MaxBase V. 1.17
just released!

Developer Max Marsiglietti, member of the NetRexx Ring, just released MaxBase v. 1.17 dated June, the 6th 1998, built upon RXDBase v1.17, June the 6th 1998. This is a fairly big and comprehensive suite of database tools that will help you manage your information and share them with your colleagues,clients and friends. There are tools for the developer, end user and consultant -- all of them are the result of years of experience that I have put together as a developer, end user and consultant in the field of databases. MaxBase is a graphical tool completely written in Java that allows you to manage your databases, both as a database administrator (working with DBs structure), and as a user doing data entry. The archive, mbase117.zip (1,568MB) was uploaded onto Hobbes.

MaxBase itself is a stand-alone application with many features (some of them are uncommon for a database of this class, like the possibility to reach other databases on the network) which were thought for (and developed with) end users, just like yourself.

MaxBase is a fairly big suite of tools that deal with databases, completely written in Java (whose installation gotchas are not yet widely known to most end users) and thus requires your attention at least for installing and checking system requirements. Please take the time to read this file before installing, or at least read the updated sections before upgrading.MaxBase runs only under Java 1.1.x and above

NOTE: Please see the HTML documentation for license information (the "legal info" link from the main index page). The start page for HTML documentation is in the docs\index.htm file. MaxBase is *not* freeware (though it is cheap!).


Installation and first steps


PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE INSTALLED AN OLDER VERSION
OF MAXBASE:

Note: A new program has been added to the suite,File Utils, so you should add it to your MaxBasefolder (your desktop, whatever) if you have installed a MaxBase version prior to 1.16. OS/2 users should re-run the installer (config.sys won't be touched) in order to have the new program pop up in the MaxBase folder, while users from other operating systems can exploit the .bat and bash scripts (and icons).

Note: If you have a MaxBase version earlier than 1.10, remove it from your hard disk (after having stored in a safe place your databases, of course!) and then replace it with this one. If you have already installed 1.10 or more recent, just unzip this file over the old installation (your registration information WILL NOT be overwritten).

Warning: this program heavily depends on the quality of your Java Virtual Machine. Please get and install the latest release of the Java VM for your computer/Operating System before running MaxBase.

Installation under OS/2 Warp

Type install.cmd from the directory that the program has been unzipped in.


Installation under Windows 95/NT

I have included a very simple 'runme.bat' batch file for Windows 95 which will start MaxBase.You can create a shortcut for this file on your desktop and, optionally, assign to it the icon you will find in res\win32. Drop a MaxBase .dat file on it and it will be opened.

'MERGe.bat' is the file that launches MERGe, the all-new report writer for MaxBase: if you plan to run it stand-alone (as opposed to inside MaxBase), please add a shortcut for this file on your desktop -- an icon is available in the res\win32 directory. Same deal for convert.bat (the batch that launches the file conversion utilities).

You can create a shortcut also for 'runsrvr.bat'(an icon is available in the res\win32 directory); when you will drop a MaxBase .dat file on it, the DB Server will make it available on the network.

Finally, the "msrunme.bat" file is identical to runme.bat, but it uses Microsoft's own JVM. Why this move? Is it any good? Well, MS JVM is some 33% faster than SUN's JDK 1.1.5, so I thought you Win32 users would have found this interesting.
Please note, however, that while it is fast, it has also its fair share of problems. You can't print,keyboard accelerators don't work, and the DB server won't start at all! The MS JVM is, however, very fast in "local mode" to do data entry or queries.

Don't forget about the comprehensive HTML manual, whose main page is the docs\index.htm file. It is a guide, reference and FAQ both for end users and developers.


Installation under Unix

You can use the shell scripts included (runme, MERGe,cnvrt, runsrvr) to run MaxBase, MERGe the file converter and RXDBServer; don't forget to 'chmod +x'them. X-Windows icons are included in the res/xwin directory.Don't forget also about the comprehensive HTML manual, whose main page is the docs\index.htm
file. It is a guide, reference and FAQ both for end users and developers.

NOTE: If you find errors in any of the applications in this package, please report them to maxbase@bmtmicro.com, along with the error dump (you can find that in the shell where you have launched the program) and an explanation of what you were doing.



Differences from 1.16

Note: this is mainly a maintenance release.I have been using in the last few months MaxBase to develop vertical applications, and during this experience I have found and corrected bugs both in the Java classes and the manuals (whose developer's section has been refined a lot, expecially for the MaxBase and report beans).

.) Improved: the HTML manuals have been improved and revisited (content-wise). The contents of the MaxBase bean section have been overhauled, and some diagrams have been added for better understanding of the processes involved in creating external add & modify panels.

.) Improved: index-handling routines have been speeded up -- the performance increase for users adding large batch of records using RXDbase should be quite noticeable. The same applies for modifying and deleting records.

.) Changed: some LineViewMockup bean methods have been changed, in order to make developer's life easier (no 'thank you' needed -- I should have done it before, sorry).

.) Changed: MaxBase now uses information stored in file MaxBase.ini (if present) of the directory where the db is stored.

.) Corrected: multithreaded operations suffered from a concurrency problem.

.) Corrected: 'Z' axis position of the MaxBase Frame was incorrectly changed after an external 'add & modify panel' added or modified records.

.) Upgraded NetRexx, TabSplitter and MultiColumnListBox packages to latest releases. This version of MCLB seems to be snappier, but broke the keyboard accelerators.
Working on it.


Platform considerations

I tested this program on OS/2 Warp 4, Windows 95, Linux Red Hat 5.0, and did some tests on Warp 3 and Solaris (the latter two thanks to MaxBase users).

Release notes:

Common to all platforms:
Please note that in order to fully enjoy the reporting application, MERGe, you really need a JDK at 1.1.5 level (or better), because in 1.1.5 the following bug was corrected:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
AWT PRINTJOB BUG - In earlier JDKs, java.awt.PrintJob.getPageResolution
and java.awt.PrintJob.GetPageDimension would return incorrect values in
some circumstances. This bug has been fixed in JDK 1.1.5. [Bug 4049865]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

This doesn't mean that you can't print if you don't have a 1.1.5 JVM, but only that page dimensions will, most likely, not be correctly reported on screen. YMMV.


Linux: The 1.1.5 v7 release of the JVM sometimes locks up a MaxBase instance.

OS/2: Reports can take a long time to print on certain printers, hogging the CPU. Also, DBF <--> DAT conversions don't work as expected (with and without JIT). OS/2 is, currently, at JDK level 1.1.4, so it is affected by the [Bug 4049865] above. I didn't test MaxBase with the 1.16 prerelease -- caveat emptor!

Windows 95: Everything seems to work fine under JDK 1.1.6 from Sun.

Other platforms: If you're using MaxBase under other platforms, please drop me a note on your results with it, I'd be really pleased.


Disclaimer:

VisualAge for Java, NetRexx, OS/2 are registered trademarks of IBM corp. Other trademarks in this document belong to their respective companies.

How to get 'latest and greatest'
The web page for maxbase can be found at:

*************************************************
http://www.bmtmicro.com/catalog/mb-web
(BMT-Micro in USA, with secure online order form)
*************************************************

*************************************************
http://www.ososoft.com/RXDBASE.HTM
(OsoSoft in Italy, with plain online order form)
*************************************************

You can get MaxBase from any of the two, although BMT-Micro usually has the most up-to-date version.

I am working also with the OS/2 Super Store to activate the Rapid Internet Purchasing mechanism for MaxBase.



CONTACTING THE AUTHOR

If you find any bug, or have suggestions, please
report all of your comments to:

Max Marsiglietti,

E-mail:
maxbase@bmtmicro.com (Internet), 2:332/529.12 (Fidonet)

Snail Mail:
V.Landino 13,
41049, Sassuolo (MO)
Italy.
@Macarlo, Inc.
@Macarlo's Shareware & Web
OS/2
Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited

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