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From: sns@tybalt.caltech.edu (Samuel N. Southard)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: DbaseIII/multi-user versions
Message-ID: <1476@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: Mon, 12-Jan-87 03:42:24 EST
Article-I.D.: cit-vax.1476
Posted: Mon Jan 12 03:42:24 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Jan-87 06:43:53 EST
References: <663@imsvax.UUCP>
Sender: news@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu
Reply-To: sns@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (Samuel N. Southard)
Organization: Calfornia Institute of Technology
Lines: 21
Keywords: slow
Summary: about as good as single user version

I am required to manage/keep running a multi-user DbaseIII+ sytem using
PC/AT's over Ethernet using Ungerman Bass cards.  The network is easy to
use, but Dbase III is inredibly slow, even with a single-user version.  As
far as Dbase III+ over the network goes, it is about as good as Dbase III
for a single user.  However, if you are doing any serious database work, I
would reccommend something else (I don't know what).  As a speed reference,
it takes 45-60 min. to index 6500 names, and takes over 90 min. to process
this same file for labels.  The records are only 400 bytes each.  If you 
like Dbase III already, however, you lose almost no functionality from Dbase
III (I haven't found any yet, but just to be safe....).  Of course there are
some things you can't do when multiple people are accessing the database, but
they are things like re-structuring the database, which is perfectly reasonable.
Also, there are a couple extra commands that you have to use, such as locking
the file so you can edit, but these are also perfectly reasonable.  Small gripe:
I haven't yet found a way to make the default so that multiple people can
access the same database.
	In summary, if you like single-user Dbase III, you will like multi-
user Dbase III; if you are sane, you won't like either.

						Sam Southard, Jr.
						sns@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP