mitch@arcturus.UUCP (Mitchell S. Gorman) (06/09/89)
A friend of mine (a financial analyst) recently changed c jobs, and is having a little trouble getting used to the concept of a relational database in applications where he has previously only used DBase. Can anyone give me some info I can present to him as an introduction to relational databases, or better yet and more to the point, on Focus itself? Also, does anyone know if there's a Focus newsgroup where I could also dig for information? He is not a programmer, but he is intelligent enough to be able to understand a technical INTRODUCTION to rdbs. I've taken coursework in writing rdbs, but that was a long time ago, so I can't be much help to him. Any and all responses would be appreciated. Please Email answers, and if requested I will post a summary. "We thank you for your support." Mitch @ Rockwell, Anaheim Disclaimer: Heard from a novice relational database user: "Join THIS, you piece of trash!!" :^S
awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) (06/14/89)
Three things: 1) You might find more FOCUS feedback in comp.databases. 2) The rdbms "bible" as far as I'm concerned is "An Introduction to Database Systems" by C. J. Date. 3) dBASE is fully relational; all the concepts are there for a novice to see--tables, joins, referential integrity, domain integrity, null values, etc. The ivory tower arguments against dBASE all have to do with whether a single command manipulates a data set or whether a programmed loop is involved; or whether dBASE _maintains_ rather than _supports_ notions like referential integrity. Your posting implies that familiarity with dBASE leaves one unprepared for a _real_ relational system, which is poppycock. I'll thank you not to malign my company's product without knowing what you're talking about, sir. Everyone takes pot shots at dBASE; all I ask is that you back it up with facts. /alastair/ Disclaimer: Ashton-Tate doesn't speak for me and I return the favor.
mitch@arcturus.UUCP (Mitchell S. Gorman) (06/21/89)
In article <110@dbase.UUCP>, awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes: > > Three things: > > 1) You might find more FOCUS feedback in comp.databases. > > 2) The rdbms "bible" as far as I'm concerned is "An Introduction to Database > Systems" by C. J. Date. Thank you for this information. I will check the .databases group, and will send my friend (who is the one who needs the info) to find the book. > 3) dBASE is fully relational; all the concepts are there for a novice to see Apparently not; my friend IS a novice, and has NEVER known that he was using RRDB concepts. > Your posting implies that familiarity with dBASE leaves one > unprepared for a _real_ relational system, which is poppycock. I implied nothing of the kind! I said that my friend had used dBASE, and now was using FOCUS, and did not understand the concepts involved. For your information, my friend would like very much to convert his department over to dBASE, not only because it is the de facto standard within his company (his dept. being the exception), and not just because he has spent 4 years working with it and developed a certain modicum of proficiency, but because he happens to feel that it is most suited to the applications involved. The fact that he COULD use this product for so long, and have no knowlege of the fact that it is a "true RDBMS", is NOT the issue! The issue is that I asked for information so that he could make an intelligent recommendation to his superiors about the best product to use. If, however, it irks you that a reasonably knowlegeable and intelligent user of your software (HIM, _not_ me: I don't use, I don't need it, and I really don't give a DAMN either way!!) would not know how the thing was coded, that's no reason to get upset at him or me! ("It's not a bug, it's a feature!") > > I'll thank you not to malign my company's product without knowing what you're > talking about, sir. Everyone takes pot shots at dBASE; all I ask is that > you back it up with facts. > And I'll ask you not to be so defensive about it. I said he didn't know what was going on, and _I_ never claimed to! Sheesh! Sorry, but you're wrong: "everyone" does _NOT_ take potshots at it. > Disclaimer: Ashton-Tate doesn't speak for me and I return the favor. Coulda fooled me! If you feel the need to discuss this further, please email me. The only reason I'm posting this is because I don't like other people trying to make me look like a fool. I'm quite capable of doing that all by myself, and I don't need any help, thank you very much. Mitch @ Rockwell, Anaheim Disclaimer: Boy! Ask a simple question...