Re: OFF TOPICS db3 report

["Patricia M. Godfrey" priscamg@xxxxxxxx]

ac127 wrote:
> Please, someone could help me ?
> I need I simple software to create good reportsfrom db3 files, this
> software must me more flexible then the tool included in dbIII or other
> various clone..
> t.i.a
If you have any sort of a spreadsheet (Excell, Quattro
Pro, Lotus 1-2-3) they can all import .dbf files. Or
you can export the dbf files to comma-separated ASCII
files and possibly use Xy's or WordPerfect's mail merge
capabilities to create reports.
That's assuming all the data are in one table. Creating
multitable reports is fiendishly difficult, because
Access (a piece of reeking offal) is apparently the
only truly relational small-scale (i.e., not
client-server) database application around.
There is a program called Alpha Five, that claims to be
a real, programmable, relational database. I have a
copy of the cut-rate version, and it appears to work (I
haven't had time to investigate as closely as I must),
with a few gotchas. E.g., if you're linking tables, you
have to link them on one single field; if you have a
multi-field link, you cannot do something that you need
to do (cannot recall now exactly what).
FilePro is also well-thought-of, but though it has a
scripting language, it's not really programmable.
Describe the problem in more detail to me off-list
(unless anyone else is interested in database theory
and design?) and I may be able to make more specific
suggestions.

--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx