Forum2News_Exporter@mts.rpi.edu (Barry Bailey) (11/01/90)
I also use Q&E (standalone product and macro extension to MS-Excel,
with its own menu entry in Excel).
With its recent upgrade to Win 3.0 compatibility Pioneer Software
added a few new features, almost making it a full fledged database
product.
They converted their file compatibility programs to *.DLL modules and
expanded the file types to include various flavors of text files
(fixed length record, delimited, tabbed, etc.) and SQL Server
databases. Q&E has always automatically generated SQL code from your
point and click sessions, now they have added a File menu option to
log on to a SQL Server system via an attached network (it prompts you
for server name, login ID and password).
As mentioned previously, Q&E now also enables you to create new
databases and indexes. The program has improved reporting capability
and a somewhat streamlined menu structure and feature set. Presuming
you already have a lot of data stored in text files, dBase files, or
in SQL servers you can easily create complex relations (Joins and
Outer Joins) with compound conditions and sorts. You can also
"Search" for records, I have never found this feature particularly
useful.
One of its strongest features is its DDE support, especially noted
for its ties with Excel. As a macro extension to Excel it implicitly
expands on Excel's feature set ("external database functions").
In the future (near?) I suspect they would release a Win 3.0 specific
version further enhancing the product (e.g. they still use the old
help format). With *.DLL files I suspect Pioneer Software and/or
third party developers will/could create additional file
compatibility modules (*.WK1, *.WKS, *.XLS, etc. anyone game?) and/or
offer cheap updates to existing compatibility modules (e.g. as SQL
evolves).
I haven't tested the SQL server ties yet, but hope to in the near
future. This feature alone would be a selling point on a campus with
extensive SQL support (i.e. a cheap and easy Win 3.0 user interface
to MS/Sybase SQL servers).
Q&E does enable the user to directly modify the SQL code and if so
installed it enables users to update databases and save results (as
well as queries) to various file formats...
So, Pioneer, when do I get my stipend...
barry
(not REALLY expecting a stipend, just a happy customer...:)bwb@sei.cmu.edu (Bruce Benson) (11/13/90)
In article <9848.6579.forumexp@mts.rpi.edu> Forum2News_Exporter@mts.rpi.edu (Barry Bailey) writes: > > > I also use Q&E (standalone product and macro extension to MS-Excel, > with its own menu entry in Excel). > <stuff deleted> > As mentioned previously, Q&E now also enables you to create new > databases and indexes. The program has improved reporting capability > and a somewhat streamlined menu structure and feature set. Presuming > you already have a lot of data stored in text files, dBase files, or > in SQL servers you can easily create complex relations (Joins and > Outer Joins) with compound conditions and sorts. You can also > "Search" for records, I have never found this feature particularly > useful. I constantly convert data to databases and use Q+E to do it. Since many of these databases are only generally structured (ie lots of long character fields) the "search" command is invaluable. For highly structure and specifically designed databases, search may not make a lot of sense. If you are a data junkie like me (25 lines of data? I'll convert it to a database!) search is often more useful than select. * Bruce Benson + Internet - bwb@sei.cmu.edu + + * Software Engineering Institute + Compuserv - 76226,3407 + >--|> * Carnegie Mellon University + Voice - 412 268 8469 + + * Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890 + + US Air Force