🚀 go-pugleaf

I have used Reflex a bit.  It is not really a Borland product.  It was written
by a company called Singlar Software (or something like that) and was called
Interlace.  It is a fairly simple (but nice) relational database that is
very easy to use.  It is much more powerful that Reflex on the PC.  I would
not use it to build extremely large/complex databases but it is just find
more most things.

There are three 'views' which you work with.  The first views is where you
describe the databases.  Each file is displayed an a rectangle with the
field names inside.  The fields can be modified (int/char/date/...) through
a menu.  The create a relational link between different files is simple.
All you do is add a new field to the databases, push the mouse down in one
of the newly created fields, and draw it over to the other newly created
field.  A line will be drawn reflecting a relational link.

The second view which can be used is for data entry and queries.  This isn't
bad, but it isn't great either.  Reflex automaticly creates a data entry
form when you create a new database.  This form can be modified in a more or
less Mac-style.  There are movable text items which are used as labels, and
retangular boxes for the dialog items.  You can resize the boxs, change the
location of any item, and add/remove text prompts.

The queries are done from this same display.  You are able to select a
number of relations through query dialog.  You select the relations
(>, =, <, contains string, string starts with, ...)  via radio buttons
and a text item where you type in the values you are looking for.

The third view is a report generator.  The user interface is something like
the data entry view.  You are able select which fields you wish to be
displayed.  Then you just say "create a report" and it does.

There are two things that I don't like about it.  The first is that there is
no way to biuld a custom form entry system which will put data into multiple
files.  The second problem is that there is not a fancy interface to use the
relational links.  All and all though, this is a nice product.

Cheers,
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Computer Science Department			         Mark A. Verber
The Ohio State University			 verber@ohio-state.arpa
+1 (614) 292-0700				cbosgd!osu-eddie!verber
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