From: troj@cwis.unomaha.edu (Kevin Trojanowski)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Paradox Engine 3.0/Database Framework
Date: 10 Jan 93 16:29:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: cwis.troj.726683358
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha

dliao@aludra.usc.edu (David Liao) writes:

>	Borland recently released Database Framework which is supposed to
>encapsulate Paradox Engine's functions.  I believe the Database Framework 
>will offer more than just PE encapsulations that will make PE programmer's 
>life a bit easier.

I cannot comment on the Database Framework, as I'm still in the stone
ages of Turbo-C v2.0.  I've done work (and continue to work) with PE 2.0,
and have PE 3.0 on order.  Should be here within the next two weeks.

>	I ordered the Paradox Engine 3.0/Database Framework last week.  But
>from hearing some complains from the PE programmers on the net, I have doubt
>about using the product.  Hopefully, Database Framework will change all that.
>It's strange that Paradox Engine has not become as popular as other Borland
>products after more than two years of release.  

I don't think PE has the market that the other Borland products do --
the market of people interested in essentially writing their own database
apps from scratch isn't very large, I don't believe.  Most people would
probably rather let Paradox handle both the database and 95% of the interface
work, rather than writing all the interface code in C or Pascal.

>	I have been looking around last six months for a database engine
>platform that I can write with either C or C++.  I found Paradox Engine
>and another product called CodeBase.  I didn't hear too much about CodeBase.
>Paradox Engine was in the vicinity of unknown as well.  Can some recommend
>other database engine?  I am not looking for Clipper and Foxpro, because I
>think they lack the speed and flexibility of programming in C unless someone
>can prove me wrong :)

>	BTW, I hope to hear from other Paradox Engine programmers on this
>newsgroup.  I could not find any relevant source, discussion or book relating
>to the Paradox Engine.  It seems like all Paradox Engine programmers are 
>stranded on an island with their superb Paradox Engine documentation.

It's true, the Paradox Engine isn't the easiest of things to work with.
However, once you spend just a short bit of time learning it, it starts to
make sense.  One thing it WILL do is test your knowledge of Paradox itself --
you need to know what C types you want to use, to match your Paradox types,
and similar issues.

In addition, when you first start working on the application, safe yourself
a LOT of hassle -- create the table with Paradox.  Then, write C code to
read the table.  That way, you can put data into it with Paradox, and KNOW
what's there.  That makes for quick & easy testing of your code.  Once that's
ironed out, work on the code to write to the table, and use Paradox to
examine what you put there.  THEN go on to the routines to create the
tables.

Paradox itself makes for a VERY useful development tool when working with
the Paradox Engine.  It's saved me a lot of time & hassle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-                                   "She had what it took: great hair, a      -
- Kevin Trojanowski                  profound understanding of strategic lip  -
- Internet: troj@cwis.unomaha.edu    gloss, the intelligence to understand    -
-      CI$: 70521,312                the world and a tiny secret interior     -
- US Snail: 1905 Thurston Ave, #8    deadness which meant she didn't care."   -
-           Bellevue, NE 68005                            -Douglas Adams      -
-                                                          _Mostly Harmless_  -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------