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1996-01-05
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Short: Database program w OS3.0 look, user def...
Author: david-ek@dsv.su.se
Uploader: david-ek@dsv.su.se
Type: biz/dbase
To my db users:
This is probably the last smaller update. Expect the GUI-design equipped
version next time (Unless there is some small bugfix to do first).
An Introduction to db 2.10
--------------------------
db is a small and fast database program that I wrote after having tested
numerous other PD database programs and always found something lacking or
irritating me. They might have dozzens of features not found in db, but
they lacked font sensitivity and a standard GUI look and OS 3.0 behaviour.
My main need was to keep record on addresses and telephone numbers of friends
and companies. Before v2.0 db was fixed to be just an address and telephone
database, but that has changed. db was designed with user definable layout in
mind from start. Currently you have to use a file editor to specify the
database fields and layout as there is no GUI for that.
Anyway that's a one time job, then you just USE the database and have fun.
Complete GUI support will probably only be included in a ShareWare product
I plan to call REG or db3.0.
I want to give thanks to all of you who've sent me postcards. The changes made
to 2.9 is a result of your suggestions, bug reports and encouragement.
/David Ekholm
Feature List
------------
A partial list of db's features include:
o Dynamic memory handling. Number of records and fields only limited by
free memory.
o GadTool based. (Use fields of string, checkbox and cycle type)
o Mouse and keyboard driven.
o User definable fields and layout.
o Multiple views of the same database.
o Commodore's Clipboard for flexible interaction with other programs.
o AppWindow -just drag and drop database icons on db to load.
o Online MenuHelp -Press HELP key when selecting a menu item.
o Font sensitive.
o ASL requesters for flexible loads and saves.
o Localized.
o ARexx support.
o Dial numbers using a modem or loudspeaker.
o WB and Shell usage with Commodore's template parsing.
o Fast and flexible find function using AmigaDOS patterns.
o Listview browser.
o Filter function.
o Fast and flexible sort function. Multiple sort orders can be specified.
o 'Export View' and two standard ASCII export features.
o Automatic ASCII import (tab-separated ASCII).
History of changes
------------------
95-11-22 v2.10 NEWS:
* There is now a user defineable ARexx menu in db.
Please look at the "Addresses2" example.
* Needed RAM has dropped by 40% per record for a
typical file as a result of a new memory handling
scheme.
* Read-only string fields are now supported (They can
be written to from ARexx though).
These fields are great to use as calculated fields.
Their type in db is "text" (FTYP=text). Please look
at the example "ARexxdemos/MagicFieldsIII".
* The visible name of a field can be positioned above
the field by specifying PLACE=above in the RFF code.
Please Look at the example "ARexxdemos/MagicFieldsIII".
* It is now considerably faster to quit a large
database.
* Switching between views is now faster as db no longer
closes and reopens the window.
* If you leave all fields blank when you sort a database
it will be un-sorted to the state it was in upon
loading. A kind of "undo sort".
* Smaller code than in 2.8. =)
BUG FIXED:
* Reading the contents of an empty string field in a
newly created record from ARexx incorrectly resulted
in a warning result.
95-09-27 v2.9 NEWS:
* The ARexx support has been improved a lot.
db now supports more than 30 ARexx commands.
You are now able to easily make advanced applications
with relations and build complete economy systems.
(There is an invoice system comming for Swedish users.)
Check out the new example in Examples/Relations.
* All icons are NewIcons from now on. NewIcons look
much better than the original ones as they seldom
show up in wrong colour. To see the new icons you have
to install the NewIcons package. Otherwise the icons
will look like before with the exception of some
funny tooltypes in the icons.
(You can get NewIcons at Aminet:util/wb/NewIcons.lha)
* I've included the original .ct files next to the
.catalog files for each country to make it simpler
for helpful and skilled translators to provide me
with language updates as I release new versions.
95-08-26 v2.8 NEWS:
* Sorting now uses the superior Quicksort algorithm
(ACM 271). Alan Wigginton (author of QuickFile)
notified me on the terribly bad sort benchmarks
he got when sorting a large database using db.
It could take hours on an Amiga 500. Now even large
databases should sort in seconds. If you get into
trouble when sorting a large database now, please
set the stack to a higher value.
* db now sorts numbers correctly if you add the
FTYP=integer RFF tag to the internal field
specifcation. Look at the "Music" example!
* The whole database will be sorted on the active
field if you hold down the shift key while activating
the Browser. (A shortcut to sorting, one could say.)
(Some users want to have just the Browser list
sorted and some users want to have the whole database
sorted simpler. This is an intermediate better-than-
nothing solution until I figure out the best way to
do it.)
* Minor speed improvements when entering and exiting the
Browser has been made.
BUGS FIXED:
* NEWS, new bugs they say...
When using the keys to navigate in the Browser under
OS 2.0 or 2.1 (below v39) the system locks completely.
My first Guru in db :-( This has been fixed.
Thanks to Alan Wigginton for telling me about it.
(My ordinary testers all seem to use v39+ today.)
* Since v2.6 db didn't sort the Swedish ÅÄÖ characters
correctly. This is fixed.
(Don't use the LOCALESORT ToolType if you want Swedish
characters sorted correctly as there is a bug in
the Swedish language support in the OS. But DO use
LOCALESORT otherwise as this speeds up sorting and
_should_ make db sort your language specific text
correctly.)
============================= Archive contents =============================
Original Packed Ratio Date Time Name
-------- ------- ----- --------- -------- -------------
1922 945 50.8% 27-Sep-95 16:08:10 db2.10.info
2569 1256 51.1% 25-Sep-95 13:58:18 +Catalogs.info
8106 3479 57.0% 16-Nov-94 18:31:18 +db.catalog
17744 6570 62.9% 16-Nov-94 18:23:34 +db_dansk.ct
10392 4199 59.5% 08-Aug-95 13:11:50 +db.catalog
21621 8023 62.8% 08-Aug-95 13:10:58 +db_deutsch.ct
9894 4075 58.8% 12-Aug-95 12:07:38 +db.catalog
16648 6160 62.9% 05-Aug-95 13:33:46 +db_français.ct
9324 3834 58.8% 29-Nov-94 01:24:14 +db.catalog
11773 4187 64.4% 29-Nov-94 01:23:30 +db_italiano.ct
10372 4139 60.0% 29-Aug-95 12:24:40 +db.catalog
11553 4097 64.5% 22-Nov-94 20:59:22 +db_nederlands.ct
8930 3859 56.7% 05-Aug-95 13:37:58 +db.catalog
11305 4211 62.7% 05-Aug-95 13:38:34 +db_norsk.ct
10080 4359 56.7% 05-Aug-95 13:35:56 +db.catalog
12572 4747 62.2% 05-Aug-95 13:36:20 +db_polski.ct
8734 3828 56.1% 22-Nov-94 21:38:00 +db.catalog
17526 6874 60.7% 22-Nov-94 21:34:10 +db_suomi.ct
10056 4212 58.1% 20-Nov-95 19:17:30 +db.catalog
22253 8288 62.7% 20-Nov-95 19:14:22 +db_svenska.ct
56536 29865 47.1% 22-Nov-95 15:25:34 +db
4111 2159 47.4% 16-Nov-95 01:39:58 +db.info
2009 1071 46.6% 25-Sep-95 14:18:04 +Docs.info
68799 24309 64.6% 22-Nov-95 17:46:34 +db.guide
1845 1145 37.9% 25-Sep-95 14:18:04 +db.guide.info
1544 839 45.6% 20-Aug-95 14:35:56 +Fast install
2239 1014 54.7% 25-Sep-95 14:18:04 +Fast install.info
2312 1096 52.5% 27-Sep-95 15:15:32 +Read this!
2239 1012 54.8% 25-Sep-95 14:18:04 +Read this!.info
668 366 45.2% 19-Sep-94 18:17:20 +Translators
2239 1015 54.6% 25-Sep-95 14:18:04 +Translators.info
1922 947 50.7% 25-Sep-95 14:04:56 +Examples.info
5217 2402 53.9% 22-Nov-95 16:57:50 +About the examples
2239 1013 54.7% 25-Sep-95 14:04:56 +About the examples.info
2004 841 58.0% 22-Nov-95 15:54:34 +Addresses2
3465 1308 62.2% 25-Sep-95 14:04:56 +Addresses2.info
2022 1250 38.1% 25-Sep-95 14:04:54 +ARexxDemos.info
210 171 18.5% 22-Nov-95 16:12:34 +calc.db
2228 801 64.0% 20-Nov-94 22:06:54 +CDsongs
3466 1305 62.3% 16-Oct-95 19:22:06 +CDsongs.info
3223 1309 59.3% 28-Jun-95 19:00:54 +checkdate.db
190 143 24.7% 18-Sep-94 13:39:46 +date.db
338 176 47.9% 28-Jun-95 18:56:16 +DateFields
3461 1303 62.3% 16-Oct-95 19:22:06 +DateFields.info
114 104 8.7% 03-Sep-94 02:44:10 +dial.db
241 142 41.0% 03-Sep-94 03:31:48 +Expand.db
729 340 53.3% 25-Sep-94 17:58:42 +ExpandII
1724 597 65.3% 25-Sep-94 18:57:30 +ExpandII.db
3461 1302 62.3% 16-Oct-95 19:22:06 +ExpandII.info
177 143 19.2% 20-Nov-94 22:06:54 +firstcharupper.db
359 254 29.2% 03-Sep-94 02:44:10 +FirstUpper.db
9506 8970 5.6% 03-Sep-94 19:30:42 +I love you.snd
114 105 7.8% 18-Sep-94 13:25:44 +inputcheck.db
166 144 13.2% 20-Nov-94 22:06:54 +integerfield.db
16906 7637 54.8% 03-Sep-94 19:17:08 +logo.pic
1628 652 59.9% 22-Nov-95 16:55:06 +MagicFieldsIII
1628 654 59.8% 22-Nov-95 16:54:20 +MagicFieldsIII.bak
3461 1301 62.4% 16-Oct-95 19:22:06 +MagicFieldsIII.info
624 364 41.6% 22-Nov-95 16:02:16 +MultimediaII
3461 1304 62.3% 16-Oct-95 19:22:06 +MultimediaII.info
348 253 27.2% 04-Oct-95 22:18:04 +multiview.db
113 103 8.8% 17-Sep-94 14:35:46 +numbercheck.db
2469 1096 55.6% 20-Nov-94 22:06:54 +playcdsong.db
281 191 32.0% 20-Nov-94 22:06:54 +timefield.db
121 105 13.2% 03-Sep-94 02:44:10 +ToUpper.db
711 440 38.1% 12-Aug-94 23:42:42 +Books
3465 1305 62.3% 25-Sep-95 14:04:54 +Books.info
1925 652 66.1% 22-Jun-95 00:12:38 +Game reviews
3465 1306 62.3% 25-Sep-95 14:04:56 +Game reviews.info
26788 2606 90.2% 13-Aug-94 11:36:36 +Labels PS
490 177 63.8% 25-Sep-95 14:04:54 +Labels PS.info
11788 5374 54.4% 22-Aug-95 21:22:04 +Music
3465 1303 62.3% 25-Sep-95 14:04:56 +Music.info
2022 1252 38.0% 27-Sep-95 20:41:42 +Relations.info
697 409 41.3% 27-Sep-95 01:12:24 +CD
920 544 40.8% 27-Sep-95 14:58:54 +CD-Songs.db
3466 1303 62.4% 25-Sep-95 19:08:56 +CD.info
2164 978 54.8% 27-Sep-95 00:58:10 +Relations.guide
1845 1144 37.9% 27-Sep-95 01:09:26 +Relations.guide.info
6262 2718 56.5% 27-Sep-95 01:14:18 +relations.iff
1406 853 39.3% 27-Sep-95 00:10:42 +Songs
918 542 40.9% 27-Sep-95 00:08:20 +Songs-CD.db
3466 1305 62.3% 25-Sep-95 19:08:56 +Songs.info
940 495 47.3% 27-Sep-95 00:00:16 +unique.db
15354 4632 69.8% 18-Feb-95 15:06:50 +Windsurfing95
3465 1306 62.3% 25-Sep-95 14:04:54 +Windsurfing95.info
1405 592 57.8% 15-Sep-94 20:02:38 +Återförsäljare
3465 1301 62.4% 25-Sep-95 14:04:54 +Återförsäljare.info
2424 1290 46.7% 22-Nov-95 15:37:58 +Product-Info
1922 948 50.6% 25-Sep-95 13:58:18 +Translators.info
14194 4794 66.2% 20-Nov-95 19:15:28 +db.cd
486 219 54.9% 28-Sep-94 18:09:48 +db.cd.info
13843 4694 66.0% 20-Nov-95 19:18:34 +empty.ct
486 221 54.5% 28-Sep-94 18:09:48 +empty.ct.info
2972 1466 50.6% 25-Sep-95 15:33:12 +Read_this!
2239 1015 54.6% 25-Sep-95 13:57:00 +Read_this!.info
-------- ------- ----- --------- --------
593989 241147 59.4% 23-Nov-95 02:50:34 96 files