Minerva is a new software house, specialising in database system for micros, and their random access database for the Amstrad introduces several novel ideas. The prototype reviewed here still lacks the code for several key areas of operation, such as sorting and searching the database, so I'll comment only on the specification for these routines. The finished product should be available very soon after you read this. There arc two types of filing systems available for databases Sequential filing means that a program can only read each record in sequence, one after the other. as with a cassette tape. This is the system supported by AMSDOS, which in many ways is like a speedy tape-filing system Random Access filing however (normally reserved for CP/M programs), allows a program to move to any disc record directly and load it into memory. The Minerva program combines the best of both these worlds, by using random access from within BASIC. This is done using a series of machine-code extensions to BASIC, which handle the random access bits. Why not write the v/hole program under CP/M then0 Wei 1 i: your program works under BASIC, you can use all of the routines already in the BASIC ROM. The Minerva system can therefore offer all the calculation facilities of BASIC, with very little extra programming. The database is very user -friendly and splits off the creation of a file from its use. The format of the screen is completely independent of the data on the file. This means you can design as many different displays, form letters or address labels as you want, and call any of them into play to use with your file. You can even use the same formats with more than one set of data.
The program works in mode 2, but Minerva have written routines to produce double width (40 column) characters at any point in the display This means that you can define the major parts of your record in 40 columns and add notes etc in 80 columns. This double standard extends to printouts, which make use of condensed mode to copy the screen display. The search routine is said to be very fast, finding any record in a couple of seconds even in a large file The result of a search can be kept as a sub-set of the complete file, and dealt with independently. The Minerva system should be a very versatile product at a reasonable price. I hea r rumours that the random access file handling extensions may later be released or. their own. Let s hope so. AMSTRAD ACTION #6 | 
