Alpha Four - Penn Printout, Oct 1991

The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine

October 1991 - Volume 8:2

Alpha Four: Database management for the PC

By Sheila Fleming

Alpha Four, developed by Alpha Software Corporation, is the Computing Resource Center's recommended and supported database management program for the PC. The program was chosen for support by a committee made up of representatives from each of the major schools.

Combining flat file and relational capabilities, Alpha Four allows users to grow with it as they become more sophisticated. While basic database setup and basic reporting are easy, other functions require dedication to master, as is the case with many PC database programs. Training and technical support are available from the CRC. The program can be purchased at the Computer Connection.

Getting started

Creating a database is an easy, menu-driven process. "Database Options" allows you to enter a description of the database-good for reminding you of its contents, or for informing others who need to use the file. At the "Create Database" screen you enter and define fields. Field types are text (character), numeric, date, logical (true/false), and memo. When you've finished defining the fields, you can begin to add records. The fields you created appear in a default layout called Form View, which is a vertical list of field names followed by a colon.

Creating layouts

Alpha Four has many powerful features for creating attractive and useful layouts for on-screen viewing (forms) or printing (reports). As with databases, you can create a description to help identify a layout in the future.

Forms. In addition to the single-record (you can view one record at a time on screen) and multirecord tabular forms created automatically for each database, you can design custom layouts. On color monitors you can use formatting options to control the colors in which fields display, and whether they blink or appear in bold. With a monochrome monitor, you can select reverse-video display and use the bold and blink options.

Reports. Menu options for mailing labels and form letters are available, or you can create customized layouts, which can be previewed on screen. Quick Setup, especially good for new users, is the fast way to customize: The program generates a report using your responses to screen prompts. More advanced users may prefer Custom Reports to create reports from scratch. In addition to standard reporting features like margin definitions, Alpha Four provides useful options such as printing headers and footers on the first page only, resetting the page number after a group of records has been printed, and reprinting the header after a page break. It may take some time to master the reporting feature, but once you do, you will have the flexibility to create the reports you want.

Querying

Two powerful methods are provided for searching a database: Filters and the Search Lists command. Filters are standard searches: You specify search criteria, and the database is searched for matching records. In contrast, Search Lists finds and saves a list of records that meet the search criteria; the search does not have to be repeated unless the database is modified. With both methods you can set complex search criteria to find what you need.

Search Lists provides two methods for setting up search criteria: Table Mode and Expression Mode. In Table Mode, you quickly specify the conditions to be met by filling in a table. This mode is especially good for beginners. Advanced users can design more complex searches in Expression Mode, using standard comparison operators such as =, >, <, <=, >=, and <>. You can even test expressions prior to applying them to make sure that you entered the correct expression.

Alpha Four also allows you to maintain index files. An index is a table of records sorted in a specific order. When records are added or deleted, the index is updated automatically.

Bells and whistles

Alpha Four has sophisticated, if sometimes confusing, features to help ensure data consistency and to make databases easier for others to use.

You can define fields to be calculated fields (i.e., +, -, *, /, (), and exponentiation) or summary fields (i.e., contain a total, a count, or an average). Standard deviation, though not available as a summary field, can be computed using summary and calculated fields.

The lookup feature looks up values stored in a separate database or table and enters them automatically into the current database. You could, for example, create a lookup table that displayed department names in a pop-up window in the current database. If you selected a department from the list, its name and address would be entered into the current database. Lookups can provide lists of optional, mandatory, or invalid values for a field. You can also create fields whose values are automatically filled in from a lookup table. For example, if you entered a department name into the current database, the phone number would automatically be entered in the phone field. Alpha Four also offers system fields which are maintained by the program; time and date values, for example, could be entered automatically.

Finally, Alpha Four has a two-step deletion procedure. Deletion marks records for later deletion; they are permanently removed only when you issue a separate command.

Macros

Alpha Four's rudimentary macro feature allows you to automate multistep repetitive tasks, such as sorting labels in zip code order and printing them. The Macro Recorder, the suggested method for new users of Alpha Four, saves the keystrokes required to perform a task. Or you can initiate the macro function and "program" the macro manually. Either way, macros not only make your life easier, but they make it easier for someone else to work with your database.

File import/export

If you have files created in other programs that you could manipulate better in Alpha Four, take heart. dBase III, dBase III Plus, dBase IV, and Alpha Works use the same file structures as Alpha Four, which means the files of these programs are interchangeable. And you can easily import Lotus 1-2-3/Symphony, SYLK, dBase II (DBF), VisiCalc (DIF), character-separated ASCII (i.e., text that is delimited by a comma, tab, escape, line feed, or carriage return), table-formatted ASCII, and PFS files. If you import files regularly (for example, budget information from Lotus 1-2-3), Alpha Four can save the import settings, saving you both time and keystrokes.

You can also export an entire database or a subset of the data to the formats mentioned above, as well as to WordPerfect, for mail-merge documents, and to Multimate.

Documentation

Apart from extensive context-sensitive online help, Alpha Four's documentation is less than impressive. The manual is notable more for its size than its usefulness. The order in which topics are presented seems counter-intuitive. For example, information on viewing and entering information appears in one of the early chapters, while information on creating a database is left until chapter nine. The index is frustrating to work with. You will, for example, be hard pressed to find "macros" listed in the index; instead, you can find it buried in the table of contents. Sorely lacking is a quick-reference guide for those users who just need the nuts and bolts of creating and using a database. Alpha Four comes with a cassette tape of only marginal instructional value and a tutorial manual which, again, has more weight than substance.

What's missing

Missing from version 1.1, but promised in version 2.0, is LAN capability to allow concurrent access to a single database by several users. Missing also are security features; they, too, will be incorporated in 2.0 to allow users to protect confidential information.

Vendor support

Calls to Alpha Four's support line ((617) 272-3680, 9:15 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)) resulted in long-distance waits of a few minutes. You must provide your serial number, posted on the installation disk, before a technician will help you. Service was inconsistent: One technician provided more information than requested, and another was unable to confirm basic information published in the manual. Less urgent questions can be faxed to (617) 272-4876 or posted to the bulletin board at (617) 229-2915 [settings: 8, N, 1].

Summary

Alpha Four's usefulness can grow as your needs grow. You can start by developing simple databases and, as you become more comfortable with the program, create databases that are linked together so that a change in one will update related records in others. This growth potential is a major advantage for those of you tired of purchasing new software as your sophistication increases and you require more advanced capabilities. Try out Alpha Four at the CRC before you decide to take the plunge and purchase the program. It may be the deal you've been waiting for.

SHEILA FLEMING is a Consultant for the Computing Resource Center.