Checksum: 29082
Path: utzoo!utgpu!sarathy
From: sarathy@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Rajiv Sarathy)
Date: Tue, 13-Sep-88 19:09:52 EDT
Message-ID: <1988Sep13.190952.16350@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: What is the difference between Dbase III and Dbase III+ ?
References: <7008@megaron.arizona.edu>
Reply-To: sarathy@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Rajiv Sarathy)
Keywords: Dbase

In article <7008@megaron.arizona.edu> cjeffery@arizona.edu (Clinton Jeffery) writes:
>
>The subject line says it all: what is the difference between
>Dbase III and Dbase III+ ?  How about Dbase IV ?

I never saw dBase III, but I did see its manual.  I've used dBase III+
extensively.

Biggest difference: the manuals. (Hah, hah, hah...).

As far as dBase IV is concerned, it's a VERY different product.

1. dBase IV has SQL support. (But still an Ashton-Tate engine.  SQL engine is
                                        still in the works).
2. dBase IV can run ALL dBase III+ applications and AUTOMATICALLY makes them
       multi-user.  But they have a funny way of doing it.  Records are no
       longer locked.  Instead, as one user makes a change, other users viewing
       the same record automatically get the updated one on the screen.  There
       are advantages, and MAJOR disadvantages to this method.

3. dBase IV is MUCH more user-friendly.

4. dBase IV can write its own programs.

5. It has a much better report generator (writes its own code).

6. Other code generators are included.

7. Numbers 3 to 6, above, make it seem as though programmers (and consultants)
   are no longer required to write elementary code.  This is probably true.
   However, Ashton-Tate has a Programmers Edition for dBase IV which allows
   programmers to write packages much more powerful than ever before.  Included
   with this edition is a compiler with UNLIMITED RUNTIME DISTRIBUTION.  I can't
   confirm this, but the person with whom I spoke from Ashton-Tate said to me
   that the compiled code will run upto 10 times quicker than any of the other
   true and pseudo- compilers available today for dBase III+.

It looks as though Ashton-Tate has sweated a lot to put out this product.
However, I don't know how well it will be received in the market, especially
if Lotus' "Agenda" is any indication of what Mitchell Kapor is currently
developing in his new company.

(Mitchell Kapor, needless to say, is the developer of 1-2-3, the most successful
software package ever written (also needless to say).  He left Lotus, needless
to say, and is developing a new breed of software.) Needless to say, I needed
to say this for the many people who are new to the software industry.

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Disclaimer: I'm just an undergrad.
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