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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
commit | e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch) | |
tree | 60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /info/digests/texline/no11/dbp.tex |
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diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no11/dbp.tex b/info/digests/texline/no11/dbp.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..5150756a02 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no11/dbp.tex @@ -0,0 +1,103 @@ +\centerline{\bf dbPublisher} +\smallskip\noindent +Two products have appeared on the market in the last year or so +which enable the user (naive or not-so naive -- see below) to extract data from +a database or spreadsheet and automatically typeset (or DTP) it. The two +products are called, rather confusingly, dbPublisher (distributed in the UK by +Migent) and DataBase Publisher (written and distributed by the Graphics +Technology Group -- GTG). So what is the difference between them and why review +the former in \Texline? + +DataBase Publisher is intended to be an interface +between dBase and either Ventura or Pagemaker. It will also pick up from +sequential \ascii\ files (and this is how one handles data from other databases) +and GTG will write output filters to other DTP\slash typesetting packages; they +presumably could write one for \TeX. In other words DataBase Publisher has no +formatting or output facilities of its own. dbPublisher, on the other hand does +everything -- it makes it possible to pick up data directly from a whole range of +databases, spreadsheets and word-processors (as well as sequential \ascii\ files) +and it pipes this data (I use a \unix\ term even though the package only runs +under DOS, because there is a direct transfer from one process to the +next), through a generic mark-up interpreter, to (surprise, surprise!) \TeX{}. +It does take some time to realise that \TeX{} is the formatter used in this package +(unless you recognise the otherwise uninterpretable error messages), because it +is only hidden away in one of the Appendices of the manual, describing a form of +generic coding, that suddenly one sees + +{\narrower +\noindent +\hbox{``|<literal>... | {\tt \TeX\ Commands} |</literal>|}\hfil\break + Allows passing \TeX{} commands +directly through \SGML\ mode. If you know what \TeX{} is you will be pleased. If +you are not familiar with \TeX{}, this command should not be used. It is +included only for those wonderful lunatic-fringe folks who have mastered \TeX{} +macros (you know who you are).'' +\smallskip} +So there it is and incidentally there is +also a \PS\ {\tt Passthrough} command `for certifiable \PS\ addicts +only'. + +That is the good side of dbPublisher, in other words, at least in +theory, you have the potential to anything that \TeX{} can do, with a powerful +data extraction and sort facility on the front. The problems come once one +starts to use it. The first problem I had (and still have) is that dbPublisher +uses its own graphics interface (one of the many produced before Windows became +standard). This is different enough from Windows to be confusing at times (when +do you click and when do you double-click?) and for my system, an ACER 386 with +an Adaptec controller, was disastrous because the controller uses the same +interrupts as the windowing software and every time I tried to preview a file, +the system rebooted! I still have not solved this problem and changing the +Adaptec interrupts seems to be the only way, which I am not keen on doing. So +the following comments are based on work on a client's system (a Tandon, where +everything did work properly). + +DataBase Publisher has a very easy to use +interface, using Windows, where one clicks on options or clicks, holds and moves +fields into the order required; everything is graphical and one can achieve +results very quickly. With dbPublisher, however, the interface is partly +graphical and partly character-based. And it is difficult to learn. The manual +takes one through a series of exercises, which are fine if that is what you want +to do, but if what you want to do is slightly different, then it may take quite +a while to work out how to achieve it. The selection and formatting commands are +interspersed and can be accessed in most cases either by typing in what you +want, although you will probably have to bring up a 4GL-type menu to do it, or +by placing boxes on the graphically displayed page. To try and summarize the +procedure in a review is almost impossible; after all the manual does not +succeed very well in over 200 pages. + +Having been fairly critical, I should say +that I believe that dbPublisher is an immensely powerful package, once one has +worked out what to do. I managed to produce a directory using it, and more +recently a mailmerge program which works directly from the database (Rbase in +this case) with virtually any selection criterion and the ability to allow for +missing address fields while still starting the salutation line (Dear\dots) at +the same point for window-envelope use. This can obviously be achieved in +other ways, but the final program (once I had worked it out) is really +quite simple. Programs can of course be very complicated, but the +processing times tend to extend; this is fine if you know that everything is +working, but when you are testing a program it can be annoying. One good feature +is that one can test programs on a few database records, so that development +times are reduced (this was not so on the first version). Another good feature +is that you can preview files before printing them (if your system allows it!), +and I would suggest that this is always the way to operate. + +I have not said +anything about how dbPublisher uses \TeX{}. This is mainly because I am no +\TeX{}pert. Certainly, I have found no problem in getting the typographic output +I wanted; most of the problems I have encountered have been in the selection +side. There is a sample generic file provided, but not a sample \TeX{} file. It +would be interesting to try to pass a complete \TeX{} file through dbPublisher +and see if the result is as expected. If only the package would work on my +system\dots\ + +In summary, I think that dbPublisher is very good value for +someone who has no DTP program already, but has some programming experience (or +access to someone who has -- runtime versions can be produced). If you are +already running Ventura or PageMaker, then DataBase Publisher is probably a more +practical solution. However, as a \TeX{} user you would certainly find +dbPublisher interesting, if at times frustrating, to play with and for the right +application it could be just what you want. And if someone would write a good +manual or handbook on the package, then I am sure that it could almost become a +leading contender in the DTP field, unless of course you have an Adaptec +controller! +\author{David Penfold} |