NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/comp/sys/next/software/1287

Text File | 1992-08-21 | 10.8 KB | 260 lines

Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!mips!mips!munnari.oz.au!metro!mama!philip
From: [e-mail] (Philip Craig)
Subject: DataPhile details summary
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Canon Information Systems Research Australia
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 23:46:57 GMT
Lines: 249

Hi.

Here is a summary of the responses I got to my query about DataPhile. I have
deleted some repeated information. I haven't tried the demo yet.

Note the large discrepancy in pricing; from US$150 to US$950!

Thankyou to all who responded.

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From [e-mail]  Thu Aug 20 09:30:22 1992
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 18:29:37 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Allyn Tennant)
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

You must not get NeXTWorld.  There is a full page ad on p 21 of the fall 1992
issue.  You can contact them via email [e-mail], or call 505-345-4800.
You can get a demo at the sonata.cc.purdue.edu ftp archive site.  However,
when I tried the demo today, it crashed, so my only experience was not good.
If you do get various user reports, I'd be grateful if you would post (or
send me) a summary since we are also interested this type of software.

                        Allyn
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From [e-mail]  Thu Aug 20 09:28:35 1992
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 12:23:16 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Gil Rivlis)
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

Stone Design Corp. makes it and phone number is [phone].

A demo exists on
sonata.cc.purdue.edu:/pub/next/2.0-release/demos/DataPhile1.0.4.tar

I like it. We are now testing it. It is a flat file database.

Gil Rivlis, Department of Physics, UC Berkeley
(and volunteer system administrator)
[e-mail] (NeXT Mail welcome)
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From [e-mail]  Thu Aug 20 03:46:39 1992
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 10:37:37 PDT
Subject: Dataphile contacts

Philip,

It is nice to see postings from the Australian NeXT users.
Dataphile comes from Stone Design.  It is a flat file data base for the NeXT.
Below are the contacts at Stone Design:

    Marketing:     Mary Wommack    [e-mail]

    Support/Info:     Max Airborne    [e-mail]
    Accounts:    Arlean Tessler    [e-mail]
    Bugs:        Kris Jensen    [e-mail]

Phone: [phone] (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)



conrad
NeXT User Groups
P.S.  There is a NeXT User Group in Australia - OZNeXT.  Contact Brett Adam at
[e-mail] for more information.

OzNeXT
Brett Adam
Codex Software Development Pty. Ltd.
PO Box 293
Albert Park
VIC  3206
Australia

Ph  [phone]
Fax [phone]
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From [e-mail]  Thu Aug 20 00:56:15 1992
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 10:52:02 EDT
From: David Meyer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

DataPhile comes from Andrew Stone, of Stone Design.  It's a really,
really nice flatfile database.  You can get it from
sonata.cc.purdue.edu under /pub/next/2.0-release/demos - you can only
run it in demo mode until you get a license number from Stone Design.

I don't remember all the pricing details, but I payed $150 for it
under their educational discount.

        Dave
--
David M. Meyer                             Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
[e-mail]                         University of Virginia
[e-mail] (NeXTmail)
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From [e-mail]  Thu Aug 20 23:28:27 1992
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 17:25:00 +1000
From: [e-mail] (Robert D. Nicholson)
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

Suggest you get NeXT to send you a product catalogue.

DataPhile is written by Andrew Stone of Stone Design, makers of Create!

DataPhile is a flat phile database manager with all NeXT type objects recognised.  Its not _relational_.

contact. [e-mail] for pricing and availability.

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From [e-mail]  Fri Aug 21 04:32:17 1992
From: [e-mail] (Max Airborne)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 09:23:44 -0600
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

DataPhile 1.0.4.tar is the newest version - it's only a few days old!!!

Here's an info. sheet on DataPhile:

DataPhile     by Stone Design

DataPhile is a sophisticated end user database system for the NeXT computer. It
is designed for people who need a flexible everyday database, without the
complexities of a rigid, relational database. Using DataPhile's intuitive front
end, anyone can build and manage a personal flat-file database, modifying it
and generating reports easily and at any time.  DataPhile also comes with a
number of useful templates databases so you can begin using it right out of the
box.  DataPhile requires no additional servers: it stands alone and uses state
of the art btree technology, so that the system works quickly and seamlessly.

Defining the Database: The user creates fields using a simple interface that
allows specification of field type and various entry options and constraints.
Field types include text, rich text, value, date, money, yes/no/empty, picture,
and sound and a unique file field that allows the user to drop in and access
any type of document or application.  Entry options include default values,
ranges, sequences, and entry lists. The user can have any number of fields and
can add, modify, or delete fields at any time, without losing data.

Viewing the Data: DataPhile creates a default view so that the user can begin
entering data immediately. The user can also use sophisticated layout tools to
design views that include fields, labels, and graphic elements. Layout tools
included drawing tools, grids, rulers, and alignment controls. Views can
contain one record at a time or multiple records. The user can use several
views on the same database at the same time. Any view can become the default
view that is displayed whenever the database is opened. A view browser lets
the user select, name, and add comment to views.

Entering Data: If the user has data from another source in a text format,
DataPhile will automatically create a new database from that information.
DataPhile can also import data into an existing database, and provides a
simple interface for matching fields. The user can also use the Services menu
to import data from another application. For manual data entry, DataPhile
provides default values, entry lists and user-specified tab orders. Pictures
and sounds can be dragged in as icons from the workspace, copied in from the
pasteboard or specified as a default entry. Other files or applications can
also be dropped into a file field or set as a default.

Sorting and Finding Information: DataPhile keeps indices on fields (this is
user-specifiable) so that sorting and finding information is fast. Sort and
Find requests can also be saved across using sessions.

Interapplication Connectivity: Records can be pasted into other applications
as tab-delimited text. The database can be exported as text and as RTF-text,
Lotus IMPROV format, or for merging into WriteNow and WordPerfect. DataPhile
and Create (a graphics package by Stone Design) work together to provide a
database for graphics. Images designed in Create can be pasted into a picture
field in DataPhile and later retrieved and pasted back into a Create document
for further editing.

Miscellaneous: The user can add voice annotations to any record. The program
is multilingual and supports European data and money formats.

DataPhile  is available directly from Stone Design, 2425 Teodoro NW,
Albuquerque, NM 87107. Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [e-mail]




DataPhile Technical info:

File Size: Limited only by disk space
Disk space: Limited only by disk space
Number of files open simultaneously: Unlimited
Number of records per file: Limited only by disk space
Number of fields per record: Limited only by disk space
Indexed Fields per file: User can specify whether all fields are indexed by
default, or can specify which fields should be indexed.
Number of sort levels: Limited only by disk space
Length of field name: Limited only by disk space
Field types: Text, Rich Text formatted, Value, Date, Money, Yes/No/Empty,
Picture, Sound, Calculated Text, File Links.
Text and RTF Fields: Number of characters limited only by disk space
Calculation Operators: +,-,*,/,&,=, !=, >, <, >=, <=, and, or, not
Calculation Functions: Absolute value, arctangent, cosine, date, dateToText,
dateUpdated, day, dayOfWeek, degrees, exact, exp, fileName, futureValue, if,
initialCaps, int, isEmpty, left, length, ln, log, lower, middle, mod, month,
monthOfYear, numToText, payment, PI, position, presentValue, random, radians,
replace, right, round, sign, sine, squareRoot, tangent, textTodate, textToNum,
today, trim, trunc, upper, weekOfYear, and year.
Numeric Formats: Commas, specified number of decimal digits
Money Formats: Monetary sign, Commas, European
Numeric Precision: NeXT floating point
Range of Dates: 1/1/1900 BC - 12/31/2900 AD
Date Formats: Several, including European
Number of Layouts Per Database: Limited only by disk space
Record Size: Limited only by disk space
Field Size: Limited only by disk space
View Parts: Header, Footer, Record
Size of View Parts: Limited by view size
File formats for input: DataPhile file, Text file (user specified delimiters)
File formats for output: Text file (user specified delimiters), RTF, Lotus
Improv, WriteNow, WordPerfect
Find Criteria: Word prefix, empty, <, <=, >, >=, range, and, or, not


An individual copy of DataPhile is  US$925. Site discounts start at 25 copies.

If you wish to order, please contact [e-mail], or call and ask for Arlean.

Max Airborne
Stone Design
[e-mail]
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From [e-mail]  Fri Aug 21 09:29:58 1992
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 11:50:20 GMT-0700
From: [e-mail] (Tim Reed)
Subject: Re: Details on Dataphile

Dataphile is a flat file database. I have not used it, but a demo copy is
available via anonymous ftp from sonata.cc.purdue.edu. Let me know what you
think if you try it out.
--
-----------------------------------
Tim Reed
Motorola Inc.
Prism CIM System Admin.
[e-mail]
-----------------------------------
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