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READ.ME
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1986-05-13
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$ $
$ S P E C I A L O F F E R ! $
$ $
$ As part of the advertising promotion for WordTech's new $
$ dB Chart program, we are giving away a free copy of dB $
$ Chart with each WordTech compiler. dB Chart reads data $
$ directly from dBASE II or III data bases, and draws $
$ your choice of eight types of color graphs. It really $
$ helps you visualize and analyze the relationships in $
$ your data bases. $
$ $
$ For more information about dB Chart, look through the $
$ literature package for a series of articles by Miriam $
$ Liskin, printed on white paper. The back side of these $
$ articles is a review of dB Chart called "Charting the $
$ Course". $
$ $
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Copyright 1986 dataBASE Specialties (415) 652-3630
P.O. Box 2975, Oakland, CA 94609
------------------------------------------------------------------
Feel free to make copies of this disk for your friends or business
associates. But please do not change anything and be sure to keep
the copyright notices.
------------------------------------------------------------------
This disk contains three different versions of a sample dBASE
application that will keep track of your checkbook. The first
version is the normal PRG and FMT files that you know and love.
Suppose you wanted to sell this application for $50. You would
have a real problem: your potential customers must already own a
copy of dBASE III, or they would have no way to run the programs
that you sell them. So they have to buy a $360 copy of dBASE III
(the cheapest mail-order price) in order to run your $50 product!
Or suppose that you want to run this program on 20 different
computers around your company. You couldn't do that legally
unless every one of those computers has a licensed copy of dBASE
III, and that would cost you at least $7200.
Another real problem with dBASE III is that you have to give your
customers the PRG files. You hope that they won't change
anything, but who knows. When they call you for support, are they
running the programs that you wrote for them, or did they make
their own "improvements"? Are they going to steal your source
code and sell a modified version to someone else?
Then there is the infamous copy protection. We work with a lot
of dBASE programmers and consultants, and we hear a lot of war
stories from them. One of the biggest problems they have is the
panic when a client ruins their installed copy of dBASE, or
damages their dBASE system diskette.
But there is a another way to run the very same PRG files without
buying copies of dBASE. There is a way to sell your applications,
and yet keep your source code confidential. There is a way to
keep clear of Ashton-Tate's copy protection nonsense.
And there is a way to run your dBASE programs dramatically faster:
up to 15 times faster in Miriam Liskin's benchmark tests.
How? By compiling your programs with either the WordTech or
Clipper compilers, and selling or giving away the output of the
compiler instead of the PRG files. Anyone can run your compiled
programs: they don't need a copy of dBASE.
Before you continue, please read the article reprints and
brochures that came with this disk. They explain in great detail
how the compilers work. (If you don't have time to read
everything, at least glance through Miriam Liskin's four articles
for an excellent introduction.) And if you ever have any
questions about dBASE compilers, call us at (415) 652-3630.
This disk has four subdirectories:
DBASE contains 15 PRG and 10 FMT files that make up a typical
dBASE application to keep track of your checking account.
The main menu program is called CHECKS.
COMMON contains a DBF, an NDX, and 6 FRM files that are also
part of the checkbook application. We put them in a
separate subdirectory because these files are also
needed to run the compiled versions.
WORDTECH contains three files that are the result of compiling
the checkbook application with the WordTech dBIII
compiler.
CLIPPER contains four files that are the result of compiling
the checkbook application with the Nantucket Clipper
compiler, and an index file in Clipper's non-compatible
format.
The root subdirectory has this READ.ME file, and three BAT files
that set up the environment for the three demonstrations.
Before you go any farther, it is essential that you have the
statement "FILES=20" in your CONFIG.SYS file, and that your
computer has been booted with that file. You can run the
sample compiled programs on any IBM PC or compatible computer, as
long as that machine has been booted with "FILES=20" in
CONFIG.SYS. (Compiled programs can also run on most other brands
of computers. Call us for more information about that.)
DEMO #1 - dBASE III
If you have a copy of dBASE III, you can run the application from
the dBASE PRG files to see what it looks like. You need to create
a floppy disk, or a subdirectory on a hard disk, that contains all
of the files in our DBASE subdirectory, AND all the files in our
COMMON subdirectory. The DBASE.BAT file will copy the files for
you.
Then go into dBASE and type "DO CHECKS" to bring up the first
screen. Answer "C" for "color", or "M" for "mono" to the first
question. The CKGLOBAL subroutine will set colors and screen
attributes based on your answer.
The seven options on the main menu are typical things you would do
to keep up your checkbook register. We included a sample data
base with 13 checks and deposits to give you something to
experiment with.
Please look through the PRG files and notice that they include a
wide variety of dBASE commands and techniques, including several
uses of macros (see the bottom of CKLIST.PRG for the best
example). As you will see, both compilers had no problem with any
of these programs.
DEMO #2 - The WordTech dBIII Compiler
The WORDTECH subdirectory contains the result of compiling and
linking the CHECKS application with the WordTech compiler.
The WordTech compiler is always very simple to use, no matter how
small or how large the application. We compiled the entire
application with only two commands:
db3c -a checks
db3l checks
The first command compiles CHECKS.PRG. But the compiler doesn't
stop there. The "-a", or "automatic", option tells the compiler
to keep track of all of the "DO", "SET FORMAT TO", and SET
PROCEDURE TO" commands that it finds in the main program. It then
goes on to compile all of these subroutines and format files also,
and it keeps going down the chain until everything is compiled.
The second command link-edits, or combines, all of the compiled
programs and the WordTech library into an EXE file and two overlay
files. The WordTech linker is totally automatic. It always
builds two overlay files for any application. You don't have to
write any overlay control statements, or worry about memory
management. The compiled program will run in only 128K of memory.
To run the WordTech-compiled program, create a floppy disk or a
subdirectory on a hard disk that contains all of the files in our
WORDTECH subdirectory, AND all of the files in our COMMON
subdirectory. The WORDTECH.BAT will do the copies for you.
Make sure that you have "FILES=20" in your CONFIG.SYS!
Then type the command "CHECKS" and the application will start
running. Note how the screens snap into place instantly. That is
the "flash" feature of the WordTech compiler, which gives a very
professional look to your screen formats. WordTech supports the
normal DBF and NDX format, so you can switch back and forth
between compiled programs and interpreted dBASE.
DEMO #3 - The Nantucket Clipper Compiler
The CLIPPER subdirectory contains the result of compiling and
linking the CHECKS application with the Clipper compiler.
Clipper is very easy and automatic to use FOR SMALL APPLICATIONS
that will fit in memory. But for real-life large applications,
you normally must direct Clipper to build an overlay structure.
This requires compiling sets of the subroutines separately, and
writing "overlay control statements" to control which subroutines
get loaded into which segments of memory.
Since our sample application is small, we could have cheated and
used Clipper's automatic options. But we decided to build an
overlay structure to show you how Clipper works in the real world.
Compiling an overlay version of the CHECKS application with
Clipper required the following commands:
clipper @checkclp
clipper ckmenu
clipper cklist
clipper ckadd
clipper ckedit
clipper ckrec
clipper ckcncl
clipper ckcalcb
clipper ckbadbal
clipper ckglobal
plink86 @ckovl
The first and last commands, with the "@", point to control files
as follows:
File CHECKCLP.CLP contains 2 lines:
checks
ckdate
File CKOVL.LNK contains 12 lines:
file checkclp,ckglobal,ckmenu
begin
section into cklists file cklist
end
begin
section into ckedits file ckedit,ckadd,ckcncl
end
begin
section into ckfixes file ckrec,ckbadbal,ckcalcb
end
lib clipper.lib
lib overlay.lib
To run the Clipper compiled program, create a floppy disk or a
subdirectory on a hard disk that contains all of the files in our
CLIPPER subdirectory, AND all of the files in our COMMON
subdirectory. The CLIPPER.BAT will do the copies for you.
Make sure that you have "FILES=20" in your CONFIG.SYS!
Then type the command "CHECKCLP" and the application will start
running. Note how fast everything runs. Clipper is a lot of
trouble to use and the incompatible indexes are sometimes a pain.
But Clipper runs your application so fast that it is often well
worth the trouble!
If you make any changes to the CHECKS database while running the
Clipper compiled program, you must re-index the file if you switch
back to dBASE III or WordTech.
IT'S YOUR MOVE
Notice that you could run the compiled programs without needing a
copy of dBASE III, and without snooping at the PRG files. We did
not need anyone's permission to send you the compiled versions of
the application. We did not have to pay any royalties or license
fees to WordTech or Nantucket. We are free to distribute the
compiled code in any way we please. You wil enjoy that same
freedom when you own a dBASE compiler.
The compilers are a little expensive and it will take you an
evening or so to get everything working. But you and your clients
will never buy another copy of dBASE, and that will save you much
more than the price of the compiler. Your programs will run
so much faster that your conversion time and trouble will be
repaid many times over. And your source code will be protected.
So what are you waiting for? Call (415) 652-3630 and talk to one
of our consultants. We know both compilers very well and we will
give you impartial advice on which one is better for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
dataBASE Specialties, P.O. Box 2975, Oakland, CA 94609
O R D E R F O R M
===================================================
Call 800-621-0851 ext. 377 or 415-652-3630
for VISA, MASTERCARD, or C.O.D.
===================================================
For checks or purchase orders, mail this form to the above address.
****************** OUR SIMPLE GUARANTEE ******************
* Try either compiler with your applications for 30 days.*
* If you are not satisfied, we will exchange it for the *
* other brand, or refund your payment in full. *
**********************************************************
RETAIL OUR
QTY ITEM PRICE PRICE AMOUNT
_____ WordTech dBIII Compiler for PC & DOS $750 $449 ___________
(Includes free copy of dB Chart)
_____ Nantucket Clipper Compiler for PC $695 $399 ___________
_____ WordTech dB Compiler for dBASE II $750 $449 ___________
(Includes free copy of dB Chart)
_____ WordTech dB Chart - graphs from DBF's $99 $79 ___________
_____ WordTech dBXL - 100% dBASE III clone $169 $125 ___________
If shipped to California, STATE SALES TAX: ___________
$6 for UPS air, or SHIPPING: ___________
$15 for next-day express
TOTAL: ___________
Payment by: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard
Card number: ____________________________
Expiration date: ____________
Card holder's signature: _____________________________
IMPORTANT - What computer and _________________________________
operating system?
_________________________________
Name:_________________________________________________
Company:______________________________________________
Street address:_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Phone:(_______)_______________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------------