Date   : Tue, 17 Dec 1985 21:14:22 GMT
From   : "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" <craig%ozone.dec@BRL.ARPA>
Subject: Public Domain CP/M database program

 
Randy White writes:

> I am trying to locate a Public Domain database that can run under a
> Z80 CP/M based system.  My main concern is that it be able to sort on
> any field without writing lengthly template/sort formulas.   

If you know anything about programming you might want to consider the 
public domain version of MUMPS.  It's called MicroMUMPS and is 
available from: 

     Dr. Richard Walters
     Dept. Elec. Comp. Engineering
     University of California
     Davis, CA 95616

I use it on my Kaypro II, and find it works well.  I believe the cost 
is on the order of $60.00.

MUMPS is a string-oriented ANSI-standard language which is designed to 
facilitate building and manipulating databases, and handles sorts very 
nicely from the programmers perspective.

To sort on a field all you have to do is use the SET command to create
an array (either in memory or on disk) using the desired field as a
subscript, and MUMPS sorts it for you automatically.  For example,
let's say I have a MUMPS array: 

  ^PEOPLE(NUMBER)=NAME;STREET;CITY;STATE;ZIP

where NUMBER is an internal counter, and the data nodes (NAME, etc.) 
are my fields.  To sort on ZIP would involve looping through 
^PEOPLE(NUMBER), setting a variable ZIP to the 5th Piece of the node, 
and SETing the following scratch array :

  ^TEMP(ZIP,NUMBER)=""

Then all I would need to do is loop through ^TEMP(ZIP,NUMBER), and 
retrieve my data nodes from ^PEOPLE(NUMBER), and do whatever I wanted 
with the records (write them out to a file, generate form letters, 
whatever...).

If you have a hard disk on your Z80 system, there is a public 
domain database management system called Fileman (developed and used 
heavily at the Veterans Administration) which is also available from 
Dr. Walters which can do all this for you, without your needing to 
know anything about MUMPS code.


                                   Robert Craig
                                   Medical Systems Group
                                   (Home of Digital Standard Mumps)

                                   ..decwrl!ozone!craig