Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bwdls61.bnr.ca!bwdls58!bwdls40!keithh
From: keithh@bwdls40.bnr.ca (Keith Hanlan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: Lattice "dBC III" library + "panel"
Message-ID: <5279@bwdls58.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jan 91 01:55:41 GMT
References: <645@tronsbox.xei.com>
Sender: news@bwdls58.UUCP
Reply-To: keithh@atreus.bnr.ca (Keith Hanlan)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ltd.
Lines: 61

In article <645@tronsbox.xei.com> tron1@tronsbox.xei.com (Kenneth Jamieson) writes:
>	I just got this postcard in the mail today from Lattice Inc.
>	They are blowing out some software , and I see that they list the 
>	"dBC III library" for $25.
>
>	Now, I am about to embark on a dtabase project for my self here
>	at home and wonder if this will save me any work or if it
>	is like the "C++" compiler ( 1/2 ;-) ).
>
>	Anyone use(ing) this thing ?? Is it worth the $25 ??
	I share Ken's concern and would also be interested in any
	net.experience.

	For those that are interested, here is what Lattice's product
	catalogue has to say about these two packages:

PANEL: (As opposed to Panal Plus II which is only available on the
MS-DOS platform and is quite a bit more expensive)
	Version Number: 1.0
	List Price: $195.00 (does not include source code)
	"PANEL gives you a large set of interactive screen design tools and
	library functions to help you create application screens. With
	PANEL, you can mark out entry fields, define display and entry
	attributes, help boxes, borders, and pop-up areas. Fields can be
	moved, edited, and resized. Validation details can be entered with
	the screen displayed so you can see the effect of any changes.
	PANEL saves the work to disk to form a library of screens that can
	be dynamically loaded by your program, or it can generate the C data
	structures, field areas, and header files to be compiled and linked
	into your C programs."

Questions specific to PANEL:
	o How does it compare with PowerWindows 2.0 from Inovatronics?
	o How useful will it remain once 2.0 becomes readily available? (to
	those of us underprivileged non-3000 owners :-)


Lattice dBC III:
	Versions Number 2.0
	List Price:	$150.00
	"dBC III C function library gives you an alternative to programming
	in the dBASE interpretive language. With dBC III you can write C
	programs that create, access, and update files that are compatible
	with Ashton-Tate's dBASE III database management system. You do not
	need to have dBASE in order to use dBC III library, since dBC III
	functions give you a complete Indexed Sequential Access Method
	(ISAM) package by itself. dBC III functions let you open and process
	up to ten data files, ten Index files, and ten Memo files
	simultaneously. Written in C, your database programs can take
	advantage of many other C libraries that support such tasks as
	screen and window management, graphics, and statistical analyses.

Generic Questions:
	o Is there going to be any need for an upgrade in order to take
	advantage of 2.0?
	o Are they any good?
	o Is the documentation good?
	O Are examples included?

Your net.help is much appreciated,
Keith Hanlan  keithh@bnr.ca  Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada 613-765-4645