Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!brunix!cs.brown.edu!pew
From: pew@cs.brown.edu (Peter E. Wagner)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: some questions on DBASE III +
Keywords: make it simple....
Message-ID: <68237@brunix.UUCP>
Date: 12 Mar 91 16:17:40 GMT
References: <20990@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Sender: news@brunix.UUCP
Organization: Brown Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 101

In article <20990@shlump.nac.dec.com>, yychow@pasm07.enet.dec.com (yychow) writes:
|> Hi Everyone, 
|> 
|> 	I need a number of questions for you, if you know the answer
|> 	on one or more questions listed below, please write here or
|> 	directly sent mail to the address below.
|> 
|> 	All below cases are to be assumed in a network environment.
|> 
|> 	1) If I have two applications say prog1 and prog2, and want to
|> 	   have a main menu (main) to call up either one of them. Do I 
|> 	   need to re-organize all the select area when multiple users 
|> 	   is using the programs????
|> 
|> 	                  -----	main------
|> 			  |              |
|> 			  |              |
|> 			prog1		prog2
|> 			-----		-----
|> 			select 1 	select 1
|> 			use test1	use test2
|> 
|> 	   If not so, I shall assume that multiple users will not affect
|> 	   each other..
|> 

Users will not affect each other in this case.  Each user can have
their own set of open files in any work areas they choose.  User 1 can
have test1 open in select area 1 and test2 in select area 2, while
user 2 has test1 open in select area 2 and test2 open in select area
1.  Of course, you do have to worry about file and record locking
preventing the users from doing what they want.

|> 	2) For a large application, it is difficult to open all the files
|> 	   in a different selected areas once.. So if I write for each function
|> 	   to open the the corresponding required database files and close 
|> 	   them when I finished using them. In a single user-environment, 
|> 	   there will not be any problem, but about when it is in 
|> 	   a multiple users environment, will this approch affect the 
|> 	   users using the system? 
|> 
|> 	   Say I have two users (user1 & user2)and they are working on with 
|> 	   the same application but different functions, will the user1 
|> 	   affect the user2.
|> 
|> 			user1		user2
|> 			-----		-----
|> 			function1      function2
|> 			   |		  |
|> 
|> 			select 1 	select 1
|> 			use test1	use test2
|> 
|> 	    Will the user1 be working on test1, and user2 be working test2
|> 	    without affecting each other???
|> 

I think this is the same question as your first, and the same answer
applies.  If I have misinterpreted you, please let me know and I will
try to answer.


|> 	3) I believe many of you have used clipper to compile your application.
|> 	   From the reference manual, it mentions ones could open up to
|> 	   256 areas, i.e., select 1 to select 256... But I have an application
|> 	   which only open ten database files and 10 indexed files. whenever 
|> 	   it reach to the area 9, it gives me an error message like "error
|> 	   on open indexed file name_of_file", I have checked the indexed 
|> 	   file, and re-create the indexed file, it still does not work. 
|> 	   Can someone tell me what is wrong with it? By the way, I have set
|> 	   the following:
|> 
|> 		config.sys
|> 		==========
|> 		files = 50
|> 
|> 		autoexec.bat
|> 		============
|> 		set clipper = F50
|> 
|> 	   This should enable me to open up to 50 files, right !!!

I do not know Clipper, though I hear that it is excellent.  Even so, I
would strongly recommend that you look at Foxbase instead of dBase
III+.  It is much, much, much, MUCH faster and more reliable than
dBase III+ while being 100% compatible.  You will not have to rewrite
any code or relearn anything, though there are a few extra features
that are really nice like save and restore screen.  If you want to
jump to an even more advanced environment, you can migrate to FoxPro.
FoxPro will run your dBase application while being even faster than
Foxbase.  It also has a zillion more features.  However, it is
different enough from dBase that there is a bit of a learning curve.
Of course this learning curve is due to the fact that you want to
program differently with all of the new advanced features.  You can
continue to program exactly as you would in dBaase III+, but you would
not be taking advantage of the environment.  You can probably get
Foxbase for about $100 while FoxPro runs about $400+.  I always
recommend these products to people who are using dBase, since I feel
that it is the best move I ever made.  Good luck!

    Peter