Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!bc
From: bc@Apple.COM (bill coderre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: database access in SuperCard (or HyperCard)
Keywords: database, 4th Dimension, Foxbase, Oracle
Message-ID: <43149@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 19 Jul 90 15:21:31 GMT
References: <1990Jul19.035636.14352@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 29

(Peter J Ziemkowski) writes:
|HELP!  I need to access a database from within another application.

There's a growing market of database drivers callable from Hypercard
X's and other programming languages. One I've been using recently that
is extremely good is Answer Software's HyBase.

It's VERY object-oriented, in that it can have stored procedures
(compiled) associated with data types, automatically invoked as needed
(for example, data coersion), in a fairly interesting programming
language of its own, called STRETCH.

HyBase is also the only Macintosh database that has SQL support, so if
you plan on running multi-platform with big, expensive, server-style
databases, you could engineer some portability. (HyBase's SQL is about
the level of ANSI SQL.)

Since you can have custom data types with built-in methods,
programming vertical-market database applications (such as a
standalone "dentist office" package -- a common example) is greatly
eased. Since you have Hypercard for a front-end, customization is
quick and easy, and you don't have to deal with peculiarities of
programming languages and compilation methods.

Hybase also provides a good browser that provides full features and
full functionality, unlike (say) a debugger.

Hybase has just about every good computer science idea packed into it.
It's fun to dance to. I'll give it a 9.