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Version 8 features?

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    #31
    Re: Version 8 features?

    >To paraphrase our illustrious Secratry of Defense:
    >"Sometimes you have to develop with the database you have, not the database you wish you had."

    Maybe, maybe not. Realistic advertisements about a database that wants to be something and that is not, is another factor, too.

    I am sorry saying so but I have my reasons saying so. Crashes, gui-problems, designer-problems,browse-problems,unicode-problems with sending emails... expensive runtime...

    I am frustrated, can't work sometimes because of strange things happening. Hidden menus, randomly hidden... zillion other subversive things making me frustrating, this is my problem, not yours. I can not work with it, you can, I can't. I will try something more professional, takes more time to learn, more time to develop, but is better quality. Sorry.

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      #32
      Re: Version 8 features?

      Originally posted by x-itec
      Sorry.
      No need to apologize. You have expressed your honest feelings about the matter. Good luck!
      Peter
      AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

      [email protected]
      https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


      Comment


        #33
        Re: Version 8 features?

        A7 has its potential, the only thing I would wish to see first is less bugs and more speed, this could be a good starting point to let me pay for v8. And a free 1-user runtime to distribute small apps. Thats all I need to be happy. Thanks for understanding my situation.

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          #34
          Re: Version 8 features?

          The big thing I think V8 should address is the ability for DESKTOP APPLICATIONS to connect to other LIVE databases such as SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, etc., for it to be a real Enterprise mover.

          Does anyone have any info on that? This is I think what many of us have been waiting for!

          :)

          Comment


            #35
            Re: Version 8 features?

            AMEN!!!!! That is key to really using A5 in a production environment which may be dominated by Access, SQL or some other DB over which you have no control. The real beauty of A5 is the frontend interface, not the somewhat archaic dBase backend. There are a host of really good self-maintaining production databases out there with no front end. A5 could really capitalize on this market IMHO.

            Dave Volgas, MD
            David A. Volgas, MD

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              #36
              Re: Version 8 features?

              Originally posted by davidv43
              AMEN!!!!! That is key to really using A5 in a production environment which may be dominated by Access, SQL or some other DB over which you have no control. The real beauty of A5 is the frontend interface, not the somewhat archaic dBase backend. There are a host of really good self-maintaining production databases out there with no front end. A5 could really capitalize on this market IMHO.

              Dave Volgas, MD
              So key this is!! It seems to me a while back they had an online Slideshow PPT presentation on the Alpha Five Client/Server: Using A5 as the front end for desktop applications connected to the likes of SQL Server, Oracle and such was to be a V8 power feature. The beauty is, we can use A5's Web application features for this - with a desktop utilization with say SQL Server - the possibilities are, well, out of this world!

              I hope someone from Alpha Software can answer this because to move to yet another version into V8, we really need this powerful connectivity to any database from the desktop applications of A5; not just those archaic XDialog boxes where you can't do much with them. It would be nice to know this ahead of time so most of us can plan for it with our existing applications as well as having a new "powertool" to sell to our clients!

              awj :)

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                #37
                Re: Version 8 features?

                Selwyn,

                any thoughts about this? I think MANY of us would consider this to be a major advantage of Access over A5. Of course, A5 has many advantages, too, but this is a show-stopper for those of us in corporate environments which use SQL Server, Oracle and others which we have no control over.

                Dave
                David A. Volgas, MD

                Comment


                  #38
                  Re: Version 8 features?

                  I had fun using the earlier versions of A5. I keep hoping that the improvements will come but it's been like hitting myself over and over again with the same hammer. I have gone back to access, but will keep an eye out for a worthy upgrade. My posts are intended to let the folks at Alpha know that they are losing ground to their competitors in the desktop arena.

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Re: Version 8 features?

                    I absolutely agree. We have been working for several months on converting a large DOS commercial application. We estimate that we will eventually have over 10,000 entries under the code tab (over 6,000 now), no matter how we try to organize it.

                    We've kludged like crazy in experiments of having one function perform many operations and return various values in response to a flag parameter, but . . . that's untenable in the long run.

                    It's just impossible for us to manage with the current interface, unless our ignorance of better techniques is getting in our way. In fact, that's why I came to the forum today--to overcome any of that ignorance. And we admit right off to no shortage of that.

                    But, it may be that, as some of the ardent defenders say, we just need to use something else.

                    Sorry if that sounds like complaining--it is intended to be the justification for a suggestion.

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Re: Version 8 features?

                      More out of curiosity, what do the majority of these 6000+ code entries do? Are the entries performing some SQL backend routine, which is the recent subject of this thread? And, what DOS system are you converting from?
                      Steve Wood
                      See my profile on IADN

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Re: Version 8 features?

                        Originally posted by Steve Wood View Post
                        More out of curiosity, what do the majority of these 6000+ code entries do? Are the entries performing some SQL backend routine, which is the recent subject of this thread? And, what DOS system are you converting from?
                        Well, first, I posted my first message and didn't include the quote, so you didn't know what I was referring to. I was referring to the complaint about library and code handling. Sorry for the omission, and the recent discussion wasn't what I was referring to.

                        The program is a hospital pharmacy/electronic bedside barcode drug administration program that was written in Paradox DOS. It is rather large, but giving some equivalence is difficult--there are 209 scripts, comprising 11 MB text, containing 3100 procedures and functions (everything is called a procedure in Paradox DOS). Those procedures and functions are being refactored in the rewrite. They will be split up into many more. We haven't actually coded that many--I think I left a misimpression, but the design specs of the program are calling for that many. We may be able to do it in less, but, really, no matter what, just establishing naming conventions for the code just to try to stay organized is daunting.

                        These procedures contain, like an Alpha desktop application without using XDialog, no screen code or report code (other than queries). XDialog promises to add more code.

                        The plan has been to write the code for the dbase tables (for more timely development) and gradually migrate to a SQL backend, either MySQL or Interbase. We really liked a lot of the things Alpha can do over, say, Delphi, Visual Fox (our second choice), VB or some Visual Studio product, and especially Access, which we would never consider. Of course, most of those mentioned would have to start with a SQL backend, which wasn't our plan.

                        It looks like quite a bit longer process to get a product, but VFox does seem to make it easier to migrate. But right now, the choice was Alpha because it seemed much more capable of getting the product out the door in any reasonable time frame.

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Re: Version 8 features?

                          Originally posted by awj View Post
                          So key this is!! It seems to me a while back they had an online Slideshow PPT presentation on the Alpha Five Client/Server: Using A5 as the front end for desktop applications connected to the likes of SQL Server, Oracle and such was to be a V8 power feature. The beauty is, we can use A5's Web application features for this - with a desktop utilization with say SQL Server - the possibilities are, well, out of this world!

                          I hope someone from Alpha Software can answer this because to move to yet another version into V8, we really need this powerful connectivity to any database from the desktop applications of A5; not just those archaic XDialog boxes where you can't do much with them. It would be nice to know this ahead of time so most of us can plan for it with our existing applications as well as having a new "powertool" to sell to our clients!

                          awj :)
                          Alpha Software how about chiming in on this?
                          Kind Regards,
                          Ray Roosa
                          Raylin Micro, LLC.

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Re: Version 8 features?

                            Originally posted by awj View Post
                            The big thing I think V8 should address is the ability for DESKTOP APPLICATIONS to connect to other LIVE databases such as SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, etc., for it to be a real Enterprise mover.

                            Does anyone have any info on that? This is I think what many of us have been waiting for!

                            :)
                            AWJ,
                            Wont v8 be the client/server version? and I am NOT talking about the new report tool they have for SQL and other backend database.
                            Kind Regards,
                            Ray Roosa
                            Raylin Micro, LLC.

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Re: Version 8 features?

                              From what I've heard, I think this will be it! The long awaited Client/Server edition!

                              awj

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Re: Version 8 features?

                                From what I read several months ago, client/server will be a separate product from version 8 desktop.
                                Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
                                972 524 8714
                                [email protected]

                                ____________________
                                "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

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