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Saxonia Issue 03 Part 025
Making a database utility
By Rumrunner/VOID
l
I guess that most coders have experienced this at some point. When seeing
or using some program, everybody finds something they would like to have
different. In addition to this, coders also usually finds themselves
thinking how they would have made this and that, no matter how well the
program is done. Your own solution to the problem becomes more important
than the functionality of the program you already have in front of you.
I found myself in this situation too. I have started a new study at school
this fall, IT. Like expected, this study focuses too much on internet,
networking and shared computers. SQL is a common database solution suited
for this purpose, it can easily be accessed through a webinterface, and
there are many uses for it, like making customer-registers, in-stock lists
for online companies and such. For a customer register, however, I
personally would prefer a database-system that didn't run on a server like
apache and the likes, but that's not the issue here.
Anyway, I was working with SQL, the version named MySQL, and as usual,
there were troubles with the Windows GUI (MySQLFront) for this, so I ended
up working in a shell on the server the database was on. When seeing this
simple interface, I started to wonder. Why can't I make something like this
on Amiga? I usually don't like systemcoding too much, but an interface like
this is not a problem. Using dos.library and a con: window is as simple as
it can get, and then I can use the read and write routines from the
mentioned library to catch input and do output, and be able to use my
time on the real coding, the fileformat and such.
So, the next day, when I came home from school, I sat down with ASM-One
and started to code. Like said, a cheap and easy to make interface was
the con: window. I write this text the same evening. Now, I'm going to
work a little on the fileformat. Notice that I wanted to make something
like SQL, not an Amigaversion of that, so the fileformat will not be the
same, and neither will the commands. It will be a more or less easy to use
and Amigadedicated system.
Now, why did I want to write something like this, somebody would perhaps
point out that there are wellworking database solutions already for Amiga.
Yes, perhaps it is, but I havent't found them, not that I have looked too
hard either. If somebody has something, they are welcome to drop a word
at rumrunner@sensewave.com or write by mail. My adress is in the
adverts section of the mag. I have to mention one excellent program for
small databases like Disk/phone/videolists and such though. It's called
InfoFile and was released for Amiga in 1988, I think. The whole program
takes some 200k's with gui and all. But this program lacks features like
using several lists in one database and so on. There might be newer version
of the program though.
Right, back to the point, no matter how many decent databasetools there
are, I have not made any of those, and I wanted to check out how it could
be done. Like everybody who knows me can tell, I'm stubborn, and I like
craftsmanship, this is a somewhat dangerous combination when it comes to
the interest in computer which is also present, since a lot of time seems
to just fly by without me even noticing. However, I also think that I have
a rather healthy relationship to computers, I have no problem whatsoever
with being away from the computer for some weeks. And if there's something
I would like to do, I give that higher priority than sitting in front of
a screen all day.
So, what do I expect to end up with? Hopefully this will become a useful
program for me and perhaps also for others. Since it will be handcrafted in
pure assembly the speed will be there, and while there's no gui present,
perhaps this can come later if it's needed at some point. But that requires
me to look more into systemcoding. Or perhaps the solution Karsten Obarski,
Mahoney and Kaktus and Amiga Freelancers selected in their trackerprograms
(SoundTracker, NoiseTracker and ProTracker) would be appropriate. I know
that today there are lots of people who doesn't like such hardwarecoding
in a utility, but like said, this is supposed to be an Amigaprogram and
most Amigas still have a copper don't they?
Anyway, if there are some people interested in this project, they can
drop me a letter at 2 rumrunner@sensewave.com0 . I hope to hear from
all kinds of people, from the users to coders to hear their views.
(Small note for myself : And remember to have fun while doing the work)
Hehe
