SQL (Structured Query Language) is a world wide standard for accessing data on computers. Since the early 1990's DMAC has supported SQL (Tina Kay says not quite that long). As part of DMAC's overall goal of providing the best data capture in an open system environment, SQL has been updated with each release of Unibase by DMAC.

To adapt to the SQL way of doing things has taken many changes over the past several years which may not appear as having anything to do with SQL. I call these changes invisible steps. The next series of changes to DMAC's SQL will be more noticeable.

Multiserver Support Coming

In addition to having Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) on UNIX boxes for all data in the Unibase environment, the Windows WIN32 (Windows 95 and Windows NT) environment will also be supported.

The 32 bit Unibase by DMAC client and the move of the SQL code to ANSI C++ were what I have called invisible steps towards this goal.

SQL QA Procedures Developed

DMAC's Quality Assurance department spearheaded by Noreen Dunlap has worked hard to create several hundred quality assurance tests to validate DMAC's SQL.

Create, Update Tables Coming

Previously working hand in hand with the FIS (Forms Interchange Standard), but now pushing ahead, a technical group is adding the ability to create and update Unibase by DMAC files as standard SQL tables.

AID Embedded SQL Planned

Finally, the AID language is being expanded to allow direct SQL calls and language usage. Tina Kay says that SQL will never replace all the features of the AID language -- but will give users another, more widely accepted standard, way to manipulate data in both the Unibase by DMAC and other ODBC compliant databases.

None of the above is complete yet, but by the end of summer, DMAC will be shipping pieces of the above out as BETA modules for UNIX with WIN32 modules later this fall. Open standards and architecture give the user power.  They help vendors deliver usable products which interface with the real world. Insist upon open products.