| ★ APPLICATIONS ★ BUREAUTIQUE ★ RANDOM ACCESSS DATABASE ★ |
Random Accesss Database (The Amstrad User) | RANDOM ACCESS DATABASE (Amstrad Action) |
One of the major computing flaws of the Amstrad CPC machines has been the inability to handle simple Random Access Filing even when equipped with disc drives. The only way random access data handling was possible was if the program was written entirely in CP/M. Most people like myself totally despise the CP/M operating system for its 'User Hostile' environment, lack of graphics and being a totally inflexible system as far as programming is concerned. Now, along comes a database, written in BASIC, and claims to have Random Access facilities, which is able to access, in theory:- 9 Mbytes (nine million bytes) of storage memory! Or to those who think of k rams; 9 Mbytes equals approximately 8800k of disc storage. Now this might sound as unrealistic as a rooster laying golden eggs, but if you know what Random Access is all about, then it is not such a far fetched claim. What Is Random Access The Arm trad machines have a file handling system called SEQUENTIAL ACCESS. This means that even the simplest data handling programs have to load all the data information from disc, manipulate it and finally save it all back to disc. In other words, all the data is in one file and that file has to be loaded into the machine all at once, as if the file is a whole program itself. Now this may seem an easy concept to understand, but the program is obviously restricted by the amount of free memory space available, and the amount of data it can store. RANDOM ACCESS on the other hand is a different system altogether. The tile docs not have to be loaded all at once. Instead only the relevant data selected will be loaded, manipulated and then saved to disc. This is slightly slower in operation, but it greatly improves the storage capacity of a program. If for example, you would use a whole disc for data storage, then 178k would be used for data storage, while the program can use the machine's memory for other purposes. Therefore Random' Access Database would use 182272 bytes for data storage on the one disc! Minerva Systems have come up with a database, which uses random access file handling, so it's not limited by the available memory of the machine, but rather the storage capacity of the disc. Called simply RANDOM ACCESS DATABASE, it is by far the most powerful database available for the CPC series, that 1 know of. And believe me, I've known quite a lot of databases in my life. The Program When I first received the package, I thought that this was just another database for the Amstrads. At first glance, the program comes complete in a plain pink cardboard box, with a 32 page manual and one disc, it was not impressive. Inserting the disc into my trusty Arnold, I vowed that if this database is just the same as any other.... out it goes. That was two weeks ago. One hour into the program and I was rapt. This is THE DATABASE. Personally, I've never seen anything like it, a flexible powerful database, that allow your imagination to manipulate data any way you choose. Minerva have managed to produce random access facilities by incorporat ing some very' clever machine-code programming, through RSX's (Reside System Extensions). And by subdividing the database into sections of small programs which can he used independently or together, the results allow far more flexibility and extra memory on-board for the program to use. Features The difference between Random Access and all other CPC databases is in its power and flexibility. No other databases available for the Arnold on the market can come close to Random Access. Here are some features which prove how powerful Random Access really is:
About the Manual The manual comes neatly presented in a stapled 32 page booklet. Inside, a table of contents at the front, as well as an index is provided in the back. The manual is divided into two sections. First is the EXPERIMENTAL SECTION which is designed to be used with the program running. The idea is to experiment with the database, going through the basics, and generally giving you 'hands-on' experience. The second section goes through the entire functions available within the database, and is mainly designed to be read after you are familiar with the experimental section. In my opinion, the manual serves its purpose well although in some areas, the information is all too vague to understand. With time and patience though, you can master this complex piece of software and create that 'special database' you've always wanted but never found the power to use. THE AMSTRAD USER |
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