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Need New Database

Started by Dennis, 2008.03.03, 16:06:54

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Dennis

My emails to Carla--formerly of Sundial Systems--have not been answered, and I have heard from 1 dbExpert user. Sounds like dbExpert is--unfortunately--officially dead. Is there a compatible OS/2-eCS database that will read/convert dbExpert data? I need something that is relatively simple to use, as I have no idea of how to develop or program and do not know any programming languages.
Thanks in advance for your input.

Dennis

kim

Guess that you won't find something out-of-the-box; but if you dump out the database you could then very easy work with the data by using PhpMyAdmin and MySql on OS2.

jep

Sad to hear that she didn't reply.

dbExpert and MyPHPAdmin + MySQL can't be compared though.

dbExpert can be used to design each database, produce a runnable GUI with forms for input and reports for output of data, printouts etc. while MyPHPAdmin is mearly an advanced database design tool.

The same goes if you use Postgres and PgPHPAdmin, though there's no official package at the moment. I consider Postgres (8.1.14) the more powerful alternative, but you need the gui components.
The problem you'll encounter with Postgres is that you'll have to assemble the installation yourself. I've got a self configuring script though, that'll do it automagically for you ;-)

You may want to learn and use development tools such as VX-REXX, WDSybil or GpfREXX etc. to get the gui input/output equvivalence to reports and forms and tie it to one of those database engines.

Note: Both database engines can import dbf-databases, either directly or as comma separated text. There's often 2 - 5 possible formats to choose from.

//Jan-Erik

warpcafe

Dennis,

I don't know DBExpert. I think it's a tool that hides programming and SQL statements from the user by prividing an integrated database with reports and interface dialog facilities? I mean a la "MS Access"...?

Can you explain what it does - and what you used it for? Perhaps that might help in finding a possible solution for your needs. For instance... the old (free) StarOffice 5.1 comes with an integrated database stuff that has also reports and dialogs. However I was never able to dig into adopt the things to my needs.
Anyway, it provides a wizard that helps you setting up a database and tables, create data entry/query dialogs and also reports - all with a somehow intuitive method of drag-n-drop / click-and-select... perhaps that's what you are looking for?

regards,
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

mellen

DBExpert Applications could be built using DBase 4 tables I think, or DB2 or Oracle ( when it was alive on os2 ).
If your application is built with Dbase Tables, you could probably read them with a Windows ( I know, I know )
tool like Borland Delphi and convert them to something else like Postgres. I have DBExpert, Borland C++ and
Postgres on OS2. I may be able to help. This would be a non-trivial task. If the application is really important
to you and you want to stick with OS2, it might be worth moving the data to Postgres or Mysql on OS2 and
converting the application to an Apache/Tomcat 5.5 webapp. I will see if I can convert their sample tables, CUSTOMER.DBF, ITEMS.DBF and ORDERS.DBF to Postgres or MySQL.

What does your application do?

Dennis

Sorry I take so long to reply. My new job keeps me out of town for weeks at a time.

I really DO NOT want to change from dbExpert, because it is very easy for a non-techie like me to use, but there is very little help available for it anymore. Seems like either very few dbExpert users log on to OS/2World or most of them have given up on dbExpert since the demise of Sundial. It also appears that changing to any other database will be complicated and time-consuming and that kind of scares me because I have very little time and need things kept simple.

DBExpert uses .db2(I think) format. I don't know the difference between db2 & db4 tables. Right now, I use dbExpert to record the runs I do and the expenses involved. I would like to be able to run weekly and running totals of my expenses and revenue, but do not know how to make that work. I can get a 1-day total, but how do I get a total of Sun+Mon, or Sun+Mon+Tue......

I also use dbExpert to create daily driving logs, because the US law says I can only drive a certain number of hours before I have to take a break. The logs have to keep running totals of hours, breaks, etc. Several years ago, Rollin White--when he was at Sundial--wrote a macro for me that apparently is able to keep a running total, but it doesn't work quite right. Also, because of rules changes since Rollin wrote that macro, it(the macro) needs to do more, but, because I don't understand the macro, I don't know how to get it to work.

Thanks for all the help so far, gang!

Dennis

jep

Dennis,

Copy and paste the rexx code here and we'll have a look at it, we may figure something out.

You may also tell us what columns are there and if they're connected in some special way.

You're problably using dbf, format version 4.

db2 is the ibm database, big and bulky and not as easy as dbf-files DBExpert default to. :-)

//Jan-Erik

isycoed

Have you thought about using Lotus Approach in the Lotus Smartsuite Office Suite? You can get a CD from the internet relatively cheaply and Approach has a very good GUI.

Regards
Derrick Price