[Ham-Computers] RE: windows stuff

[Ken Sprouse / WA3FKG]

On Tuesday 30 August 2005 22:55, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
> Duane,
>
> Yep, most updates these days are Beta versions, if not Alpha.  They never
> get to finished code, especially if their name is Microsoft!  The only
> drawback to using a DOS based package 15 years into a Windows world is that
> you can't copy and paste.  Address labels, for example.
>
> That alone may one day cause me to spend the time to port the ap to the
> current Windows version of dBase.  But even dBase II of 20+ years ago was a
> better database manager than the current version of Access.  And had a
> better programming language.
>
> I think Tarzan's trademark call was called something of the Great Apes. 
> But can't recall what "something" was.
>
When I switched to Linux one of the reasons that I chose SuSe was the office 
suite included an "Access like" database.  It will read and write .DBF files 
so it is compatable with dBase.  If you want to get really deep into database 
stuff you can install MySQL or Postgress and use ReKall at the front end.

I have hundreds perhaps thousands of hours invested in dBase and Clipper code 
but had to move on when my employer moved to Windows and OS/2.  I still 
maintain a large database in DB2/2 on an old server running OS/2 Warp Server.  
There are still lots of business out there that run every day quite well on 
dBase tracking inventory and even doing point of sale transactions.  Most are 
small mom and pop operations where the owner, or one of his kids, is the IT 
department.

If you need to move away from the DOS platform and dBase I would seriously 
consider Linux and MySQL.  If you write all of your own code for the front 
end there can be somewhat of a learning curve but I think you will find it 
worth while in the long run.  Good luck.

-- 
Ken Sprouse Sr. / WA3FKG   John 3:16
Blog: http://wa3fkg.blogsot.com http://hultonbridge.blogspot.com
Pittsburgh Area Scanner Net Sunday nights 09:00PM 147.090 mHz
The box said Win95,98,2000 Nt4.0 or better" So I installed Linux!
Glock - The ultimate point and click user interface. (c)