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From: jeffw@dbase.A-T.COM (Jeff Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: program to use (Clipper or dBase)
Summary: Easy vs flexible
Message-ID: <691@dbase.A-T.COM>
Date: 30 Aug 90 22:44:37 GMT
References: <34247@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Reply-To: jeffw@dbase.UUCP (Jeff Wilson)
Organization: Ashton Tate Development Center Glendale, Calif.
Lines: 48

In article <34247@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> v105mahs@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
>
>   I am going to have to work on a MS-DOS PC-based database project 
>later this semester and was wondering which program to use.  A short 
>while ago I was given Clipper as a gift, but have never used it.  On 
>the LAN at school, they use and support dBase IV (which I have also 
>never used), but there is usually a wait to get on a computer.
>   Other than the fact that Clipper is compileable, how different is it
>from dBase?  If I create the program in Clipper and give the teacher the 
>code, is it similar enough to dBase that he could understand it (he 
>hasn't used Clipper before)?   

It's not a cut-and-dried situation.  I've developed systems using both
dBASE IV and Clipper (Summer '87) and have found they have different
areas of strength.  Note that my remarks assume that you're referring
to version 1.1 of dBASE.  It's MUCH better than 1.0.

If you want to get an application up and running with a minimum of code,
have it look nice, and have multiuser essentially built in, go with 
dBASE IV.  The drawback is that you don't have the kind of fine control
over the user interface you have with Clipper.  As long as you're willing
to do it "the DBASE way" you'll be fine.  

If you want total control over every aspect of the application, and are
willing to spend a considerable amount of time with 3rd party libraries
and external tools, go with Clipper.  You can do just about anything with
it.  The drawback here is that you have to exercise this leverl of control
over every aspect of the system.  You can't just sit back and let it
write the code for you.

Personally, I like to have my personal stamp on my applications, so I
usually prefer Clipper.  I have been very favorably impressed with the
new dBASE, though.  In fact, I just did a direct port of about 12,000
lines of Clipper code to dBASE IV.  The program in question has received
some comment in Databased Advisor and others as an example of how A-T
has to use it's competitor's product for it's own internal systems.
We should be able to put this issue to bed now - the resulting program 
only totals about 6,500 lines of code, and I'm quite pleased with the 
performance.  

As to your second question about the professor:  You can write the code
so that it's pretty plain vanilla in clipper and have your prof be able
to understand it.  But if you're going to do that, just do it in dBASE
and get the advantages of interactive browse, etc.

Hope this helps...

Jeff