Powerbase is a powerful Shareware database for almost all RISC OS computers. APDL can supply it fully pre-registered on CD complete with an A5 printed manual and tutorial. Alternatively you can download the Shareware version from the Powerbase web site. and then register with the authors in the usual way.

Powerbase can be used to create databases of information of almost any kind and provides powerful facilities for maintaining such databases and for selectively retrieving and printing information from them. Using Powerbase at an elementary level is particularly easy - you can, for example, set up a simple address-book database in a matter of minutes - yet the needs of more advanced users have not been neglected. Descriptions of Powerbase from various sources have sometimes implied that it is a relational database. It isn't, but it can provide you with some of the facilities which fall outside the sphere of a simple flat-file (card index) type of database and for which a relational database program might otherwise be necessary.

It is best described as a flat-file database with table-validation. This means that text fields within the database can be linked to a list of items in such a way that the field will not accept items unless they are on the list. That list (called a validation table) can have many additional columns providing extra information which may be included in printed reports from the database if required.

Other important features of Powerbase.

• Can handle very large databases on a hard disc. The largest we have heard of has over 30,000 records.
• Multiple indexes to provide rapid data access. A database containing details of books could be indexed by author, title and subject.
• Subsets of records can be exported as individual functioning databases.
• Fast searching for and retrieval of individual records.
• Linking to sprite, text, draw and other files external to the database.
• Powerful query language to select records for printing.
• Reports printed in several different formats, enhanced with colour if desired.
• Direct data-merging with Impression Style and Publisher and with recent versions of OvationPro.
• Script language to automate frequently carried-out tasks.
• Data can be output as CSV (comma-separated-values) files for importing into other programs.
• Powerbase can import CSV files created in other environments and even create a working database directly from a CSV file which has a suitable header.