From: garth@.comm.mot.com (Garth Kennedy)
Subject: Database Front End Tools - Survey
Organization: Private Trunked Systems Div. Motorola Inc.
Distribution: comp.databases
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 12:43:53 GMT


I am trying to make a selection matrix for some end-user database access
tools. The environment will be that of a Unix server running a RDBMS and
a client population of Macs and Windows 3.x PCs.  The following six 
packages I have information from the "manufacturer". 

Are there any important Issues that I have missed ??
Are there any other packages that hsould be included ??
Can any one provide more information (or comments) on these packages ??

I will summarize any responses that I receive.

Thanks
Garth        e-mail   garth@comm.mot.com
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Database Front End Tools

                                             End User Tools                


                            Access   Business   Clear
                            Point      Object   Access    F&T     Q+E    Quest 
 
Client Platforms
   HP NewWave                                              X
   Macintosh                            ann       X                      
   MS-DOS                                X                 X
   Motif                                ann
   OS/2                                 ann               HP ALLBASE                                                                 
   Ingres                                         X                 X
   Informix                                       X
   NetWare SQL                                             X        X         
   Oracle                                X        X        X        X        X
   OS/2 Data Manager                                                X        X
   Rdb - DEC                             X        X
   SQLBase - Gupta              X                          X        X        X
   SQL Server                   X                 X        X        X        X
   Sybase                                         X                 X         
   Tandem Non-Stop SQL                            X                         
   Teradata                                       X                        

Data Access
   DAL                                            X                       
   Micro-DecisionWare                                      X             
   Open Client - Sybase                           X                      
   SequeLink - TechGnosis                        MAC                        
   SQL*NET - Oracle                      X        X                          X

Links to Applications
   DDE                                   X        X        X        X        X
   OLE                                                                     

DB Queries
   Single Table Queries                  X        X        X        X        X
   Multi-table Joins                     X        X        X                 X
   Array Support                                  X                          X
   Access Multiple databases 
          in single query                                           X
   Scroll DB Tables (Browse)                                        X
   Scroll Result Sets (Browse)                             X        X
   GROUP BY                              X        X        X                 X
   HAVING                                X                 X
   ORDER BY                              X                 X
   UNION                                 X                 X
   Outer Join                            X                No
   Computed "columns"
   Execute at a specified time           X
   Support NULLs                                                             X

DB Actions
   Access to Data Dictionary            No                          X   
   Support Stored Procedures                                        X
   Support DB Triggers                                              X
   DML                                                              X
            Select              X        X                 X        X        X
            Insert              X       No                No        X        X
            Update              X       No                No        X        X
            Delete              X       No                No        X        X
   DDL
            CREATE                      No                No        X  
            DROP                        No                No        X  
            ALTER                       No                No        X  

Script Language
   Capture                              SQL       X                          X
   Write                                SQL       X                          X
   Edit                                 SQL       X                          X
   Same across Client Platforms                   X                        N/A
   User prompting for 
        variable qualifier  
   embed in Host Language
            C/C++                                 X                 X 
            Pascal                                X                   
            BASIC                                                     
   Functions
            IF/THEN/ELSE                                               
            CASE                                                      
            Looping                                                    
   Data Types
            Character/String                               X        X   
            Date Only                                      X           
            Time Only                                      X            
            Date + Time                                    X        X  
            Number                                         X        X     
            Boolean                                        X            
            Currency                                       X
   Includable Functions 

Front End Triggers
   Monitor Database for
            Changes                                        X
            Set conditions                                 X
            Background ?                                   X
   Alarm                                                   X

User Interface
   Graphical representation
       of Data Structure                         No                          X
   Help Facility
            User                                           X                 X
            Developer                                     N/A               No
            Context Sensititve                             X
   Keyboard                                       X        X        X        X
   Mouse                                 X                 X        X        X
   SQL Knowledge Required      No       No       No        X       No       No
   Locate "Host" DB by name             No                 X
   USe Templates for user query          X                                
   results from multiple queries         X                          X        X
   Do users have to deal with           No        X        X                 
       table (and column) structures

Application Views
   Create Own Views of Data             No                 X
       (Independent of DB)

Security
   Passwords                             X                 X
   Views assigned to User                X

Development
   End-User Tool                         X        X        X                 X
   Developer Tool                       No                No                  
   Object Library - for reuse                             No                  
   Debugger                                               No                  
   Require IS Setup ?          No        X       No       No       No       No
 
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| Shared Systems/Component Products                                |
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