ronn@runx.OZ (Ron Newton) (11/23/86)
I am interested in contacting any user who is writing or using DATAFLEX with the view of exchanging idears, hints, bug reports and other information Please mail me direct.
paema@ssc-vax.UUCP (Marvin P Willoughby) (04/04/88)
Looking for application software to run on: "Dataflex" by Data Access Particularly accounting and menu programs. Please respond by U.S. Mail to : Robert Willoughby P.O. Box 33 San Jose, Ca. 95103 (408) 295-2926 or Compuserve I.D. 73260,2302
cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) (03/21/89)
I was wondering if there is anyone out there who is using DataFlex. It is a powerful DBMS that runs on many different operating systems and machines. (VAXES to PCs, DOS to UNIX). There are more than 80,000 licences that have been sole throughout in the world and I would like to know if there is anyone who reads this newsgroup who is using or familiar with DataFlex.
obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (03/29/89)
In article <8709@watcgl.waterloo.edu>, cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) writes: > I was wondering if there is anyone out there who is using DataFlex. > It is a powerful DBMS that runs on many different operating systems > and machines. (VAXES to PCs, DOS to UNIX). > > There are more than 80,000 licences that have been sole throughout in the world > and I would like to know if there is anyone who reads this newsgroup who > is using or familiar with DataFlex. Yes, there are many users of Dataflex in Australia - estimated at ~10,000 licences including run-times. It is the second biggest seller for the PC, and immediately pre-dBase IV for one month was the biggest. I would be very interested to know whether it is at all common in Canada. I believe that there are many licences in UK - 5,000 sold to the National Health, for example. PS I don't really know if this newsgroup is exported from Australia, and international email is hard to send. Please post! -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ David M. Bennett obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au ~ ~ Demileigh Consulting, 22 Tourello Ave, East Hawthorn 61 3 882 7599 ~ ~ Victorian Red Cross Blood Bank, Balston St, South Melbourne 61 3 616 0353 ~ ~ Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (04/03/89)
Now that I know that you can hear me... For those who didn't already know, Dataflex is a multi-user database management system for microcomputers and minicomputers running DOS, Unix or VMS. It has few relational features, and is based largely on ISAM/B-tree tables. It supports links between files which are generally hierarchical. It provides a reasonable 3rd/4th generation language for application development. In particular, it is very easy to produce sophisticated data entry and reporting programs which run very well on quite small computers. The main competitor is Clipper/FoxBase but not dBase. It is generally much easier to produce working programs in Dataflex than either of the others, although the language lacks some of the 3rd generation features such as string functions. It provides excellent support for large databases. The largest I know is 500,000 records which is VERY large on a microcomputer scale. It is very reliable in supporting multi-user applications on small metworks and Unix boxes. Dataflex is the second biggest selling database product in Australia, and probably more widely used for application development than the dBase family. FYI: I am the Vice-president of the Melbourne Dataflex User's Group Incorporated (wow!) and author of a competitor for Dataflex currently in beta testing. The big question at the moment is: whither 3.0? Has anyone heard any recent news from Miami? Did anyone go to the conference? We're all doing the mushroom bit 'round here. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ David M. Bennett obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au ~ ~ Demileigh Consulting, 22 Tourello Ave, East Hawthorn 61 3 882 7599 ~ ~ Victorian Red Cross Blood Bank, Balston St, South Melbourne 61 3 616 0353 ~ ~ Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) (04/09/89)
In article <3278@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes: >Dataflex is a multi-user database >management system for microcomputers and minicomputers running DOS, Unix or >VMS. It has few relational features, and is based largely on ISAM/B-tree >tables. It supports links between files which are generally hierarchical. > >largest I know is 500,000 records which is VERY large on a microcomputer scale. >It is very reliable in supporting multi-user applications on small metworks >and Unix boxes. > It also runs on the VAX under VMS, on the RT, under DOS, OS/2, etc. >FYI: I am the Vice-president of the Melbourne Dataflex User's Group >Incorporated (wow!) and author of a competitor for Dataflex currently in beta >testing. > I work for Canveon Systems Inc. the exclusive Canadian distributor of Dataflex. We also provide a full range of system development services. >The big question at the moment is: whither 3.0? Has anyone heard any >recent news from Miami? Did anyone go to the conference? We're all doing >the mushroom bit 'round here. > >-- Some people from our office were done in Miami, and they brought back some info: ( i don't have the stuff in front of me, so this synopsis is from memory ) - there is a new relational report writer which looks awesome, and there is an optionally available SQL interface. - now upto 16 indexes with 16 segments, ascending or descending - it sounds like there is a whole new user interface, but the details were sketchy, - swap to disk facility with chain wait/ so there is no real restriction as to how large or how many programs you can be running. - sounds like there is some kind of page management facility, again kinda sketchy. - graphics translation so transfer to non dos machines should be painless - there will be 20 flex keys, context sensitive help, etc. etc. It's great to finally see some Dataflex traffic on the net, i'm going to push Canveon to become a UUCP node so that we can actively participate in the newsgroups. By the way, Dataflex has all kinds of string functions (really procedures). I.e. mid, pos, length, append, trim, insert, replace, etc. >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (04/12/89)
In article <9133@watcgl.waterloo.edu>, cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) writes: > I work for Canveon Systems Inc. the exclusive Canadian distributor of Dataflex. > We also provide a full range of system development services. Care to post some figures about Dataflex usage in Canada? Canveon? (BTW, I don't even known where waterloo.edu is) [re 3.0] SQL only for the query/reporting product I believe. From what we've heard, they've written an object-orientated Windows/Icon/Mouse interface - sort of like WIndows or SAA. Big job that - hope they got it right! Dataflex users here are a bit worried about when will it be released (6/12 at least?), how much (prices have already gone up here), compatibility/bugs (remember 2.2->2.3), dropping support for other operating systems (CCPM/DOS, Turbodos,etc), performance of new interface on other than AT. Hope to get more info from the guys who went to Miami, tonight (DUG meeting). > It's great to finally see some Dataflex traffic on the net, i'm going to > push Canveon to become a UUCP node so that we can actively participate in > the newsgroups. From which it would appear that Canveon uses Unix? > >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ David M. Bennett obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au ~ ~ Demileigh Consulting, 22 Tourello Ave, East Hawthorn 61 3 882 7599 ~ ~ Victorian Red Cross Blood Bank, Balston St, South Melbourne 61 3 616 0353 ~ ~ Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) (04/16/89)
In article <3513@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes: >Care to post some figures about Dataflex usage in Canada? Canveon? >(BTW, I don't even known where waterloo.edu is) > Well, the University of Waterloo is located about 110 km (60 miles) west of Toronto Ontario. It features the world's biggest math faculty. There are about 20000 full time students, and there is a work co-op program available in almost every facutly. As to the Canadian useage of Dataflex, I don't have exact numbers, but there are probably at least 500 developers, and more than a thousand companies/ orgraniztions using Dataflex. Some of the biggies are PetroCanada, Tenneco (Speedy Muffler King), Drake Training. >[re 3.0] SQL only for the query/reporting product I believe. >From what we've heard, they've written an object-orientated Windows/Icon/Mouse >interface - sort of like WIndows or SAA. Big job that - hope they got it >right! Well only time will tell, but I have a good feeling about this release. >From which it would appear that Canveon uses Unix? We have a AT&T 3B2 in the office, but it isn't on the net yet.
obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (04/17/89)
In article <9251@watcgl.waterloo.edu>, cslewis@lily.waterloo.edu (Cary Lewis) writes: > Well only time will tell, but I have a good feeling about this release. We now have reports back from the conference. The people here seem to know Canveon well. Perhaps you know Tom Aczel, Paul O'Connor? Anyway, while the distributors are full of positive things to say, the user group is not confident. Samples of the new object-oriented code left everyone confused. Quotes of the new Relational Report Writer costing $600-800 on top of Dataflex, and no option to generate source code to distribute. Lots of stuff about gateways and database engines for the corporate user, but the main users here are small business and they didn't sound happy. Added to which, no release date and no pricing. But support being dropped for some operating systems including Turbodos and Concurrent CPM. Presumably we'll learn something positive soon but the vibes were double plus ungood. BTW, have you heard that POWERflex runs Dataflex programs better than Dataflex does? -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ David M. Bennett obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au ~ ~ Demileigh Consulting, 22 Tourello Ave, East Hawthorn 61 3 882 7599 ~ ~ Victorian Red Cross Blood Bank, Balston St, South Melbourne 61 3 616 0353 ~ ~ Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
deac@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Deac Lancaster) (02/08/90)
********************************************************************* Does anyone out there know of an RDBMS call Dataflex? What are it's strengths and weaknesses compared to others like Foxbase, Sybase, Informix, etc.? Where can I find out more about it? Thanks in advance. Deac Lancaster O O ^ \_/ *********************************************************************
johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us (John R. Levine) (02/09/90)
In article <16703@boulder.Colorado.EDU> deac@tigger.colorado.edu (Deac Lancaster) writes: >Does anyone out there know of an RDBMS call Dataflex? I used it a few years ago to write a multi-user order processing application. It really is more of a network DBMS, you can pre-join files so that, for example, each time you fetch an order record the corresponding customer record is available too. It has a semi-compiled programming language that is not great but can be made to do anything if you're persistent enough. Screen handling is pretty good, and the compiled byte code is portable among a zillion platforms. There is a simple but useful query language. The reason I chose it then, and I'd probably choose it again, is that it really worked for a multiuser database on a PC network. I gather that more recently the query language has been improved and they have some sort of office package with a word processor that sits on top of it. It's from Data Access Corp in, as I recall, Ft. Lauderdale. -- John R. Levine, Segue Software, POB 349, Cambridge MA 02238, +1 617 864 9650 johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us, {ima|lotus|spdcc}!esegue!johnl "Now, we are all jelly doughnuts."
tac@sei.cmu.edu (Timothy Coddington) (02/09/90)
In article <16703@boulder.Colorado.EDU> deac@tigger.colorado.edu (Deac Lancaster) writes: >********************************************************************* >Does anyone out there know of an RDBMS call Dataflex? > >What are it's strengths and weaknesses compared to others like >Foxbase, Sybase, Informix, etc.? I've written several Invoice, Purchase Order, and Accounting systems using Dataflex (v2.3). I can only compare it to dBase flavor of DBMS. It is available on many hardware platforms, including Vax, and has been around a long time. If I'm not mistaken its the oldest (PC-based) networked DBMS. Single user versions also available. As far as I know there is still no compiler for it. After writing your applications you generate a pseudo-compiled executable. Applications cannot be run without the Dataflex runtime. Applications ran very fast on my compaq portable (orig). Dataflex has several very unique features. First, creating input screens is very easy. Simply, create a file containing a "picture" of how you want your screen to look. That is, using ascii and block graphic characters format how you want it to look. For entry field, which are eventually highlighted during data entry, you use some designated character (such as underscore). A period in an entry field means it will be an integer or float, depending on where you put it. When your done you feed it to a utility that generates the program source AND database definition/structure for entering and modifying records defined by your entry screen. However, most of the time there is more to the processing, but this is a very helpful first step. By far the best thing Dataflex offers are the options for data entry. Their mechanism is the best and most flexible I've found yet. This mechanism is similar to dBase's READ statement, but much much more powerful. I comtemplated giving my favorite example, but it would take too long to explain. I've not found any other DBMS (including Fox*) with this powerful a mechanism. The Dataflex documentation is good compared to dbase and Fox*. The version I was using has a lot of bugs and gave me a real pain until I learn how to avoid them. >
steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) (02/10/90)
In article <6023@ct.sei.cmu.edu> tac@sei.cmu.edu (Timothy Coddington) writes: #>In article <16703@boulder.Colorado.EDU> deac@tigger.colorado.edu (Deac Lancaster) writes: #>Dataflex has several very unique features. #>First, creating input screens is very easy. Simply, create a file #>containing a "picture" of how you want your screen to look. That is, using #>ascii and block graphic characters format how you want it to look. For #>entry field, which are eventually highlighted during data entry, you use #>some designated character (such as underscore). A period in an entry field #>means it will be an integer or float, depending on where you put it. When #>your done you feed it to a utility that generates the program source AND #>database definition/structure for entering and modifying records defined by >your entry screen. However, most of the time there is more to the >processing, but this is a very helpful first step. That feature is hardly unique. When I bought CP/M dBASE II in 1983, it came with a utility called ZIP, which did essentially the same thing. Steve Goldfield
frankb@usource.SARASOTA.FL.US (Frank Bicknell) (09/13/90)
I am wondering if there are any of you out there also using Data Access Corp's DataFlex programming language. Once in a while we run across a situation where for some reason we have yet to pin down, the .dat file will contain a "-1" in the "total records" field and a "0" in the "used records" field. The names of the fields were procured empirically, which brings me to the next question. Anyone know the "official" format of the .dat file? We've picked out a few of the fields, but I'm interested in what some of those others are; they may be of some use. Thanks in advance. e-mail and I'll summarize if I get a response. -- frankb@usource.Sarasota.FL.US (Frank Bicknell) ...!uflorida!usource!frankb UniSource, Incorporated; Sarasota, FL
beveland@IASTATE.EDU (Eveland Bruce R) (12/11/90)
Has anyone out using a database package called Dataflex. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx
Christian.Kuehnke@arbi.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de (Christian Kuehnke) (12/12/90)
beveland@IASTATE.EDU (Eveland Bruce R) writes: >Has anyone out using a database package called Dataflex. Any info would >be greatly appreciated. Thanx I use DataFlex at work (developing applications) for three years. DataFlex is more a programming tool for software developers rather than a stand- alone application. Applications are written in a special Macro-like language. This language is restricted in some ugly ways, e.g. there are no Procedures or Functions (No recursion possible), and no arrays. Database handling: - Relational - Up to some billion records per database - Up to 255 databases - Up to 255 fields per record - Up to 10 indices per database, each with max. 6 Fields - *Practical* limit of databases open simoultaneously is about 50, each with about 3 indices, but the theoretical limit is higher... Dataflex is very fast, if not *too* much indices are required, but generally speed is no problem. Creating graphic screens is supported. Currently, there's no reasonable interface to other languages (Once, DataAccess announced a C library, but it was never delivered, as far as I know). DataFlex is available for MS-DOS, for several Unix machines, for VAXen etc... But be careful, the price for the VAX full development license is about 40.000 German Marks, i.e. about 25.000 $. Of course the MS-DOS licenses are cheaper: About 5.000 DM (3000$) for the multi-user development license (preferably supporting Novell's Netware), and 1.000 DM (700$) for the multi-user runtime license, which you need for *every* custo- mer... Generally, DataFlex is a fine and suitable database system for applications of average up to large size. And, moreover, DataAccess is currently working on release 3.0 (the current release is 2.3), which supports procedures, arrays, and provides a full graphics-oriented user-interface, at least on MS-DOS machines... And even in the current release it is far more powerful than Clipper, FoxBase, and all this stuff - Never seen an application on these systems as large as that I know on DataFlex... Oracle etc. are even more mightier, but they are hardly suitable if you want to downgrade to MS-DOS-machines...or am I wrong ? Christian PS: Diclaimer: I am not affiliated neither with DataAcess nor with any of their redistributors... -- Christian Kuehnke * Christian.Kuehnke@arbi.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de Hartenscher Damm 65 * D-2900 Oldenburg * Earn/Bitnet: 249923@DOLUNI1 FRG ("W.-Germany") * Voice : +49 (0)441 592 652 received data 2824 bytes 2.32 secs
millman@garnet.Sbi.COM (Phillip Millman) (12/17/90)
I had the misfortune of using Dataflex at a previous job. It is an inflexable hiearchal databse. It has a terrible front end and it's reporting facilities are terrible. The one redemming feature is that it handles record locking well. They have been "working" on Dataflex rev 3.0 for OVER 18 months. (Although I've heard rumors that it has come out for OS/2) Stick with a winner. -- Phillip Millman My Opinoins are my own Salomon Bros. 1 (212) 855 2221 because nobody else will millman@garnet.sbi.com have them.