Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!sei!tac
From: tac@sei.cmu.edu (Timothy Coddington)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: DATAFLEX
Keywords: RDBMS, Dataflex
Message-ID: <6023@ct.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 90 06:00:40 GMT
References: <16703@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Reply-To: tac@sei.cmu.edu (Timothy Coddington)
Organization: Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 43

In article <16703@boulder.Colorado.EDU> deac@tigger.colorado.edu (Deac Lancaster) writes:
>*********************************************************************
>Does anyone out there know of an RDBMS call Dataflex?
>
>What are it's strengths and weaknesses compared to others like
>Foxbase, Sybase, Informix, etc.?

I've written several Invoice, Purchase Order, and Accounting systems using
Dataflex (v2.3). I can only compare it to dBase flavor of DBMS.

It is available on many hardware platforms, including Vax, and has been
around a long time. If I'm not mistaken its the oldest (PC-based) networked
DBMS. Single user versions also available.

As far as I know there is still no compiler for it.  After writing your
applications you generate a pseudo-compiled executable.  Applications
cannot be run without the Dataflex runtime.  Applications ran very fast on
my compaq portable (orig).  

Dataflex has several very unique features.
First, creating input screens is very easy.  Simply, create a file
containing a "picture" of how you want your screen to look.  That is, using
ascii and block graphic characters format how you want it to look.  For
entry field, which are eventually highlighted during data entry, you use
some designated character (such as underscore).  A period in an entry field
means it will be an integer or float, depending on where you put it.  When
your done you feed it to a utility that generates the program source AND
database definition/structure for entering and modifying records defined by
your entry screen.  However, most of the time there is more to the
processing, but this is a very helpful first step.

By far the best thing Dataflex offers are the options for data entry.
Their mechanism is the best and most flexible I've found yet.   This
mechanism is similar to dBase's READ statement, but much much more
powerful. I comtemplated giving my favorite example, but it would take too long
to explain.  I've not found any other DBMS (including Fox*) with this
powerful a mechanism.  

The Dataflex documentation is good compared to dbase and Fox*. 

The version I was using has a lot of bugs and gave me a real pain until I
learn how to avoid them.  
>