[comp.databases] FOXBASE QUESTIONS

sjs@public.BTR.COM (Stephen J. Schow sjs@btr.com) (04/25/91)

Does anyone know where I can find more information about how to write
external programs to access FOXBASE data files.

Alternatively, what third party reporting software is available to access
FOXBASE data.

I just got FOXBASE+/Mac and FOXPRO and will be sharing database programs and
datafiles across PC's and Macs on a Novell LAN using Foxbase.  I would love
any insites and info about this situation.  

Are there any Foxbase bbs's or talk groups around?

thanks in advance


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Steve Schow        |   But you don't need to use the claw, if you pick the
(415) 366-8778     |   pear of the big paw paw....have I given you a clue?
(415) 813-4007     |   
sjs@btr.com        |             - Baloo the Bear
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pew@cs.brown.edu (Peter E. Wagner) (04/25/91)

In article <2543@public.BTR.COM>, sjs@public.BTR.COM (Stephen J. Schow  sjs@btr.com) writes:
|> 
|> Does anyone know where I can find more information about how to write
|> external programs to access FOXBASE data files.
|> 
|> Alternatively, what third party reporting software is available to access
|> FOXBASE data.

R&R Report Writer - Concentric Software, I believe.

|> 
|> I just got FOXBASE+/Mac and FOXPRO and will be sharing database programs and
|> datafiles across PC's and Macs on a Novell LAN using Foxbase.  I would love
|> any insites and info about this situation.
|> 
|> Are there any Foxbase bbs's or talk groups around?

Fox has a BB on Compuserve.  Type 'go foxforum' when you enter
CompuServe.  It is a GREAT BB, all sorts of knowledgeable folks hang
out there.


-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Peter E. Wagner          (401)863-7685        pew@cs.brown.edu
Department Computer Science   Box 1910        pew@BROWNCS.BITNET
Brown University, Providence, RI 02912        uunet!brunix!pew

Woody Allen when asked if he thought sex was dirty;
                                           `If you do it right.'
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georg@spanky.sybase.com (Georg Carlson) (04/27/91)

In article <2543@public.BTR.COM> sjs@public.BTR.COM (Stephen J. Schow  sjs@btr.com) writes:
>
>I just got FOXBASE+/Mac and FOXPRO and will be sharing database programs and
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>datafiles across PC's and Macs on a Novell LAN using Foxbase.  I would love
>any insites and info about this situation.  

Steve, although I cannot share any dual-platform info on Foxbase, on Foxbase
Mac I had too many problems to consider it a worthwhile task to use it for
any serious application. I have found technical support there very poor and
there seem to be still so many bugs in that appliaction that they need to send
out about 500 patches between each x.1 revison level. I had the worst time
ever with that application! Hope you have less hassle/more fun than I did!

-georg

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Views expressed here are mine personally and in NO WAY reflect those of my
Employer.

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pew@cs.brown.edu (Peter E. Wagner) (04/28/91)

In article <12518@sybase.sybase.com>, georg@spanky.sybase.com (Georg Carlson) writes:
|> In article <2543@public.BTR.COM> sjs@public.BTR.COM (Stephen J. Schow  sjs@btr.com) writes:
|> >
|> >I just got FOXBASE+/Mac and FOXPRO and will be sharing database programs and
|>             ^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> >datafiles across PC's and Macs on a Novell LAN using Foxbase.  I would love
|> >any insites and info about this situation.  
|> 
|> Steve, although I cannot share any dual-platform info on Foxbase, on Foxbase
|> Mac I had too many problems to consider it a worthwhile task to use it for
|> any serious application. I have found technical support there very poor and
|> there seem to be still so many bugs in that appliaction that they need to send
|> out about 500 patches between each x.1 revison level. I had the worst time
|> ever with that application! Hope you have less hassle/more fun than I did!
|> 

I can't say anything about Foxbase Mac, never used it, but this is the
first I've heard of problems with it.  At any rate, I'd just like to
say that Fox Software is the best software company I've ever dealt
with.  Perhaps they do send out a lot of patches, but this is a good
thing, not a bad one.  Every piece of software ships with bugs.  At
least Fox recognizes that and sends free upgrades to every customer as
soon as something deemed a serious bug is fixed.  I'd rather get
patches than have a product from a company that doesn't admit that the
bugs exist.  I've used Foxbase and FoxPro in the MS-DOS environment
and never been anything but impressed by how competent the people at
Fox Software are.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Peter E. Wagner          (401)863-7685        pew@cs.brown.edu
Department Computer Science   Box 1910        pew@BROWNCS.BITNET
Brown University, Providence, RI 02912        uunet!brunix!pew

Woody Allen when asked if he thought sex was dirty;
                                           `If you do it right.'
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shevett@mccc.edu (Dave Shevett) (04/29/91)

In article <73750@brunix.UUCP> pew@cs.brown.edu (Peter E. Wagner) writes:
=In article <12518@sybase.sybase.com>, georg@spanky.sybase.com (Georg Carlson) writes:
[Georg cautions about using FoxBase/Mac, due to numerous bugs, problems
and repeated patches distributed by Fox]

=I can't say anything about Foxbase Mac, never used it, but this is the
=first I've heard of problems with it.  At any rate, I'd just like to
=say that Fox Software is the best software company I've ever dealt
=with.  

I concur!  We have an entire business revolving around the Fox products,
and have had Excellent support from Fox, and the products (FoxBase,
and FoxPro) are masterful pieces of coding.

=I've used Foxbase and FoxPro in the MS-DOS environment
=and never been anything but impressed by how competent the people at
=Fox Software are.

We've got almost 120,000 lines of code running now under FoxBase and 
FoxPro.  FoxPro's initial release had some *minor* bugs in it, that were
easily worked around, and the update to FoxPro 1.02 was out within 6 weeks.
We were involved in Beta-testing FoxPro, and boy you want to see a package
evolve, watch a package go from .97 to 1.0 in a few months...  fascinating.

AT ANY RATE - FoxPro 2.0 is due out any minute now, and I have a question.
Fox has made some minor noise about using this system on other platforms.
Any realism in this?  We have some applications in SCO Foxbase, and would
love to be able to run FoxPro under SCO Unix.  Any input?

 ,___,    .--------------------------------------------------------------.
 \o.o/   | Dave Shevett     | Unix-PC BOF | The shortest distance between |
( \_/ )  | Lawrenceville,NJ |  TCF  '91   | two puns is a Straight Line   |
 |_|_|   | shevett@mccc.EDU | Apr 20-21st |                -- Doc Webster |
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