Best Tools for JAVA/Best Tools for JAVA.iso/DATABASE/RWEB/RBBKGD.TXT

Text File | 1996-04-29 | 10.2 KB | 179 lines

R:BASE ProductsBy the end of 1995, Microrim will ship its R:BASE 5.5
for Windows, OS/2 and DOS- plus, R:WEB, the first real database on the
Internet- complete with a new user interface and design tool set,
improving upon its earlier releases in the year. Microrim is committed
to making R:BASE for the four platforms the premier database program
for users and application developers with demanding database needs.


OverviewSince its introduction in 1981, the R:BASE family of products
is one of the most popular and enduring personal computer database
management systems (DBMS) of all time. The first PC DBMS based on the
relational model, R:BASE led the database industry with a number of
significant technological innovations including: programming-free
application development, automatic multi-user capabilities, OS/2
compatibility and 32-bit processing. Such technical prowess has earned
R:BASE industry acclaim that is unparalleled by any other database
product. R:BASE has received top honors from virtually every major
computing publication and testing facility, including six consecutive
"Number One" rankings from Datapro Research Corporation, a feat matched
 only by WordPerfect.


Time-Tested and Proven

During its 14-year existence, R:BASE has been continually enhanced and
 tested as well as proven in the field. Several of the world's largest
 corporations, such as The Boeing Co. and Honda of North America, and
many federal government and law enforcement agencies have trusted their
 critical information resources to R:BASE. Many R:BASE applications
involve great numbers of concurrent users and huge amounts of data,
factors that require performance, stability, security and integrity
that is not available in any other product.


True Relational Structure with Data Integrity

Originally developed as a mainframe application for NASA's Space
Shuttle project, R:BASE adheres to the rules defined in Dr. Edgar F.
 Codd's book The Relational Model for Database Management. Perhaps the
 most significant of Codd's guidelines are those pertaining to rules of
 data integrity, which ensures that groups of data relate accurately
and that parent-child relationships are maintained and protected. Many
database products, such as Borland's dBASE and Microsoft's FoxPro, are
marketed as "relational," however, they do not meet the essential
criteria of data integrity.R:BASE is one of the few PC database
products to incorporate referential integrity, a means of enforcing
data integrity. Referential integrity ensures that a user cannot delete
 a master record that has other records related to it through a Primary
 Key / Foreign Key relationship. Without this feature, it would be
simple for a user to delete a parent record such as a customer (primary
 key) from a database, even though there are outstanding child records
 (foreign keys), such as orders or accounts receivable records related
 to that customer.While R:BASE has long been heralded by database
experts for its data integrity, much of the computing industry and
media has virtually ignored the critical importance of these rules,
preferring instead to concentrate on processing speed. The debut of
Microsoft Access helped bring attention to the principles of the
relational model and their impact on proper data management. Much of
the industry is now convinced that powerful data integrity and security
 are recent innovations in PC databases. This is not accurate. While
the marketing clout of the industry juggernaut may have brought
relational principles into the limelight, R:BASE has followed the
relational model since 1981, a full decade before Access appeared.The
tangible benefits of R:BASE's relational structure are substantial time
 and cost savings. In simple terms, the relational model emphasizes
ease-of-use by placing the responsibility of data management on the
DBMS, not the user. In a relational system, users have easy access to
information without worrying about how that information is structured
and stored. To place rules and constraints in DBMS products that are
not truly relational, the user must create program code.R:BASE data
integrity rules are stored at the database engine level, the foundation
of the product. "And you want the rules stored with the database and
enforced automatically by the database engine. That way, integrity is
ensured no matter how the data is accessed, whether interactively,
through importing, or through a custom program." (PC Magazine,
September 13, 1994)Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)R:BASE for Windows
enables users to take advantage of the industry's de facto connectivity
 standard, ODBC. This technology allows users to access data from a
variety of database applications. ODBC offers a single, easy-to-use
interface for accessing the information stored in other DBMS systems
without the traditional hassles of compatibility and conversion.Fourth
 Generation Language (4GL) with Embedded Structured Query Language (SQL)
The R:BASE programming language is a fourth generation language
featuring embedded SQL to make programming easier and more efficient.
Unlike third generation languages, such as C, FORTRAN, COBOL, Access
Basic and Object PAL, which are closer to the machine-level languages,
the R:BASE 4GL is easier to understand and use because it is closer to
the English language and far less cryptic. In addition, the R:BASE 4GL
 eliminates the compiling required by third generation languages. With
R:BASE, developers can simply "write and run" programs. The R:BASE 4GL
also enables users to perform functions with just one command, whereas
xBASE languages would require several lines of code.A standard on
mainframe databases, SQL was brought to the PC arena by R:BASE. As an
 industry standard, SQL enables database programmers to quickly learn
 and realize the full power of R:BASE. In addition, SQL empowers
non-programmers to access their data in near-English language form. As
SQL is based on the relational model, products that are not truly
relational do not use SQL as their native language. R:BASE features
embedded SQL, not just a SQL shell found in other DBMS products. R:BASE
 conforms to the ANSI 1989 Level II SQL standard and has partial
compliance with 1992 guidelines. Complete implementation of SQL is also
 an important factor for data integrity, as referential integrity is an
SQL-based standard.32-bit Architecture

R:BASE was the first PC-based DBMS to take full advantage of 386 and
486 processors' 32-bit, protected mode operation capabilities.
Operating in extended or expanded RAM, 32-bit R:BASE provides twice the
 processing power and performance of 16-bit applications. With its
32-bit architecture, R:BASE is optimized for 32-bit operating systems
such as OS/2 Warp V3 and Windows 95. With software developers'
specifications provided by IBM and Microsoft, R:BASE for Windows is
built to take advantage of the advanced performance of tomorrow's
operating systems.

Application Express: A Straightforward Approach to Application
Development"The application-development process is smoothed by
Application Express, a built-in application generator that walks you
through the entire process of designing the database; creating forms,
queries, reports, and menus; and generating the final code." (PC
Magazine, September 13, 1994).


Employing a simple, straightforward approach of using pull-down menus
 to build application menus and actions, R:BASE enables even PC novices
to create complex applications - without writing a single line of
program code. Even with today's powerful-but-easy products, the ability
 to create code-free, complex applications is unprecedented.


Query-By-ExampleWithout learning a single program command, R:BASE
users can generate complex queries using graphical query-by-example.
With just a few mouse clicks on the desired fields, a user can create a
 query such as "Pick customers who purchased Product X in the past 90
days."

R> Prompt Command Line Interface

The most flexible and powerful command line prompt in a DBMS, the R>
prompt is a tool for power users to make SQL and R:BASE commands, test
programs and command files, and list elements of the data dictionary.
With the R> prompt, users can make instant, ad hoc changes in queries.
Other DBMS products force users to wait for query results before making
 modifications, which can be considerably time-consuming.


Data DictionaryThe data dictionary provides a central point of
reference and control for all DBMS components, such as database
structure (schema), rules, constraints, access rights, forms and
reports. Using the data dictionary, a database user can easily maintain
 and monitor all elements of a DBMS. In xBASE systems, which lack this
 central control, a database administrator cannot enforce security or
protect vital data from accidental or intentional deletion.


Automatic Multi-User PerformanceWith optimistic concurrency control
and automatic row level locking, R:BASE is a network-ready product,
right out of the box. In a network environment, row level locking
prevents multiple users from simultaneously editing the same row in a
database, which can result in corrupted data. R:BASE allows the first
user in the queue to edit the row and if other users wish to make
concurrent changes, the users will be prompted that their edits will
overwrite the work of the first user. Other DBMS products require a
programmer to hard code individual locks, which cannot eliminate the
danger of two users freezing the application by attempting to lock the
 same row at the same time.


Security Features
R:BASE has some of the most comprehensive database security features
available. Enforced at the engine level, security can be defined for
any database table, row or column using the SQL GRANT/REVOKE commands
and password access rights.


Interactive Debugger
R:BASE also features an interactive debugger to eliminate errors in
application code. The debugger displays the source code with a debugger
 dialog, so users can view code as it is executing to create bug-free
applications.4