rsinger@netcom.COM (Richard Singer) (05/25/91)
I am writing an application which needs to share dbase files with Dbase III/III+/IV over a network. Does anyone know how these dbase versions lock files/records? or any reference which might describe this. Thanks, Rich Singer
awd@dbase.A-T.COM (Alastair Dallas) (06/03/91)
In article <1991May24.224602.19130@netcom.COM>, rsinger@netcom.COM (Richard Singer) writes: > I am writing an application which needs to share dbase files with Dbase > III/III+/IV over a network. Does anyone know how these dbase versions > lock files/records? or any reference which might describe this. This question was asked and answered a few months ago. Sorry, but you can't easily do it--the locking protocol is proprietary to Ashton-Tate, trade secrets and all that. If you or someone else figures it out by reverse-engineering, that's in violation of the license agreement. I may be completely wrong in stating 1) Ashton-Tate's position, 2) the legalities involved, or 3) the existing situation with respect to the number of people actively disseminating the information. Obviously, I don't think I'm wrong, and I'm one of the "experts" that A-T legal would naturally ask about locking trade secrets and that's what I'd tell them. Sorry it's no help. My advice is let your app write transaction files which the dBASE app batch updates from periodically in exclusive mode. /alastair/ -- |Disclaimer: I am speaking for myself, not as a spokesman for Ashton-Tate, |which does not monitor my outbursts here. I reserve all rights to my |opinions in terms of commercial endorsements.
glenn@welch.jhu.edu (Glenn M. Mason) (06/04/91)
In article <1991Jun3.031554.20350@dbase.A-T.COM> awd@dbase.A-T.COM (Alastair Dallas) writes: >In article <1991May24.224602.19130@netcom.COM>, rsinger@netcom.COM (Richard Singer) writes: >> I am writing an application which needs to share dbase files with Dbase >> III/III+/IV over a network. Does anyone know how these dbase versions >> lock files/records? or any reference which might describe this. > >This question was asked and answered a few months ago. Sorry, but you >can't easily do it--the locking protocol is proprietary to Ashton-Tate, >trade secrets and all that. If you or someone else figures it out by >reverse-engineering, that's in violation of the license agreement. > >... >Sorry it's no help. My advice is let your app write transaction files >which the dBASE app batch updates from periodically in exclusive mode. Yet another reason to upgrade this dinasaur to a real RDBMS ... ;^)