by Christopher O'Malley
Long before client/server was in vogue, Q+E was a neat little utility that let spreadsheet users poke their numeric noses into database information without leaving the comfort of their worksheets. Intersolv Q+E 6.0 can still do that, but this handy spreadsheet helper has grown into a comprehensive query-and-reporting tool with a long reach that's ideal for client/server networks.
Q+E 6.0 is the first new version of the product since it was acquired by Intersolv last year. The change in ownership has clearly brought a change in philosophy--Intersolv makes a number of client/server development products--that's reflected in this greatly expanded version of Q+E. Q+E's price, too, has undergone some expansion, up about $200 from the last version.
However, if you're serious about pulling together information from one or more databases, Q+E 6.0 is well worth its price. That's especially true if you're attempting to corral data from a number of locations or machines within an enterprise. Q+E 6.0 complies with the ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) standard, so it can use any ODBC driver to connect to a data source. And connect it does, with the ability to access more than 30 databases right out of the box. These include not only popular PC databases such as dBASE, Paradox and FoxPro, but also several SQL servers and DB2 gateways, and databases created with Oracle and Informix.
Q+E can do more with this information than ever before, too. Its Report Builder simultaneously walks you through the process of generating a report and frees you from the tyranny of tabular pages. You can now arrange data anywhere on the page, and the data can include charts and other graphics in addition to text. Q+E 6.0 gets you started with four predefined report templates (tabular, form, mailing label and form letter) that you can adapt to suit your purposes, plus a blank template for creating wholly customized reports. The program also has a new print preview function, so you can look before you leap to hard copy.
You can still have Q+E spit out unadorned tables if you want to, but its report-complementing Chart Builder makes adding a graphic touch almost too easy to resist.
In four simple, visual steps, the Chart Builder turns a column or table of numbers into one of 14 chart types, including 2-D and 3-D column, bar, pie and area charts. These charts can be easily positioned anywhere in a report and resized as needed. The charts also stay linked to the data on which they're based, so your graphics will automatically update as the data that defines them changes.
The improvements in Q+E 6.0 go beyond access and reporting basics. Its new Administrator function lets you regulate data access and editing for either individuals or groups of users on a network. These rules don't change the underlying database rules, but they let you control who sees and does what by disabling or even removing functions from Q+E's menus. You can install Q+E as a read-only program, so users can look but not touch.
There's no shortage of shortcuts and automating tools, either. The program's clean interface includes a row of large buttons, which can be customized and supplemented with icons of your own design. A right-button click summons a pop-up menu of context-sensitive choices, such as sorting and formatting options for a highlighted column.
For more advanced automation, the new Job Scheduler lets you automatically execute scripts at preset times or frequencies. Tasks can be as simple as issuing a query or as complex as merging new data with old. You can also control Q+E from within another Windows application, thanks to the program's OLE 2.0 support. You can issue a query or create a chart from within Word, for example, and then incorporate the results into the open document.
In function as well as cost, Q+E 6.0 has clearly outgrown the "utility'' label. Yet, by making it easy for users to share the data wealth, it remains one of the most utilitarian data-access products around.
Info File
Intersolv Q+E 6.0
Price: $499; upgrade, $199
In Brief: No longer a mere spreadsheet utility, Q+E is a fully outfitted data query, analysis, charting and reporting tool.
Disk Space Required: 4MB to 12MB, depending on tools and drivers
System Resources: 25% RAM: 4MB
Intersolv
800-876-3101, 919-859-2220