On 5 May 99, at 16:16, Jeffrey Loo wrote:

> I need to write an inventory program using DOS Database and must be year
> 2000 compliance
> Which is a better DOS database to use, currently I am looking at FoxPro 2.6,
> Dbase IV.
> All suggestions and comments are most welcome.

  The key to designing a good database is to understand what state
information you need to be able to query (in the case of inventory, quantity
and cost) and what transactions affect this state info and how (in the case
of inventory, these would be placing purchase orders, receiving shipments,
receiving customer orders and shipping them (may, in a retail business, be
lumped together as "sales"), and adjustments for spoilage, theft, or non-sale
use).
  The "cost" state needs to be reflected in the General Ledger (this is the
asset value of inventory on hand); purchase orders must reconcile with
Accounts Payable and  customer orders with Accounts Receivable.  Most vendors
of general business accounting suites provide an Inventory module that links
to these other modules as appropriate, and I would suggest that such a suite
may be a more cost-effective (and more easily audited!) approach than writing
your own for a business.  [Of course, if the reason you need to write this is
as a school project, you will not earn points for taking that approach....]

  It is my understanding that Microsoft will not be providing any Y2K fixes
or support for DOS itself.  While it may be possible to produce a DOS-based
solution that meets "Y2K compatible" criteria, the stricter requirements of
"Y2K compliant" are probably not achievable with a DOS-based solution.

  I have an impression that FoxPro 2.6 may be a bit easier to get into.  That
leads me to suspect that it may be a bit weaker on performance or "back end"
features, but if you dont't already know one or the other, FoxPro probably
provides the shallower "learning curve".  Y2K aside, I think you can still
get a certain level of support for FoxPro from Microsoft or third parties,
more than I expect is still available for dBase IV.


David G

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