Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!uniwa!fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au!a_dent
From: a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Help wanted - Mac databases
Message-ID: <1990Nov10.194517.2582@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 10 Nov 90 11:45:17 GMT
References: <328@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>
Organization: University of Western Australia
Lines: 44

In article <328@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>, sue@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Sue McPherson) writes:
> I'm looking on advice on appropriate database software for the Macintosh.
> 
> I want the screen to look something like this;
> +----------------------------------------------+
> | Name....            DOB...                   |
> | Address....              Hospital No.        |   <--- patient table
> | ..........                                   |
> |                                              |
> | Visit Date, Time   Biopsy Y/N                |   <--- visit table
> | Comment                                      |
> |                                              |
> | Test1  Result1  Test2 Result2 Test3 Result3  |
> | Test4  Result4  .....                        |   <--- test table
> | ....                                         |
> +----------------------------------------------+

The situation here is tailor-made for 4th Dimension and can be done withoout
any programming (for this screen) using an "included layout" to show all the
test records.  4th Dimension is the easiest database we've found for designing
screen layouts with this sort of information (3 medical systems to date) and
the only major problem is using it in a multi-user environment.  I think it
would be far better for this system than FoxBASE (based on personal experience)
and Omnis (based on discussions).
> 
> The main reporting requirement is to 'pull out all patients & visits which
> match the conditions'. This is where things start to get difficult as the
> conditions can specify ranges on more than one test. (ie. where the patient
> did TestA with a result > 5 and Test B with a result < 4) a number of tests may
> be specified with a range of results, although 4 different test is probable an
> acceptable limit.
The built-in 4th Dimension enquiry builder is very easy to use and open-ended so
would cope well with this.

> Sue McPherson
> sue@ariel.its.unimelb.edu.au

Andy Dent                     A.D. Software phone 09 249 2719
Mac & VAX programmer          94 Bermuda Dve, Ballajura
a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz       Western Australia  6066     
a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.AU (international)

> P.S. reply to me and I will summarise to the net.
(Sorry, I can only talk to the net)