.oz> awl@extro.ucc.su.oz (Tony Locke) writes:
#>These questions may have been answered some time ago but I would appreciate
#>any replies nonetheless.
#>
#>I am planning on writing an application involving 4 or so record-types 
#>with requiring relations. But this program seems to perform slowly on an
#>SE even when we're only talking about sorting ten records. Querie retrieval
#>is also slow. However, I like the graphic layout of the structure and of views
#>that the MAC allows. What's the next best package in terms of speed, that also 
#>has a moderately friendly application environment ( fast and not too complicatedto program). What about Foxbase (Omnis looks a little daunting at first glance)
#>Is there a newer faster version of dbase ?
#>
#>Thanks Tony.

Most people would recommend Foxbase, and I wouldn't disagree,
though I haven't used it yet. (I'm hoping to persuade my boss
to buy the multiuser version.) This month's (August 1989)
Macworld has a review of McMax 2.0, which I do have. In general,
Macworld says that Foxbase is faster, though McMax can beat it
in a few restricted areas ("executing program files using the
fastest-executing McMax commands" "For most ordinary database
operations, such as indexing or locating records, Foxbase is
two to four times faster.") Foxbase is also easier to implement
Mac-style windows and buttons, though it is possible to do it
with the new version of McMax (2.0). And Foxbase is more
expensive. These are the only two choices if you want to use
dBASE III+ on the Mac.

I can't resist quoting the end of the review: "Although it calls
for more hard work than most other Mac databases [because you
have to write dBASE III+ programs--sag], it's the least expensive
package for developing distributable custom database
applications, and it has a certain minimalist charm."

I haven't run across the charm yet, but I can verify the
minimalism.

Steve Goldfield