Re: Australia please: Student Survey; Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)

Sean Chivers <navare@world.net> wrote: >Hello, >Thanks for your bandwidth, I am a student at Gilles Plains College of >TAFE South Australia, currently about to complete my Associate Diploma >of Business Administration. >If you wish to -check the truthful/validate the nature- of my claims in >this E-mail, my student ID Number is: 0188136. >I am currently involved in a project related to my studies about >Relational Database Management Systems. Access, Foxpro, Oracle, Ingres, >DBase for example. >All of you great people with lots - or even just a little - of >experience with RDBMS's, can help me! All I ask is for you to fill in >the _brief_ survey below, to help me with my Primary Research. >-Your Privacy- >1. None of the questions below will ask specifics of personal details, >such as your name or an employer's name or name of business or addresses >etc., (only a program). >2. All results of this survey will self destruct under my guidance once >my report has been produced. >3. No information gathered from this survey will be sold to peddlers of >other people's privacy. It is used for my personal use only. >4. This is my guarantee and this guarantee is final. >Please, feel free to distribute this survey to others you know of, who >may be interested in filling it out. The more the better! >If you undertake to use five minutes of your time to fill out *THE >SURVEY BELOW*, I would like to thank you heartily for making a long >researching task a little easier, and I salute you! >Please send results in an E-mail or as an attatched text file, or simply >as a reply, to: >navare@mailhost.world.net >Thank you. Here it is!!! >-----------------cut here :)------------------------------- >########################################################### ># RELATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - SURVEY START # >########################################################### >1. Is your RDBMS directed towards: >a. Corporate network servers, >b. Desktop use by experienced programmers, >c. Desktop use by relatively inexperienced end-users? >Answer: _ (Choose appropriate letter).C >2. What is the name of the Relational Database Management System which >is the subject of this survey (including version #)? >Answer: Paradox and Dataperfect 2.3____________________________________________. >3. Is the package used for: >a. Private use, >b. Business, >c. Association, or >d. Club? >Answer: B_____ (Choose appropriate letter). >4. Name the type of business using this package, (ie service or >production, butcher, bank etc). >Answer:_High school >5. Your role in relation to the package? >a. Data Entry, >b. Administrator/Manager, >c. Owner (All-in-one), >d. Database programmer, >e. Other; please specify____ >Answer: (a to e) _d >6. Is the package running on a network with multiuser access? >Answer: __N__(Yes or No). >7. If answer to Question 6 was Yes, then approximately how many people >are inputing/accessing data from this database package? >Answer: _________ people. >8. Would you consider your organisation: >a. Small, >b. Medium,or >c. Large? >Answer: _m__(a,b or c). >9. What type of environment does this RDBMS package allow programmers >changes, data manipulation/entry, to be made? >a. Unix, >b. DOS, >c. Windows, >d. Mac System, >e. Other OS or GUI, please state ___DOS___Windows_______________________. >Answer: _______________________ (one or *more* of any letters). >10. From the point of view of an untrained initiate, describe the ease >with which the program can be learned to the stage of application >development. >"I would describe the learning curve of this program to be;" >a. Very Steep (very hard). >b. Steep (requires dedicated study). >c. A steady incline (not difficult). >d. Gradual (easy). >Answer: ___Dataperfect B This question does not make it clear whether you are referring to the desuigner or user!!! Paradox D. Both these applications have quite steep learning curve for a developer but the developer casn make it easy or difficult for a datentry clerk. While the PAradox can be built within Windows Standards the DAtaperfect is a non standard DOS applicationj, but once thje DP clerk has been utrained, the application is as problem free as the designer is smart. Both are cleverer apps than Access. >11. What features do *you* consider to be the best, or most powerful, or >easiest, or varied etc, in this program. (ie file security, >networkability, user friendliness (GUI, Object Oriented), program >support - SQL C++ VB Cobol, query capability, front end tools etc, etc,) >Any of these will do or a few of them in order of prefference. >Answer: Datperfect: Lookup tables and networking are both fabulous. Paradox: Its as good as the designer is smart. Exceptional flexibility in application design. and an Object Oriented language that is like Pascal.___________________________________________________________. >12. If you have a good idea of the next answer, what features/strengths >is this package known to be renowned for? (Similar official goodies as >above) >Answer: Data centred: store your data, then normalise your tables and design an application as the need/parameters grow As a designer user ( I am a school teachert and my grade book grows in complexity as each term goes by) I can start off in PAradox with data such as classes, enrolments, grades which I can enter in spreadsheet like tables then I can staret to extend my application through queries, reports and forms to ensure referential integrity and data validation. Then When I start making my database really work I can start programming buttons and forms to do quite complex things such as standardising scores, attaching programs and tests to courses, printing selected students or courses etc. As a Paradox database grows in time, so it becomes more multifunctional. Access and Dataperfect are very similar and are bothj application centred. ___________________________________________________________. >################################################################ ># RELATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - SURVEY Finish # >################################################################ Laurie Savage eMail Laurie.Savage@cww.octec.org.au