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From: rodent@netcom.COM (Ben Discoe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
Subject: Re: DBManV
Message-ID: <1991May9.003958.20881@netcom.COM>
Date: 9 May 91 00:39:58 GMT
References: <1991May7.143606.15956@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> <1991May8.033851.6276@netcom.COM> <1991May8.175232.24268@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
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es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes:

>All my experience is with
>FoxBase/Pro. Can you compare the extensions you've made to the
>Fox line of extensions?

  Well, both dBMan and FoxBase are fairly straightforward dBase3+ clones.
Our extensions include a powerful, easy-to-use report writer, quick
commands to create menus and scroll-lists, a very fast pseudo-compiler
and a decent debugging capability.  We have UDFs and multidimensional
arrays.  Our strongest point, however, is 100% compatibility across
40+ computer platforms.  Data and code... it's all compatible.

  FoxPro is a different catagory, along with dBase4.  They have big price
tags, take up lots of room and have lots of non-essential features.
However, when people ask for a feature they like in one of those packages,
we'll often add it.  People often own dBMan in addition to another
package; we provide the portability.

> How about the Amiga specific
>improvements?

  We used to be a 100% MSDOS-looking program - medium res, four colors,
no mouse control, etc.  This is fine if you just want to bring business
software over from MSDOS machines to the Amiga, but it general... well,
nobody likes ports to the Amiga that don't Amigatize.  So, with version
5.3, I added the ability to configure
the display however you like, choose your font, or even run in a window
on the workbench.  You can use the mouse for pull-down menus and display
menus.  The Arexx and IFF i mentioned earlier, they'll be out soon.
We also support OS2.0.

>	Also, how about speed? How does it compare to dBASE and
>Fox?

Well, comparisons across operating systems are hard to make, but I'd say
in general we're significantly faster than dBase and significantly slower
than Fox.  However, you can't get Fox for your Amiga, ST, Unix box etc.

> Fox being what I'd consider VERY fast.

It sure is - although it comes at a cost.  Writing optimized Intel assembly
gives them speed, but limits their ability to port to other platforms.
Also, a lot of their performance comes from taking best advantage of
"expanded" memory on MSDOS boxes - which no one else does very well.

>	Thanks,
>	-- Ethan

----------------
Ben Discoe, radical ecologist, computer scientist at VersaSoft Corp.