Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!hub.toronto.edu!stevec
From: stevec@hub.toronto.edu (Stephen Curran)
Subject: Clipper vs. dBase IV for compiled programs
Message-ID: <8811150518.AA12765@hub.toronto.edu>
Keywords: Clipper dBase IV database compiler
Organization: University of Toronto
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 88 00:18:56 EST

Does anyone have some experience with these two products that they
would share?

I have a fairly typical application, a client database, that is
accessed through a set of dBase programs (create client, modify
client, etc,) on a LAN.  Occasionally, a user will want interactive
access to the data.  I will soon have several similiar databases
running on different LANs.

In looking at what's available to handle this (better than my current
scheme---straight dBase III Plus LAN), I thought the best choice would
be to use Clipper to create the database programs.  The programs (I
think) will be smaller (VERY important) and faster, especially on
start-up.  dBase III starts up very slowly--painful if you're just
going to run a quick database program and quit again.  In addition,
purchasing dBase III or a clone and running it on a single PC for
interactive use would satisfy that need.  As well, the Clipper
programs could be run on all of the LANs, without purchasing
additional copies of Clipper for each one.

Now dBase IV comes along.  It has a compiler included, and several
features beyond Clipper, and would also seem to do the job.

So, my questions:

1)  Do I have to purchase dBase IV for every LAN to use compiled
    code on each?  Does it create standalone programs?
2)  How big are compiled dBase IV and Clipper applications? (ie. what
    is the minimum size of standalone compiled applications?).  I'd like to
    be able to run the programs while the user has WordPerfect loaded in
    memory---can either do that??
3)  Can Clipper and dBase III be used on the same data files to provide
    both program and interactive access?  dBase IV and Clipper??
4)  Any experience with which is the best way to go for this?

thanks...
...stevec

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