Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!dsac.dla.mil!dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil!dsacg4.dsac.dla.mil!nol2321
From: nol2321@dsacg4.dsac.dla.mil (Jim Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: DBase on Unix?
Message-ID: <2475@dsacg4.dsac.dla.mil>
Date: 6 Sep 90 15:07:16 GMT
References: <12970001@hplsla.HP.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center, Columbus
Lines: 28


>From: reedj@hplsla.HP.COM (Reed Jacobsen)
> Does anybody know of a program that will run under unix and create (or at
> least load) DBase format files?  I will be accessing the files over a LAN
> connection from PC's, but I would like to be able to automate the loading
> of the databases and that's much easier to schedule on a "real" operating
> system.

Well, Reed, if you want to use a "real" operating system, then why aren't
you using a "real" database?

The fact is that this dBASE database file format is NOTHING MORE THAN AN 
ISAM FILE WITH A HEADER TACKED ON THE TOP!  It's not really a database, no
more than any FLAT file is!

What we need is to standardize on a database type, all this dBASE and dBASE
clone stuff is for the birds.  And the only answer so far on OUR unix boxes
is UNIFY!  (yuck!)

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C'mon NetLand, how about a VOTE!?!  I would put a vote in for B+Trees, or
C+Trees; we come up with a database definition, file types, engines, etc...

Do all the coding in C so we can port it to PC/BSD/VAX/etc...  How about 
somebody either set me straight, or enlighten me!                        :)
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Jim, jdunn@dsac.dla.mil