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From: peter@aucs.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: HyperCard Experts: Some Advice Please
Message-ID: <472@aucs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 24-Oct-87 08:44:24 EST
Article-I.D.: aucs.472
Posted: Sat Oct 24 08:44:24 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Oct-87 19:34:05 EST
Reply-To: peter@aucs.UUCP (Peter Steele)
Distribution: na
Organization: School of Computer Science, Acadia Univ., Nova Scotia
Lines: 34

I am posting this again as I got no response last time. There must be
some HyperCarder out there who can answer my questions:

I have finally got on the HyperCard bandwagon and my initial reaction
is very positive. I am now trying to decide what to use it for. One
idea is to convert this dBase employee database that I wrote to HyperCard,
but the more I think about it, the less appropriate HyperCard seems to
be for this purpose. The database consists of a main employee file, with
records for each employee containing the typical stuff like Name, Address,
Department, Salary, Employee Number, and so on, as well as various related
databases containing information such as Leave History, Grants Obtained,
and Committee Membership. The program has two modes: data entry and
report generation. Is this too much for HyperCard? I know that I could
make stacks for each of these databases, but how easy would it be to
manage the data once its all in there. Can data entry be validated? For
example, in dBase, dates can be automatically validated on entry. How
about sorting on multiple keys? My script language guide hasn't arrived
yet but there doesn't seem to be an easy (or efficient) way to do this
from what I've gleened from the on-line help.

I know I could make something that "looks" better than the dBase program on my
PC, but would it really be as capable a program in HyperCard? Comments
please.

On a related note, I am trying hard to find a application for HyperCard.
Sure, I could use it for "Things to do", keeping addresses, phone numbers,
and all that mundane stuff, but other than simple various of this basic
sort of database, what could I use HyperCard for? I really do want to use
it. It is one slick program and I'm dying to find an application for it.
Comments please.


Peter Steele Acadia Univ. Wolfville NS Canada B0P1X0 (902)542-2201x121
UUCP:{uunet|watmath|utai|garfield}dalcs!aucs!Peter BITNET:Peter@Acadia