peter@aucs.UUCP (10/21/87)
I have finally got on the HyperCard bandwagon and my initial reaction
is very positive. I am now trying to decide what to use it for. One
idea is to convert this dBase employee database that I wrote to HyperCard,
but the more I think about it, the less appropriate HyperCard seems to
be for this purpose. The database consists of a main employee file, with
records for each employee containing the typical stuff like Name, Address,
Department, Salary, Employee Number, and so on, as well as various related
databases containing information such as Leave History, Grants Obtained,
and Committee Membership. The program has two modes: data entry and
report generation. Is this two much for HyperCard? I now that I could
make stacks for each of these databases, but how easy would it be to
manage the data once its all in there. Can data entry be validated? For
example, in dBase, dates can be automatically validated on entry. I know
I could make something that "looks" better than the dBase program on my
PC, but would it really be as capable a program in HyperCard? Comments
please.
On a related note, I am trying hard to find a application for HyperCard.
Sure, I could use it for "Things to do", keeping addresses, phone numbers,
and all that mundane stuff, but other than simple various of this basic
sort of database, what could I use HyperCard for. I really do want to use
it. It is one slick program and I'm dying to find an application for it.
Comments please.
Peter Steele Acadia Univ. Wolfville NS Canada B0P1X0 (902)542-2201x121
BITNET:{uunet|watmath|utai|garfield}dalcs!aucs!Peter UUCP:Peter@Acadiapeter@aucs.UUCP (10/21/87)
The address I gave in this posting is inverted: > Peter Steele Acadia Univ. Wolfville NS Canada B0P1X0 (902)542-2201x121 > BITNET:{uunet|watmath|utai|garfield}dalcs!aucs!Peter UUCP:Peter@Acadia ^^^^^^ swap these ^^^^ I also noticed at least one other typo. Sorry... Peter Steele
suhler@im4u.UUCP (Paul A. Suhler) (10/23/87)
In article <462@aucs.UUCP> peter@aucs.UUCP (Peter Steele) writes: >[...] >report generation. Is this two much for HyperCard? I now that I could >make stacks for each of these databases, but how easy would it be to >manage the data once its all in there. Can data entry be validated? For >[...] (I tried to mail some of the following to whoever requested bibliography stacks, but it bounced.) I implemented report generation in a form: formatting a multi-field bibliographic entry and spitting it out into a text-only file. I wanted to generate entries I could include in a Word document with minimal editing. (The usual printout of fields by columns was not at all what I needed.) I imagine that entry validation could be added as a button to hit after the entry is finished. Someone clever might be able to explain how to automatically check the field contents when you hit TAB to move the cursor to the next field. Is it possible to generate a full-blown MacWrite or Word document from HyperCard, assuming that you knew the appropriate format? I just wanted to insert italicization, but couldn't figure it out by looking at Word documents with just FEDIT. If anyone would like to get a copy of my bibliography stack, including help info, just send me a diskette and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. It's not perfect yet, but is useful. P. O. Box 8041, Austin, TX 78713 -- Paul Suhler suhler@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU 512-474-9517/471-3903
rhone@ubc-csgrads.uucp (Brock Rhone) (10/27/87)
In article <2274@im4u.UUCP> Paul Suhler (suhler@im4u.UUCP) at the U of Texas writes: <Is it possible to generate a full-blown MacWrite or Word document from <HyperCard, assuming that you knew the appropriate format? I just wanted <to insert italicization, but couldn't figure it out by looking at Word <documents with just FEDIT. I was wondering about this myself, for the same application as it turns out. If you have Word 3.01, then there is an easy solution. Word will read and write files in RTF "Interchange" format which apparently allows the encoding of all Word's formatting in an ASCII text file. The code for italics is {\i words in italics}. An RTF file has a substantial header, but including that is simple. As an example, a Word document (normal format) looking like this: --- this is an italic word this is a bold word --- where the font is 12 point Geneva and the words 'italic' and 'bold' are in italics and boldface, respectively, produces the following text file when saved in RTF format: --- {\rtf0\mac {\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss Chicago;}{\f3\fswiss Geneva;}{\f4\fmodern Monaco;}{\f13\fnil Zapf Dingbats;}{\f15\fnil N Helvetica Narrow;}{\f16\f nil Palatino;}{\f21\fswiss Helvetica;}{\f22\fmodern Courier;}{\f23\ftech Symbol;}}{\stylesheet{ \sbasedon222\snext0 Normal;}{\s1\li720\sb120 \b\f20\fs36 \sbasedon0 \snext0 2;}}\margr1080\margb1080\widowctrl\ftnbj\ftnrestart\pgnstart0 \sectd \linemod0\linex0\cols1\colsx0\endnhere \pard\plain this is an {\i italic} word\par \par and this is a {\b bold} word\par \par } --- So, this would appear to allow HyperCard (or anything else that can produce text files) to produce "full-blown" MS-Word documents, with full access to fonts, style sheets, etc. Great stuff! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brock Rhone Department of Computer Science University of British Columbia UUCP ubc-vision!grads!rhone Vancouver, BC, CANADA V6T 1W5 Phone (604) 733-1531 (home) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen) (10/28/87)
What you're trying to do is way beyond the capabilities of HyperCard. First of all, you're trying to create reports. This is something that is really crippled in HC as you're pretty much stuck to a choice between screen-image printing or one of HC's standard label or column reports. In the second place, you're attempting relational operations. This can be accomplished in HC; however, I think that you will find that the amount of coding (and the performance) make this for all intents and purposes "undoable". HyperCard is a great little interactive information management system, a filer. It is not a relational DBMS and is definitely not a report generator. I find it very useful for simple, single-file tasks (such as the stacks that come with it) but do not believe that it can compete with a DBMS in its present incarnation. Dennis Cohen Ashton-Tate Glendale Development Center dBASE Mac Development Team -------------------------- Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are my own. I don't know what (if any) opinions my employer might have upon these subjects.
waltervj@dartvax.UUCP (walter jeffries) (11/04/87)
In article <250@dbase.UUCP> drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen) writes: >: >I find it very useful for simple, single-file tasks (such as the stacks that >come with it) but do not believe that it can compete with a DBMS in its present >incarnation. >Dennis Cohen >Ashton-Tate Glendale Development Center >dBASE Mac Development Team ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^--- hmmm... from a disinterested source... atleast he's open about it. For reference I've written much more than simple, single-file tasks in HC and abandonded 4D and Excel in favor of HC for two projects already. But, I must agree, it's report features are very weak. -Waltervj.